晩秋の薪割り - Just splitting log

携帯の中のファイルを整理していたらこんな映像が出てきました。撮ったのすっかり忘れてたｗ

小雨の降る晩秋、ただただ薪用の丸太を割る映像ですが、見てるとなんだか癒されるのでアップしてみました。

作業をしたのは私と義父。私が使ってる斧はKellokoski N:o12.3、約1.5kgの斧。大きな節が入った丸太も楔無しで割ってくれました。



Found this video while reorganizing files on my phone. It is just log split video without comments but I found it somehow relaxing, so uploading it.

Situation: in the late autumn, rain is falling time to time. Good sized birch was fell and hacked for fire wood. So me and my father-in-law picked up axes on hand, splitting logs in half for drying.

the axe I was using is a Kellokoski N:o12.3, 1.5kg head. It worked wonderfully even against large knotted log.

New Forge

I have been using a forge which I have contracted about 2 years ago. It was working OK till new, but it start to have some issues, so decided to make new one.

The old one was made from large paint can filled with cray. the issues on this one was that it consumes too much char coal and the cray is start to giving up. Also the air hole was easily get blocked with melted cray and was very difficult to clean.

this is the old set up.

So to solve those issues, I decided to use proper fire bricks and cement.
Went to shop and got 2 different sizes of bricks. in total 8 of them. then took some parts from old forge and constructed the new one.

this picture was taken before every thing is cemented.

Last week end, I have got time for forging, I fired up this new forge and made 4 blade blanks.
The forge worked  very well. it consumes less charcoal, retains heat well, mobile, blower is in the right place... and so on... the only problem I have now for this new one is storage... now it need larger spot in my garage to stare this.

From top left clock-wise:
Whittling puukko / leather cutter / Makiri neker / Makiri Style Knife.

on the end of the work., my hands and arms so tired. I only managed to forge the bevel out on Makiri style knife. tang on that one is just tapered enough and I could not lift the hammer any more... I guess I am little out of shape:)

裏山ブッシュクラフト-#18- 冬服 (Winter clothing)

今回は冬の服装についてです。実際の使用経験で、０度前後から－２５度位まではこれらの組み合わせを変えることで快適にアウトドアを楽しめます。

ビデオへの補足としてウールセーターについて少し。
私が気に入って使っているのはノルウェーのセーターで、毛糸が太めで編み目が粗めの物です。
毛糸が太めで編み目が粗めのセーターは、重ね着の一番外側に着ると結構風を通し、あまり暖かくはありません。しかし厚手のコットンシャツなどを、セーターの上に着ることでとても良い保温効果を発揮します。これは、粗い網目のメッシュ間に空気溜りができ、そこに暖かい空気が閉じ込められるためです。また、太めの毛糸はその繊維間に同じように空気を溜め込みます。これは温度調整にも便利で、上に着ているシャツなどを脱ぐと速やかに空気の入れ替えができます。網シャツが暖かいのと同じ仕組みです。

寝袋着について＞
ビデオ中でも紹介していますが、着込みすぎると暖かい空気の層が薄くなり、また断熱層も圧迫されるので断熱効果が薄れます。これは靴を履く時も同じで、靴下を何枚も重ね履きすると逆に寒くなります。靴下の重ね履きは薄手1枚と厚手1枚の2枚重ねが限界だと思います。

今回紹介したアイテムはビデオの下にリストアップしておきます。

ではビデオをお楽しみください。


This time, I am talking about cold weather clothing. According to my experience, with different combinations of this set,  I could be comfortable in the temperature between 0 to -25 degrees centigrade.

Little bit of additional information about the wool sweater. the one I like using is a Norwegian sweater, which uses thick yarn and rough weaving. this thick yarn and rough weaving will trap the warm air when used as a middle layer. Also because it is not tight, it releases the air when outer layer of clothing is removed, so this combination of layering makes easier to control the heat trapped in the clothing.


I have listed The items mentioned in the video for your reference.

Hope you enjoy the video!

List of items:

Image link from SASTA page.

SASTA Pahta paita 
<http://www.sasta.fi/>

Image link from VARSTELEKA

Czech cadet parka with liner 
<http://www.varusteleka.com/en/>

Image link from VARSTELEKA 

Austrian winter trousers
<http://www.varusteleka.com/en/>

Image link from VARSTELEKA page

BW Gore-Tex -gaiters
<http://www.varusteleka.com/en/>

Image link from scandinavian outdoor store page

SOREL Caribou
<http://www.scandinavianoutdoorstore.com/>

Scandinavian SCORE Design of Norway (link N/A)

knitted stitch　編み目

Being busy but not progressing...

I just realized that my update speed of blog has slowed quite bit... I only have 10 post since this year has started....

also noticed that the twitter is not busy ether. What is happening????


Well, one reason is my new forge. I finally managed to schedule a forge fire time and it is coming up in about week. But since I have took my old forge in pieces, I have got no forge to play with....


