Posts

New Binding Tackle

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There is clear evidence that cordage, in the form of pine-bast string, was being used as a binding material at least 50,000 years ago, and bindings remain incredibly useful today, particularly when working with natural stem materials. Over the years, many different binding knots have been developed and published, but some years ago, I set out to find a binding knot that would act like a one-way ratchet, allowing materials to be tightened securely without the risk of the binding slipping or releasing its grip. There were established knots—like the Butcher's Knot—which did have this one-way mechanism, but none could hold fast under particularly high tension. Eventually, I devised and published an arrangement that worked particularly well. It was probably more a combination of established knotting principles than a completely new knot, but I used it for years and saw no reason to change it. More recently, however, after a little experimentation with the binding, I think I’ve come up w...
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The Material Ecology of a North Norfolk Woodland

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 A fine turnout for part two of a walk-and-talk through the woods.  Again, focussing on the historical development of the sustainably productive ecosystem.   Very practical as always, carefully avoiding anything too botanical, particularly as we had the pleasure of welcoming several experts in the field.   And talking of experts, thank you to Janet and Bob, who recently surveyed the woods, and who, to my amazement, recorded 197 plant species!   You can tell I'm a little overwhelmed by all this collective knowledge, as I attempt to hide behind a thirty metre Douglas fir!
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Cleft-Panel Baskets Constructed with Nails and Roves

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 After my recent exploration into nail and rove fastening,  I guess it was only a matter of time before I made these cleft-panel baskets. One made with cleft sweet-chestnut panels, the other with Douglas fir, they're both fastened with copper nails and roves.  
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Nails and Roves

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When Basil Brown's famous excavation at Sutton Hoo was completed in 1939, it was perhaps no surprise that the fabulous ship-burial treasures revealed in Mound One took centre stage. That beautifully decorated helmet and the garnet-encrusted jewellery have since become icons of Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship. And yet, one of the most significant finds, with immense implications for constructional archaeology, was a host of humble iron nails, still joined to their washers. Like a giant join-the-dots diagram, they clearly delineated the position of the ship's planking, long since rotted away. These are what every ship and boat builder now knows as nails and roves: an extremely sturdy and adaptable fastening that essentially rivets two planks of wood together, creating an effective—or almost effective—watertight joint. I have a lovely seventeenth-century boat rib with its verdigris-patinated copper nail and rove still clinging on, long after the rest of the hull had disappeared. Boat pl...
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Bracken Bashing with a Bracken Basher

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Take a heavy-duty tarmac rake, grind off the tines, and weld on two angled braces — and there you have it: a Bracken Basher. Research suggests that bruising bracken is far more effective than cutting it. Repeated over several years, the treatment weakens the bracken's rhizomes until they eventually give up producing new fronds and simply wither away — apparently!  
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Stitching With Birch Root

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With so many young birches thriving in the new plantation there's no shortage of roots to use for stitching. The little box is made with a band of ash and a lid of birch ply.  It's stitched with birch root and has a stout birch root handle. The stitching technique has perplexed me for years - ever since I found a lovely Scandinavian butter box in an antique shop.   It's very deceptive, as it looks like a series of loops using double root strips, but after studying it for hours I realised it was a single root that's pierced with an awl at every overlapping point. Apparently there is a fairly common embroidery stitch called a split back-stitch which seems to be identical. It's such a simple and satisfying technique and the birch root is incredibly strong and pliable.  I've found that the best roots lie just beneath the surface and after they are stripped of bark and split in two they can be dried then soaked back to life when needed.  Incidentally, that beautiful ...
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Early May

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Early May, and with the woodland looking so lovely I  thought I'd put aside the visual excitement of a nail sticking in a bit of oak and just show a few simple photos! The woodpile is particularly neat this year, which is simply the result of cutting to a standard length and splitting to a standard section ... Not sure why we didn't do this before? Masses of bluebells this spring, This is partially the result of thinning out some conifers, which being evergreens, shade out the bluebells in early spring. This is what happens when you overplant an old broadleaf woodland with a catch crop of conifers.  But, at least you can try to put things right again.  Interestingly, the bluebells have now colonised the centre of the main woodland ride.  And finally, some greenery on the hedge I laid some years ago.  I relaid a few stems this winter in an attempt to repair the deer damage. It's just started to green up again, but, with the tasty leaves back at a  convenient...
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