In the same mail as the Karrimor Sabre (see post below) I received another couple of pieces of kit that has been on my wish list (and it’s not even my birthday!) After attending the bushmoot and talking to Mors Kochanski I became convinced that a bow saw complemented an axe entirely. I have a small Bahco folding saw, and very good it is too, but to saw through wood any bigger than the span of the hand would cause a few problems. I like the idea of the traditional hand made bow saws and would still like to have a go at making one at a later stage. As my philosophy at the moment is to buy the kit, and then regress in an attempt at making something myself as my skills improve, the search was on to find a bow saw.

Inspired my Mungo’s post on the same subject, I knew there was a bow saw out there and even better, a collapsible one at that. My search ended at Bearclaw. This was cheap, collapsible and had three blades. It duly arrived in its own nylon bag. I stashed it in the same Sabre bag pocket as the axe and headed for the woods.

At first it was a bit of a mission finding out how to set it up. I was a bit dubious that the whole strain of the blade was held on a small pin in the handle. The saw didn’t look as though it was mass produced. My fears were realised as the blade jumped off the pin when I took up the strain by pushing down on the handle. No harm done, but I was very aware that when I set it up next time the hole in the blade was seated firmly on the pin, and I also kept my eyes well away when I took up the strain on the blade. I’m not too sure how this small pin and its seating would stand up to constant pressure of taking up this strain and general use.

Cunningly concealed in the main strut of the saw is a further two blades. These are help in place by a simple screw which pushes the blades into the side of the main strut. One is a hacksaw blade and the other appears to be a normal small toothed blade. The wood blade is the one I would probably use more.

Once the saw has been seated correctly on the pin, the strain is taken up by pushing the plastic handle down to make the whole thing triangular shaped. This triangle shape might be a little restrictive on larger sawing projects but this is the price of portability. The plastic handle was surprisingly well positioned to use the saw, although I’m not sure if I would say that if I had bigger mitts. The whole thing is very light weight, made from aluminium and plastic (apart from the blades). I tested the saw on a piece of fallen log.

The saw rattled a bit (due to the other blades) but after tightening the screw it wasn’t too bad. I’m not a woodworker by any means, but I was pleasantly surprised at the speed the saw went through this hard wood. It doesn’t have the weight that I think most people would like for a bow saw, but again, that’s the price you pay for portability. For larger cutting projects and to complement the axe, I think this is a winner and for £15-95 you can’t go far wrong. The test will be longer term use on a couple of winter projects I have in mind.

On another subject and following the post about pot hangers, I’ve been asked by Sam from Woodland in Poland to put up a video about how to make one, so here it is. I don’t think that any of the books show you how to do this properly because of the difficulty in showing all the angles involved to do it successfully, so I’m pleased to contribute. (I shy away from calling it a tutorial as I don’t think I’m skilled enough to call myself a bushcraft tutor). Even now it looks a little awkward, but this is probably more due to the fact I was trying not to block the camera view with elbows and arms. I had the video camera jammed between two branches and the weather looked ominously wet. Excuses over. Here we go…

More next time.

It not my fault. It’s all your fault. Peer pressure that’s what I call it! To be honest I’ve always drooled over the knives on BB forum and BCUK but I’ve made do with my trusty Frost’s Clipper. It has done the job quite adequately and I’ve attempted to take Mors Kochanski’s advice. “Why spend out on one of those (pointing at a £300+ Woodlore knife) when you can get 30 of these (clutching his Mora)”. I smiled sympathetically at the unfortunate recipient of his no nonsense feedback at the summer moot and vowed to keep a Clipper or Mora round my neck forever. Until, that is, I inadvertently hit the ‘Buy’ button on Ebay for the knife in the photos. It’s the nearest thing I’ve seen to a Woodlore at a remarkably sensible price.

The guy, Phil Siddell from Woodhouse Joinery Ltd (no web site), describes it as The Companion MkII. The blade length is approximately 100mm, the handle is approximately 110mm with the blade thickness at 3mm made from O1 carbon steel. The edge is scandi ground and hair-popping sharp (there’s that phrase again). The wood is Zebrano which really looks nice on the knife, setting off the bronze fittings. A nice leather sheath finishes off the whole deal. The price? £95-00. I would say that’s a pretty good price. Of course, I haven’t had time to test it out yet, and I’ll do a full appraisal after it’s been with me for a while. The woods beckons tomorrow, but until then, it’s sitting next to the PSK around my neck. Thanks for the visit.

