Urban Bushcraft

For most if not all bushcraft and survival tasks a knife is an important tool and to keep it at its best for when you need it most you need to keep it sharp. While away I use a lansky ceramic pocket crock stick sharpner as it takes up very little space and can also be used to sharpen fish hooks, then if you take one of the ceramic rods you can sharpen a serated blade too.

When at home I use the lansky knife sharpening system, it gives me control over the angle of the edge and the variety of stone courses allow you go from grinding out chips in the blade with the extra course right down to a polished edge that you can see your reflection in with the sapphire hone. I currently have the following hones: extra course, course, medium, fine, ultra fine, sapphire polishing hone and a serated blade hone. I go eight times over each side of the blade then eight more alternating the side as I go working my way down the stones.

A great way of spending time around a camp fire is tp carve a spoon out of wood, its a thing of beauty that is also pratical. The grain, knots and shape make each one an individual piece of art.

I enjoy finding a piece of wood and seeing the finished product trapped inside it, all it requires if freeing with tools and imagination. To get from a lump of tree to a spoon I use a axe, two or three knives and a crook knife to make the bowl. It can take a few hours to complete, once the shape is carved and any details have been added such as initials etc it is time to sand and seal it. This I do with various sand papers until its smooth, then to seal it I use sunflower oil. Several coats over a few days and then all thats left to do is enjoy using it.

This is something that started in 2007, I was watching a Ray Mears Bushcraft DVD where he made a knife on a trip to Sweden and knew it was something that I would end up trying.

It was in December of 2007 when my Grandfather was taken ill that I actually started my first knife using a DIY Scandinavian Knife Kit from survivalschool.co.uk and started working on it as an escape from what was going on at the time.

The reason I chose to make a knife in memory of my Grandfather was two fold, first he was a carpenter and the second was that he gave me the bug for being outdoors as an avid camper.

I made the kit as directed and worked into the early hours of the mornings to get it finished, sadly he passed before I could finish it. It has a 10cm stainless blade with a handle made of raindeer antler and curly birch which I carved my Grandfathers initials into the end of the handle, this was then coated with linseed oil to seal it. The leather sheath is hand stitched and also has the initials added which I did with a rounded croquet needle (sorry mum).

I enjoyed this so much and wanted to put into practice the things I thought I could do better, this resulted in the purchase of yet another kit but also some different materials for the handle. The second knife has a handle made of cherry with some silver birch, it also has one leather and one birch bark spacer.

I then purchased a Mora of Sweden Laplander blade and this will be my next knife project when I further increase my knowledge and gather some more tools to refine the finished product so watch this space.