Spooncarving at The Wilderness Gathering.

I've just received my invitation to 

The Wilderness Gathering.

I'll be there with everything needed to carve spoons in the wild.

This year the show will run for five days and I will be demonstrating and taking questions throughout the event, barring the odd coffee break.

WHAT’S THE GATHERING ABOUT?

If you've never been to the Gathering before and you love nature and the outdoors, then we have the family show for you - Wilderness Gathering, a unique Bushcraft event, is the longest running and still the original festival of bushcraft, survival and primitive living skills.

The Gathering has become a social event and brings together families and friends, all those interested in Bushcraft and Wilderness living skills to enjoy a weekend of knowledge sharing in a relaxed and family friendly atmosphere.

TICKETS: There are just two types of ticket you can buy to attend the Gathering, the Weekend ticket which is all-inclusive unless otherwise stated (e.g. Masterclasses) and the Day ticket which gives you access to the site - individual courses are extra. There are no tickets available for just 1 night or 2 nights camping

DAY TICKETS: 0900 to 1700 on either Thursday 17th, Friday 18th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August 2017. Day ticket includes entry to the show either on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, participation in events and demonstrations. To attend Bushcraft courses which run on each day is an additional £10 per course per person.

WEEKEND TICKETS: from 1400 Wednesday 18th to 1700 Sunday 20th August 2017. Weekend ticket includes five days of woodland or open field camping with toilet and shower facilities, all the bushcraft courses and activities for all the family throughout the whole of the weekend, including Music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night and storytelling around the central camp fire.

LOGS: Ed Knight will be on site touring the camping field and parking up in the farmyard, so if you run out he has a ready supply at a reasonable price.

Where is it?

BUSH FARM BISON CENTRE, WEST KNOYLE, WILTSHIRE, BA12 6AE

Nearest train station: Gillingham

The Bison Farm is very accessible from the A303, please look out for our signs to help you find your way to the Gathering entrance.

Please do not arrive prior to the Gathering opening day on the 18th August 2016 to avoid the disappointment of being turned away.

Arrival on the 18th August is restricted to weekend ticket holders only, day visitors can visit the Gathering either on the Friday 19th, Saturday 20th or Sunday 21st August 2016 only.

You can find more details by following the link

www.wildernessgathering.co.uk

So, with any luck I'll see you there..... J

Swedish Snow smock.

The Ventile smock that I bought from Roger Harrington (Bison Bushcraft) ten or so years ago has finally reached it's last adventure. A good innings for a smock used in the heat of summer and the chill wind of winter, it's been on many adventures both down here in the Westcountry and the highlands of Scotland. It repelled wind, mist and gave protection from the midge. It'll be sorely missed.

I would like to buy a replacement from Roger but he no longer produces the garment.

I happened to be in Exeter the other day and popped into visit Mr 'E' at Endicotts.

I asked Kevin if he could supply me with a lightweight smock that I could wear all year round. Perhaps something pollycotton that would be suitable to keep a breeze at bay on a warm summer day over a cotton T shirt, but also something that would repel a cold wind while wearing a fleece or wooly pully in the winter. 

I own a genuine snow smock from the Swedish military which sports a neck opening, a pull over smock, which is absolutely wonderfull for wearing over a down jacket on the coldest day but not very useful on a warm day.

Kevin disappeared for a moment and returned with a bundle of clothing. Some replacement wool socks, I buy two pairs a year, and a new, lightweight, Swedish snow smock!

As I mentioned above, this smock is lighter than the older spec full canvas pullover smock that is known and loved by all. It is a jacket with button closure and overlapping wind break.

The jacket is sold in it's usual colour, slightly off white snow cam.

I bought a Toffee Brown dye from Dylon.

I washed the garment then dyed it whilst it was still damp.

Once it was dyed I replaced the white buttons with something more suitable.

None of these procedures are difficult, it just took a little time.

The smock has two huge pockets, waist draw cord, crotch strap for windy days which will also solve your clothes riding up whilst sleeping problem, a voluminous hood with its own drawcord so you can cinch it down to your favourite fur hat. I replaced the original cord on the hood with a flat ribbon. Also, button down wrist closure.

The pockets are large enough to take a O.S laminated map folded ready for use, and the pockets sit below your hip belt, this is a dream come true for those of you who navigate in a proper fashion with map and compass.

You can see in the above photograph the overlapping front closure.

And the wrist closure detail in the photo below.

I must admit I've only had this jacket a week or so,  I've used it for local walks and a wintry walk on Dartmoor. The snow smock did in-fact work in so far as it induced a huge drop in temperature followed by a sharp, windy blizzard.

It's also very quiet.

I will buy a wash in water repellant which, even if it doesn't make the coat waterproof, it will improve drying time. Not forgetting, I bought this as a windproof breathable garment, not a raincoat.

I'm looking forward to the summer now and I'm sure I will be comfortable on my new adventures.

Update!
You'll find more information
HERE !

Thanks to Endicotts for supplying the jacket and Sarah, my lovely wife, for taking the photos.

Thank you.

J.

MaChris knives at Workshop Heaven.

For all of you that have been waiting patiently for news of the availability of MaChris carving knives....

Some good news.

A small batch of MaChris MiniMac knives are now available from WorkshopHeaven.

Follow the link below....

Workshop Heaven

Developed in a long running collaboration between master spooncarver Jon Mac and custom knifemaker Chris Grant, the MiniMac woodcarving knife is truly in a class of its own. Decades of carving and knifemaking experience, extensive research and goodwill combine in this unique, high quality, handcrafted tool.