Hot on the heels of the NRA survival kit review (last post) is a review of Bark River’s Personal Survival Knife (PSK). Apparently the challenge was to make a kni

Hot on the heels of the NRA survival kit review (last post) is a review of Bark River’s Personal Survival Knife (PSK). Apparently the challenge was to make a knife of appropriate size to place into the NRA Kit. Well, this knife succeeded in that and would definitely fit nicely in most survival kits with an overall length of 5.25 Inches. A few more technical details follows – Blade Length: 2.25; Blade Thickness: .093 Inch (2.36 mm); Blade Steel: 12C27. The handle is a blaze orange G10 with an orange kydex sheath although American Bushman reports that Bark River will now be doing a variety of handles. Prices range from $85 – $134.

Thanks to American Bushman, I received a first production run of the PSK at the end of last year and I’ve been trying it out in a number of circumstances. Now please bear with me because I’m not a knife expert but I do expect a knife to do certain jobs for me. Of course this is a survival kit knife therefore one should level the expectations accordingly. First thing to say is that I like the knife. It’s aesthetically pleasing despite the first eeughhh!! effect of the colour. You soon realise that it is a Personal Survival Knife and, as I found out when the NRA OtterBox exploded on forced impact with a tree and the contents spread over the wood, the PSK stood out in the mud like a beacon while I had trouble looking for the other items. This might be something to bear in mind if you are going to purchase this knife as intended – as a survival tool.

The G10 scales are not as slippery as I thought when wet and muddy and even with cold and numb fingers I was able to grip the knife enough to do some work. I’m not sure how it would suit someone with larger paws. I always found myself gripping the knife with three fingers with the thumb on top, which has advantages for accuracy i.e. carving, but not particularly for strength. For shaving wood, I was barely able to get enough power behind the knife because of the lack of handle length. I was still surprised that I did manage this at all which is a credit to the knife design.

The knife feels nice and solid despite its size and the ‘drop belly’ shape seems to be ideal for it’s size. The 2.36 mm blade thickness is also just right. To me it feels weighty and again despite its size it fills you full of confidence if that’s the right way to put it. I have a little complaint about where the edge meets the choil (pointed out in the pic below). This seems to be excessively sharp and not finished off properly. This causes discomfort on the lead index finger. To be fair, if you compare my photo with what looks like another production run, it appears they’ve smoothed this out, which would definitely be an improvement.

Obviously you can’t do a great deal of heavy work although I had a good try at batonning. The PSK stood up to everything I threw at it. The flat grind of the blade was ‘hair-popping’ sharp and I’ve managed to keep it that way over the months with a minimum of effort.

I wasn’t too sure about the kydex sheath. As you can see by the photo, the seam has come away and if I shake the sheath while the knife is housed upside down (as would probably be worn) the PSK falls out easily. I understand that kydex can be sealed easily with a hot hair dryer.

(Big pause here) … nope… can’t remember any power points in my woods. I do like the kydex sheath design though. You can clearly see that it’s designed to wrap line around it. Nice touch. Bear in mind that the PSK and sheath is designed to go in a survival kit, the minor flaw in the sheath could be acceptable. Far better for wearing as a neck knife is to house the PSK in the excellent leather sheath, but this could cost you extra. I’ve seen a number of people wear this little knife around the neck as an EDC. At the last BCUK meeting a seasoned Bushcrafter and knife connoisseur described the PSK as his “knife of the moment”. I’m now also in a dilemma. This knife is too good to be squirreled away in a survival kit but that’s where it should really go.

In conclusion I would say thumbs up for this knife both as a little EDC (I would look at different scales though) and a basic small survival kit knife. It won’t fell a tree or replace your larger knife but it would get you out of a sticky situation by prepping a bit of kindling, skinning something and making a bit of cordage. Back to that dilemma. Can I have another one please?

Pablo

fe of appropriate size to place into the NRA Kit. Well, this knife succeeded in that and would definitely fit nicely in most survival kits with an overall length of 5.25 Inches. A few more technical details follows – Blade Length: 2.25; Blade Thickness: .093 Inch (2.36 mm); Blade Steel: 12C27. The handle is a blaze orange G10 with an orange kydex sheath although American Bushman reports that Bark River will now be doing a variety of handles. Prices range from $85 – $134.

