Les Compagnons Du Devoir operate a skills training system rather like the German Journeyman system I talked about here and here It is a huge organisation with a 70 million euro turnover and responsible for around 6000 apprentices and 3000 journeymen at any one time. Yesterday I attended a meeting in York where we learned more about the system and…
I just came across a fantastic report on traditional crafts in Michigan USA. It is a tremendously positive look at how traditional crafts can be recognised and promoted as part of the heritage and tourism industry. Here are a few excerpts and the link to download the pdf report is at the bottom. Many state arts programs offer some form…
The Woodlanders was a great book written by Thomas Hardy written in 1887, clearly Hardy’s best novel since one character is “the hollow turner” or bowl turner. Today I received a copy of “Woodlanders, New Life in Britain’s Forests” a new book by Ian Edwards. And here is the blurb“Across the UK, people are rediscovering the spellbinding magic of our…
Just finished 3 enjoyable days teaching carving wooden bowls and here are some of the bowls folks made. Dave hollowing the inside with a Hans Karlsson adze. Tamsin smoothing the outside with a push knife. Lots of axe work. I normally hope folk will make 2 bowls each during the course but Mick made 3 bowls and a…
Five years ago I got an email from a 23 year old chap asking if I take on apprentices, he had been playing with woodturning from the age of 12 and done A level design and a degree but wanted to work without the dust and machinery. “Like many people, who i’m sure email you far to often, i want…
I get to work in some of the most beautiful places and am currently building a new oak footbridge at Padley Gorge on the National Trust Longshaw Estate on the moors just outside Sheffield. The bridge was commissioned in memory of Arthur Haslam so Barn carved his initials. I have a real dislike for brass plaques on memorials, carved initials…
Just wanted to share a great link to a video of a wonderful old Japanese craftsman cleaving bamboo down to 0.1mm. Having spent many hours sat beside my friend Owen Jones the swill basket maker I am pretty faniliar with this sort of cleaving but not to this fine a finish. Follow this link to the 8 minute film of…
This afternoon we popped down to a lovely local event, apple day at Shatton. It was a celebration of everything to do with apples. I was delighted to sample varieties that I had been considering planting and to hear how well they grow in the local microclimate which is pretty harsh. The doors on the barn where the event…
Barnaby Carder aka “Barn the spoon” is still with us and so over the weekend we played in the workshop. First we forged hook tools then ground hardened and tempered them. Then Barn turned a rather nice beech bowl, this is starting the outside. Hollowing the inside. Nearly finished, just undercutting the core, the most difficult part. And cleaning up…
My friend Sean Hellman pointed me toward the Pathe news site which has some great old craft films from the 1930s to 50s. Not sure if these are visible in the US and there may be a short advert at the start but worth it. HOOP MAKING CLOGS RUSH INDUSTRY (issue title – MANORS AND CUSTOMS)
