Here at Woodlore, we’ve been using and stocking the classic Gransfors Small Forest Axe for as long as we can remember. Woodlore customer Peter Burton recently got in touch with us to offer his feedback on this tool, after really putting it to the test:

Hi Woodlore,

My name is Peter Burton, I purchased a Small Forest Axe from you two years ago to split some logs in my garden for my indoor wood burning stoves. I have access to three trees felled by a farmer - Chestnut and Sycamore, as well as fallen Beech and Ash branches from his land. I have cut these using a bow saw and my axe, splitting over 5 tonnes of logs this year:

Pete's reward for many hours of log splitting...

 

...and the rest!

Looking at the blade of this wonderful piece of kit, it is showing no signs of needing any attention and will still cut a sheet of paper. I am now looking for a smaller one to pack up for my Scout troop - the 14th Spen Valley, West Yorkshire.

Regards,

Pete

The following entry was kindly supplied by Woodlore customer Nicholas Hall:

Hi all at Woodlore,

All the Julius Pettersson blogs motivated me to get my Julius Pettersson knife project finished.

I wanted something simple and functional, so I opted for reindeer antler kept in its natural shape for the handle, with stainless plates at either end and for the lanyard hole to keep water out. The whole structure was held together with epoxy:

Nicholas' finished knife

The sheath was stitched and wet-formed around the finished handle and blade with a dangler attached to the belt loop:

The finished knife, complete with leather sheath

It was an interesting and rewarding project with a finished knife that I am proud of and that will last a lifetime.

Kind regards,

Nicholas Hall

Still have Christmas shopping to do but are worried about receiving it in time for the big day? Well, as of now, Woodlore will be sending all UK orders over £10.00 via Special Delivery - Royal Mail’s guaranteed next working day delivery service – at no extra cost, to arrive in time for Christmas.

If you have any concerns about ordering in time for Christmas, please give us a call on 01580 819668 and we will be more than happy to help.

2011 has provided us with some odd weather here in the UK, with dry, mild days continuing all the way into December. However, anyone getting up early for work this past week could tell you that the cold weather is definitely creeping in - icy windscreens, gritters on the roads, and the sight of a postman in trousers instead of shorts are all tell-tale signs!

Ray Mears and the Woodlore Team have hand-picked a list of Recommended Kit and Clothing for Winter, to help keep you safe and warm this festive season. With the last few years bringing a healthy dusting of snow across the land (often followed by abandoned cars, closed shops and twisted ankles galore), now is a better time than any to get yourself prepared.

So don’t let the weather get the better of you – get out there and make the most of it.

Struggling to decide what clothing to take on a winter expedition? Can’t choose what to buy your brother who loves fishing? Here at Woodlore we’ve tried to make things a little easier this year, with our new Shop by Activity area:

Ray Mears and the Woodlore team have scoured our ever-growing online shop and hand-picked the very best items for a number of outdoor activities. Whether you’re looking for Arctic clothing or equipment, new gear for your next fishing trip, kit for a hunting or tracking excursion, or simply some vital products for this coming winter, click on the above photo for some helpful hints.

<< Read Part 3 <<

Part 4:

Tightening the hammock:

On the other side, do the same, but without the two outer tension ropes. After you take the two ropes through the first bar, weave them through the edge meshes of the hammock and insert them through the second bar. Hang your hammock between two fixed points now and go in it. Make sure you distribute your weight as evenly as possible when you first enter the hammock. Before entering, it is wise to check the hammock if the mesh and mazes are even, and adjust them when necessary. When I worked with paracord I found that the knots were able to slide and move because of the slipperiness of the cord.

The hammock will now stretch out. Depending on the material you have chosen you will probably have to repeat it a couple of times. I use a Timber Hitch on one end and a Waggoner’s Hitch on the other. This last knot is described in Ray’s Essential Bushcraft book on page 168, and is ideal to put some tension to your hammock. Tighten the hammock again and again and put your full weight on your project until you feel the hammock is not getting any longer.

At this time be careful not to fall out of your hammock because the outer tension ropes are not in use at this time. When they are in use these ropes will greatly improve your ability to stay in your hammock. When you think your hammock has been stretched enough it is time to put the outer tensioning ropes to work. Connect the loose ends of those outer tensioning ropes with each other with a simple Reef Knot.    

By tightening or loosening those outer ropes you are able to switch between different models of your hammock.  Tightening those ropes will result in a model consisting of a bathtub, while loosening those ropes will result in a hammock like an ironing board. Now, check the rest of your hammock and remove any pieces of rope which are too long.

The finished Hammock:

Figure 14 - The Finished Hammock

Woodlore would like to thank John van Zanen for all of his hard work in putting this extensive guide together. You can expect more from this contributor in the future…

To everyone out there who has used this guide to make your own hammock, please let us know how you got on, and send us a photo to show where your hammock ended up!

Back in August of this year, we posted some photos on our blog of a Julius Pettersson knife, which Woodlore customer Nick Simmons had made a handle for. Shortly after this, Nick got in touch with us again to share some photos of his original WK1 Woodlore Knife, which, after years of use, he decided to re-scale.