Thanks to American Bushman, I received a first production run of the PSK at the end of last year and I’ve been trying it out in a number of circumstances. Now please bear with me because I’m not a knife expert but I do expect a knife to do certain jobs for me. Of course this is a survival kit knife therefore one should level the expectations accordingly. First thing to say is that I like the knife. It’s aesthtically pleasing despite the first eeughhh!! effect of the colour. You soon realise that it is a Personal Survival Knife and, as I found out when the NRA OtterBox exploded on forced impact with a tree and the contents spread over the wood, the PSK stood out in the mud like a beacon while I had trouble looking for the other items. This might be something to bear in mind if you are going to purchase this knife as intended – as a survival tool.

The G10 scales are not as slippery as I thought when wet and muddy and even with cold and numb fingers I was able to grip the knife enough to do some work. I’m not sure how it would suit someone with larger paws. I always found myself gripping the knife with three fingers with the thumb on top, which has advantages for accuracy i.e. carving, but not particularly for strength. For shaving wood, I was barely able to get enough power behind the knife because of the lack of handle length. I was still surprised that I did manage this at all which is a credit to the knife design.

The knife feels nice and solid despite its size and the ‘drop belly’ shape seemes to be ideal for it’s size. The 2.36 mm blade thickness is also just right. To me it feels weighty and again despite its size it fills you full of confidence if that’s the right way to put it. I have a little complaint about where the edge meets the choil (pointed out in the pic below). This seems to be excessively sharp and not finished off properly. This causes discomfort on the lead index finger. To be fair, if you compare my photo with what looks like another production run, it appears they’ve smoothed this out, which would definately be an improvement.

Obviously you can’t do a great deal of heavy work although I had a good try at batonning. The PSK stood up to everything I threw at it. The flat grind of the blade was ‘hair-popping’ sharp and I’ve managed to keep it that way over the months with a minimum of effort.

I wasn’t too sure about the kydex sheath. As you can see by the photo, the seam has come away and if I shake the sheath while the knife is housed upside down (as would probably be worn) the PSK falls out easily. I understand that kydex can be sealed easily with a hot hair dryer. (Big pause here) … nope… can’t remember any power points in my woods. I do like the kydex sheath design though. You can clearly see that it’s designed to wrap line around it. Nice touch. Bear in mind that the PSK and sheath is designed to go in a survival kit, the minor flaw in the sheath could be acceptable. Far better for wearing as a neck knife is to house the PSK in the excellent leather sheath, but this could cost you extra. I’ve seen a number of people wear this little knife around the neck as an EDC. At the last BCUK meeting a seasoned Bushcrafter and knife connoisseur described the PSK as his “knife of the moment”. I’m now also in a dilemma. This knife is too good to be squirreled away in a survival kit but that’s where it should really go.

In conclusion I would say thumbs up for this knife both as a little EDC (I would look at different scales though) and a basic small survival kit knife. It won’t fell a tree or replace your larger knife but it would get you out of a sticky situation by prepping a bit of kindling, skinning something and making a bit of cordage. Back to that dilemna. Can I have another one please?

Pablo

As well as being inspirational to many Bushcrafters, Nessmuk was probably one of the first proponents of lightweight camping and went to great lengths to find his perfect kit, particularly tools. He doesn’t go into great detail in describing his knives – shown in the engraving from ‘Woodcraft’ as a two-bladed penknife and what seems to us now as an oddly shaped fixed blade (favoured by Sam from Woodcraft in Poland) – but he does describe his apparent frustration in seeking out a suitable hatchet. .”… for it is the most difficult piece of camp kit to obtain in perfection of which I have any knowledge.”

He eventually succumbs and seeks out – at great time and expense – a custom double-bitted hatchet. This tool appears to be a great favourite and he goes on to describe its detailed use in his adventures stating that he “… came to realize that a light hatchet was a sine qua non in woodcraft…”.

I have already tried and tested out the Granfors Bruks Small Forest Axe, which seems to be the sine qua non in modern Bushcraft to great effect. It’s done everything I’ve asked of it and have often used it instead of my fixed blade e.g. for carving, but I did tend to find its size a bit of a disadvantage.

Following Nessmuks theory, I sought out a smaller version. The smallest Granfors make is the mini hatchet and I duly placed an order. It did take some time to arrive, as apparently, they manufacture the most popular first. I’ve not had a chance to use it enough for a full review, but I can say that my initial reaction is that this will be a favoured tool. It fits nicely into my shoulder bag and sits very comfortably on my belt. Do you remember my post where I posed a competition about something that should fit nicely into my shoulder bag? Well this was it and well done to isOt3k who guessed correctly, most probably having the advantage of watching me drool over it at the Christmas Bushmoot. (By the way… yes, that is a new hat!)