My plan was to have my new forge constructed already by now, but the new forge is still in pieces of bricks. father more, I have no idea of how to get the forge set up on my hip height with all the optional parts attached.

however, I have had good plan on forge itself and this is how it looks and does look promising. All I need to figure out now is how to cement them on the base and how to set it stable on hip height.

モコトーガン（クルックドナイフ）

だいぶ長いこと作ってみたかった一本、Mocotaugan （モコトーガン）。ついに重い腰上げて作ってみました。

モコトーガンとはクルックドナイフのことでカナディアンインディアンの木工用刃物で、彼らはこれ一本で木の箱からカヌーまでを作ってしまうそうです。

クルックドナイフというと多くの人はスプーンを削るナイフのことを思うかと思いますが、スプーンを削る物はスプーンナイフもしくはフックナイフと呼ぶのが正しい様です。



で、このモコトーガンどの様なナイフかといいますと、こんな感じ。

スプーンナイフをもっと真っ直ぐにした様な見てくれのナイフです。基本的なモコトーガンはもっと真っ直ぐな刃なのですが、私はククサやスプーン作りがメインの使用になるのでカーブを大きめに作ってあります。


違う角度からもう一枚。写真では解り難いですが、柄もだいぶ反りあがっています。

 モコトーガンの特徴は＞
・　柄が反りあがっている。
・　刃が柄から斜めに出ている。
・　先がカーブしている。

この刃と柄の入り角度、柄の反り具合等が良く解らなかったので、今回作ったのはその使い心地を確認するための試作品。何しろ通常のナイフは2次元的なのに対し、これは3次元。全方向に曲がって反ってなので、作る時にとても感じがつかみ難かったです。


このナイフ、どの様に使うかといいますと、基本的に引いて使います。逆手に持って、脇を締め、手前にグーっと引くと刃がスッと切り込んでいきます。

 逆手なので使いにくいように感じますが、3次元の反り、曲がりが上手くエルゴノミックになり、力をかけても持ち手のストレスにはなりません。カナディアンインディアンの先人、よく考えた物です。


さて、昨年末から試作物、挑戦物等を作ってきましたが、取り合えずこのナイフで終了。次からは火床を修理し、本番物、頼まれ物作りに入っていきます。

お楽しみに！

Quick update. - 近況報告

Have got quite busy for past weeks and have not been updating this blog. so, quick updates on what has happen.

最近急に忙しくなってしまい、ブログの更新が止まってました。とりあえず簡単にまとめ+近況報告です。


On YouTube, the winner of Giveaway has been announced.
プレゼント企画の当選者が発表となりました。

New Urayama Bushcraft video has been published.
裏山ブッシュクラフト＃１７を公開しました

and what is coming up in near future..
そして今後の予定。

- BLOG: 新しい試作ナイフ一本。
- BLOG: My thoughts on Knife edge. sharpness and toughness.
- YouTube: 冬服 - Winter clothing
- YouTube: 火床を作る。- Making of Forge

Vöyrin Puukko

It is finally completed and I am so exited about this one.

First, I must say that the quality of the work is not that good. It is more like "It is in shape" thaw, you might not see the "Defect" part that much in the picture...:)

But,  even I do know myself that it has some defect, I am very pleased and exited that have managed to complete it and has the appearance of Vöyrin Puukko. Or, I hope it does have it even for the trained eyes of Finnish Puukko lovers.

Any way, here you go, My take on Vöyrin Puukko!!

It is again 3 finger size small knife. When I decided to make this, I started from learning the designs of Vöyrin Puukko. well, to be accurate, I did not know the name "Vöyrin Puukko" at that point. Picked up some books, browsing through Google image and I came up with this design. There are few options on the sheath tip, but I picked the simplest one because I was sure I have no skill for any fine complicated shape in there. The the mirror of the sheath (the front face of puukko sheath is called "Tupen peili" in Finnish) was a bit of challenge to design. I could have copied the existing design, but I like making some original, yet still look some what classic. so, on the end, what I come up with was the feather stick and axe motif design.

The blade, for Vöyrin Puukko, it is usually used all polished blade, but I choose not to. because I like the look of forge finish. for the grip, the usual materials would be brass and wood. I chose copper and birch bark.

There are few new skills I have learned for making this knife and one of it is this part the metal chisel work. This type of technique is often used on Hevosen pää puukko. it gives the texture to the surface and gives extra shine:) It is not very difficult, but not that easy ether but it is fun and useful skill to have I would say.

So, here are all 3 of 4 my three finger knives I started beginning of last year.  (Makiri neck knife is missing in picture)

it was interesting to make four totally different styles of knives from four different cultures. (one missing from picture.)

It was lots of fun making them and was interesting to design them because of the size limitation. Through out the making of all these knife, I have (had to) learned several new skills and all are beneficial for me to make next knife and better.