When asked if he’d mind us posting the pictures on our blog, he replied, “Yes, but I fear the puritans will hunt me down and lynch me for changing it!” Well, there’s only one way to find out! Let us know what you think of Nick’s handiwork:

Hi there,

I had some fun over the past few days re-scaling my Woodlore Knife. The original maple had stained over the years, so I decided to have a change:

Nick's re-scaled WK1 Woodlore Knife

I incorporated a black fibre liner, a brass plate and some cape buffalo horn. While it was sat there without scales on, I had a go at some file work along the tang as well:

A close-up of Nick's file work

Hope you like it!

All the best,

Nick

<< Read Part 2 <<

Part 3:

Now that you have finished the hard work of making all those knots, you are ready for the finishing and final constructing of your hammock. At this time you will probably be able to make a Sheet Bend knot blindfolded. I have several hammocks knotted using sisal rope, but sisal really is murder on your hands. In the past I have worked with sisal until my hands were sore and blistering. So it was about time to try to make a hammock of green paracord. This makes life more easier. There is always a great sense of relief when you finally finish the net of the hammock. A milestone so to speak.

Now, cut 20 pieces of rope of 220 centimetres; these ropes you will be doubled and will be attached to the ends of the mesh of your hammock, acting as guy wires. Use two double wires for the middle two guy wires. This is because most of the force will be put to those wires. Figure 8 shows the mesh you need to take to attach the wires to. 

Figure 8 - Lines & Mesh

You attach the wires to the meshes with the Cow Hitch, or Girth Hitch; figure 9 shows how it is done:

Figure 9 - Cow Hitch

Now take the two strips of wood of about 70 cm, drill holes of 8 mm as shown in Figure 10:

Figure 10 - The Two Pieces of Wood

Smoothen the edges of the holes. Cut the strips of wood to length after you have drilled the holes so you can make sure that the outside holes are not too near to the edge of the strips.

For the construction of my hammock, I used two pieces of hazel. First I flattened the pieces with the Small Forest Axe and the Mora Training Knife that were handed to me at the Camp Craft course and drilled the holes according to the pattern. After drying the two pieces of wood I charred them with a gas burner and removed the charred wood by rubbing with a wire brush. This way the wood darkens without having to paint it and it gives the wood a nice old finish. Just make sure you work with the grain of the wood when you brush with the wire brush.

There are also two thick edge ropes needed of 480 cm. These outer tension wires are made from 4 pieces of rope woven together to a sennit. (See Figure 11) But you can also use some 7 mm rope instead of a sennit.

Figure 11 - Sennit

Now take one of the two strips of wood and run the wires and the outer tension wires through the bar. Make a bundle of the wires of your hammock well in the middle. Take this bundle to the two outer tension ropes. Make a sort of loop of the bundle and make a multiple Sheet Bend. (See Figure 12)

Figure 12 - Multiple Sheet Bend

You can also fix the wires and ropes using a steel ring. This will add some extra weight but it will give it a nice finish. That’s a trade-off you will have to make. If you decide to use two rings, use a Buntline Hitch to fix the ropes to the rings. (See Figure 13) Don’t buy your rings too small, as I did, because there will be a lot of knots on that ring and you will need the space.

Figure 13 - Buntline Hitch

>> Read Part 4 >>

The following post was kindly provided by Woodlore customer Craig Turner:

Dear Ray Mears and Woodlore team,

First and foremost I would like to thank you for the enlightment over the years on the many people, places and the knowledge that you hold. Alongside forgotten pioneering explorers, you have also brought wonderful craftsman to the forefront of my attention. Thank you.

The raw materials

My Julius Pettersson knife handle is a composition of reindeer antler supplied by Woodlore, leather spacers, Berchemia Zeyheri (Pink Ivory Wood) and Brosimum Guianensis (Snake Wood):

Gluing the pieces into place

All finished off with scraper and 1200 grit paper, and then boiled linseed oil:

Craig's finished knife

About to start another, could get addicted to this!

Craig Turner

<< Read Part 1 <<

Part 2:

Make a small Bowline Knot in the first piece of rope and put the loop around the nail in cross B. Zigzag the rope loosely around the nails of the first and second row. When you reach the last nail in the first row, put the rope around the last nail in the third row and turn to the last nail of the second row to make your first knot (see Figure 3A & 3B).

Figure 3A - The Start

Figure 3B - The First Knot

The knot that you make is the Sheet Bend. It’s a nice flat knot that contributes to the comfort of your hammock. Figure 4 shows how to make this knot as you work from right to left; Figure 5 shows the example when you work from left to right.

Figure 4 - Right to Left

Figure 5 - Left to Right

Remove the rope from the board:

If you have reached the last knot on the board (that is, the first nail of the second row) remove the work from the board. Pay close attention to the fact that the knots and loops sit properly and do not capsize or turn over (see Figure 6).

If you have finished the last meshes, put a nail in cross C (or D) and then end up as you started with a Bowline knot.

How to determine the length of your hammock:

The length of your hammock is equal to your body length plus 50 cm. Measure yourself, but take into account the fact that a freshly knotted hammock may stretch quite a bit. One maze of the mesh of the hammock is about 14 centimetres.

Example: my body length is 173 centimetres, add 50 centimetres this comes to about 220 centimetres. Divided into lots of 14 centimetres, this makes about 16 meshes. Therefore, the hammock described here is 16 meshes long.

>> Read Part 3 >>