Ash handled Lauri Leuku blade.
My trusty old Leuku gave me the extra reach needed to cut this cluster of Oyster mushrooms from the trunk of a tall Beech tree. As a ‘jack of all trades’ the Leuku is very hard to beat.
Bushcraft
Axe handle testing.
Nothing like a dead standing Oak tree to test the fit and strength of a newly made Ash axe handle…
…both handles were hung and secured only with Oak wedges. Happily they both passed the test without fault.
The heads are an old 4lb Gilpin (or is it a Brades, I can’t remember now) and an unstamped Maine pattern double bit.
All the best.
Small Puukko
Here is a little Puukko (Finnish style knife) with a lanyard for wearing around the neck that I made a while ago. The handle is rosewood with a Lauri 63 blade and brass fittings, the end cap is hiding a recessed brass washer and peened tang.
This was really a practice piece for learning how to Butt Stitch the leather on the sheath. This is particularly tricky on a contoured form like this because as the name suggests the two edges of the leather to be sewn need to butt up against each other. Consequently the leather needs to be measured and cut very accurately to achieve the required fit
The Awl is used to make stitch holes that go diagonally from the surface of the leather to just above the bottom edge of the under side. This creates a seam that is no thicker than the leather and serves to shield the stitching from abrasion on both sides, in fact the tread is invisible on the inside.
This took four attempts and as you see is far from perfect, something I need to keep persevering with. I have since learnt on other projects that under cutting the edges by half a millimetre or so prevents the slight gap where the edges meet as seen here.
To give you and idea of scale here is a shot of it when it was first made and the dye was/finish was still drying.
All the best and thanks for looking.
Some of my work. (gallery)
I am busy writing new content to add to Whittle & Stitch so in the mean time I thought I’d post a couple of galleries of some the work I have done.
Treen.
Spoons & bowls.
All items have been hand carved using axes, adzes, whittling knives and spoon knives. No sand paper has been used so the finish is smooth and durable while retaining the tactile faceted surface created by the tools that made them. Flax Seed Oil is used to seal and protect them during use so they age gracefully and beautifully over the years.
Beech Bowl and Sycamore Spoon
Spalted Beech Spoons and Spatulas.
Beech Bowl and Spoons
Beech Bowl and Spoons
Beech Spoons Detail
Tools.
Tools for green wood workers, coppicing, bushcraft and outdoor enthusiasts with hand made wooden handles & leather cases.
The two axes here have traditional straight handles carved from Ash secured with Oak wedges. Careful attention is paid to the throw and alignment of the heads and the direction of the grain in the wood to ensure efficiency and durability during use.
The Finish style Puukko (knife) has a Masir Birch handle with a Lauri PT 95 blade . The sheath is hand dyed vegetable tanned leather with a Beech wood liner for safe and secure carriage.
Axe Handles & Masks
Axe Handles & Masks
Scandinavian style Puukko & Sheath.
Scandinavian style Puukko & Sheath.
There will be more to follow shortly.
Thank you for looking.
Whittle & Stitch 