A Word in the Woods

I’m the first to admit that despite my love of the outdoors and the woods, I’m relatively unschooled in the fine art of woodworking compared to some. Natural wood has a life and character unlike any other material, and it’s hard to ignore those who make this craft their pursuit.

I love to listen and learn from passionate people, and this past week, I had the pleasure of learning how to make a classic frame saw from Steven Der-Garabedian (see his work at blackwalnutstudio.ca). Steve is absolutely fanatical about woodworking, and it comes through in every action and every word he utters. Not only is he patient and accessible, but he has that other quality that distinguishes good craftsmen from good teachers—his love of his art is infectious.

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Tags: diy, education, saw, skills, woodworking
Posted in Bushcraft, Courses, Gear, Technology, Things to try | 1 Comment »

Here’s an update on the Ray Mears course I mentioned in a post last fall. It was being organized by School in the Woods [ed. note: no affiliation with this site]. The course as described didn’t happen, unfortunately. The organizer informed me that the agent wanted a very hefty non-refundable deposit with still no contract and had still not outlined what would be covered, so he had to make the decision to not go further. He felt it would have been wrong to gamble with other people’s money.

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Tags: bushcraft, mors kochanski, ray mears, school in the woods
Posted in Bushcraft, Courses, News | No Comments »