Handles: An original Jon Mac design, refined through numerous prototypes over several years, the MiniMac handle is a delight in the hand. Light, filling, simple and sublimely ergonomic, regardless of how the knife is gripped, the shape of the handle just melts into your grasp, so you can carve for long periods without fatigue. The handles are made from a selection of suitable timbers, most of them native to Great Britain, they have been lightly oiled and finished with handmade hard wax polish.

Blade: Ultra fine grained 52100 ball bearing steel produces a blade capable of taking the supremely fine edge required for controlled carving. Chris puts each blade through a very precise, multiple stage heat treatment process, which gives the steel it's astonishing edge retention, they are subtly hollow ground which makes them easy to keep sharp.

Sheath: Chris has crafted the sheaths for the first Workshop Heaven production run of 26 MiniMacs from some very special English leather. It has been tanned for 14 months using oak bark, in a Devon tannery that dates back to Roman times.  There is a slight variety in colour and surface, small marks and scars that add to the character of the material, and a wonderful rich natual scent. These honest handcrafted sheaths are full of character and are as tough and durable as leather can get.

Hand stitched with ultra strong waxed thread, the MiniMac sheath has been carefully designed to safely contain the ultra sharp blade and slender dextrous point, they grip the handle perfectly so there is no need for a flap or closure. A solid brass d-ring is fitted to the belt loop, handy for hanging your sheath on a peg in the workshop or a tree branch whilst in the woods, to keep it clean and dry.

*The MiniMac is a tool, it should not be left on the ground, stored in damp places, stabbed into blocks, batoned through timber, thrown or twisted in wood. Take great care unsheathing and sheathing your knife. Keep the blade in line with the sheath's welt and do not let the blade turn.

• Blade: 52100 bearing steel
• Overall Length: 7 3/4" (197mm)
• Spine Width: 1/6" (1.5mm)
• Blade Length: 3 1/2" (88mm)

Individually handmade in Scotland.

Age restriction applies. You must be 18 or over to buy this item.

A hook knife free zone.

Sarah and I recently spent some time up in the Highlands of Scotland.

We went up to visit some friends and travel up to Skye with the possibility of a nip across to Malaig via the ferry to see the white sandy beaches they keep up there. We took some time out to visit with Chris Grant and couldn't resist a day at the coast with the boats and lime kiln at Boddin point.

On the way up we spent some time with Willow Lohr.

Willow and her daughter Kaya looked after us whilst we were in the Cairngorms.

Willow kept both Sarah and I entertained and busy feeding her sheep and helping out with her bees.

She had us suited up helping with a combining of two hives.

We were accompanied by eighty thousand bees buzzing about.

We thought it was prudent not to mention how I was crowned the wasp king some years earlier by Kaya.

Willow also spent time showing Sarah how to identify a few of the lichen species that can be used for natural dyes. Needless to say we now have bags of lichen and pots of chemical dotted about our home.

Willow is a very skilful bushcraft instructor and if you ever get the chance of joining her on one of her courses you will, quite quickly, become far more enlightened on the subject.

We're hoping she can take time to visit when she comes down this way for the Wilderness Gathering.

After some time we packed up and moved on to make camp at Glen Affric.

We decided to hammock camp and made ourselves cosy with the usual gear.

We managed to cover both hammocks with the Jerven bag this time out. Sarah decided she was far too hot so I re rigged it for one. The poncho liners were pressed into use as under blankets and we used our Snugpack sleeping bags as duvets.

A spot of foraging yielded some Chanterelle which I fried in butter then added egg for a breakfast or two, I may have accidentally added some bacon as well. Not a bad way to start a day.

As you can see I'm cooking in a paella pan.

A trick I learned from Chris Grant.

A versatile lightweight pan option.

All served up in a couple of my old ale hens.

There were a few things I forgot to pack for this trip.

So I needed to make amends.

I bought a few tools to camp, axe, knife and saw.

My new prototype MaChris 'Typhoon' bushcraft knife got to see some hard work for it's first outing.

So it was off to the mainland for some suitable greenwood.

I found a large windblown mountain ash with a bit of life in it. 

The chosen wood was tough and twisted, I was up for the challenge.

One of the items I had forgotten was a spatular.

Roughed out with the axe we were ready to apply our spoon carving techniques.

The 'Typhoon' made short work of the job.

It's not a dedicated carver, it's more robust in it's form but it still retains some of the MaChris carvers attributes. Utter comfort whilst working being one of them.

After a short while I had a serviceable spatular which was employed thereafter at breakfast time.

Whilst this was going on Sarah went about the place looking for suitable firewood.

Keeping a fire going is important at this time of year to keep the ferocious midge at bay and to dry washing.

I must say that the foraging was pretty good here at Glen Affric.

And the ale hens came in useful.

After a few days we decided to move on toward the Isle of Skye.

We toured both the rabbit ears of the island whilst basing ourselves at a sheltered camp site hard on the sea shore.

We camped under our shelter sheet and made ourselves comfortable.

Not a bad view from the bedroom.

It  was all very lovely until a storm hit. We spent a night in fear of the banshee as the wind blew and blew. I had to get up during the night a couple of times to trim the lines. We had a wooden lean-to shelter in the forest we could have used, but I decided we would be safer leaving our camp and beating a retreat.

During this time I was pondering another way of carving a spoon without a hook knife. I'd left mine behind during a moment of forgetfulness.

I was shown a book about Japanese spoon carving a year or so back. I wanted to buy a copy but they are exchanging for silly money right now. My 'Typhoon' needed another test so I started to unravel the means to carving a spoon without a special hook tool.

I have written a blog post in the past with an idea for spoon carving without a hook knife.

I think this solution is more elegant.

The MaChris Typhoon is made with a Wonderfull steel called Niolox.

The edge holding is, so far, impressive.

I will write up a quick how-to when this next busy period has closed.

Thank you once more for popping in.

Jon Mac.

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