So, onto my Nessmuk trio then. So far then we have the new mini hatchet, the ubiquitous Swiss Army knife and my Companion Mark II (review of this coming very soon). I wonder if this will change over the time?

Thanks for the visit.

Pablo.

There were two reasons why I ordered this knife. The first was that I wanted to try out a Woodlore clone without spending over £150. The second was that this particular knife looked good. Simple as that. There are many Woodlore clones about. Just what the definition is, I’m still not sure, other than to say that it looks like the knife Ray Mears uses and one he used to sell on his website, with the spear-point shape being the most recognisable feature. The Woodlore knife is now out of production (Wilkinson sword having ceased knife making) and the result is that the original knives now sell for extraordinary prices on Ebay. Clone makers have also increased their prices and it’s difficult to get a similar knife for under £150, until I saw the Companion MKII that is.

So what’s all the fuss about? What is it with this type of knife that has Bushcrafters drooling? Why did Ray Mears design the shape of this knife like this (allegedly) not having found a suitable design elsewhere? Is it really better than a Puuko, Mora or Clipper? I probably won’t be able to answer all these questions to anyone’s complete satisfaction because, firstly, knives are so personal to the user and the particular uses the knife will be put to and secondly, my knowledge of knives in general is pretty limited. But I’ll give it a go.

I first saw the Companion MkII on Ebay and I was immediately attracted by the design and the way it looked. It has a Zebrano handle and brass hilt, rivets and thong tube. I had pre-determined the size I required, 10 cm length blade and 3mm thickness and the Companion fitted the bill exactly. I know that the Woodlore blades are a bit bigger and thicker, but having an axe with me the majority of the time I guessed I didn’t really require the larger size. The technical specs of the companion MK II are:
Weight – 180 grms; blade length approx 100mm; handle approx 110mm and the blade thickness is 3mm. The steel is O1 (scandi grind) and the handle is Zebrano.

The maker is Phil Siddell from Woodhouse Joinery (www.forgedknives.co.uk) He describes himself running his own joinery and cabinet making business for around six years has been making knives for around three. He makes the knives in batches of 20, thus keeping the price down. I’ve seen other smaller knives made by him and they also look pretty good. I had some great correspondence with Phil and he answered all my questions directly and promptly.

The knife was delivered within 3 days last December and I have tried it out at every opportunity, usually dual working it with the Clipper for a comparison. Sorry, no extreme testing on this occasion. Even at £85, I can’t afford to damage it outside normal wear and tear. The knife is comfortable to hold and well balanced in my hand. I like the weight especially for the heavier tasks like battoning and larger cutting tasks such as thick branches. The drawback of this weight is that it makes fine carving work a little strenuous on the hands and fingers. For this type of work I still prefer the lighter weight and narrower blade of the Clipper. The jury’s still out about the large brass hilt on the knife and the choil. I would imagine some people wouldn’t like these features, but it hasn’t affected my use of the knife. The knife came with a very well made wet-formed belt sheath, which I’ve managed to use as a neck-carry at no real disadvantage.

The rear of the blade produces a fine shower of sparks from the fire-steel and I now use this exclusively over any other ‘striker’. Although I’ve not done any food prep in the field, I have used it in the kitchen. Carving meat is fine (the blade could be slightly longer for this, and maybe a 11cm length blade would have been better) and fine chopping is also no problem.

The scandi grind is suitable for the knife. It arrived razor sharp and I’ve had no real difficulties keeping it that way. An unfortunate small chip in the blade (my fault) was quickly sorted in the field with my sharpening stone.

I must admit that I am quite indifferent to the spear-point shape. Yes, it is handy for drilling holes but I’ve rarely had the occasion to do this. As I’ve said, it’s a little unwieldy for delicate carving work, but for general Bushcraft use it seems fine, but then again, so is the Clipper. Where this knife does have the advantage is the additional power you can get on larger tasks.

If I had to take just one blade into the field, it would be the Companion MKII. It’s a solid, sound all round knife, well made, and not just a pretty face. It makes a good …er …Companion. Adding an axe to the toolkit (particularly my new mini – hatchet) I would say that it’s probably a bit over the top and I might even revert to a clipper shaped and sized knife if the hatchet is going to be a permanent feature. The fact that I still carry the Clipper in my shoulder bag is testament to the fact that I’m not entirely 100% sure about the Companion, but it is growing on me all the time. Maybe another couple of months and will be know one way or t’other. At the moment, I don’t leave home for an excursion without it.

Pablo.

There’s been quite a few comments generated as a result of me taking quite a bit of kit and a few blades to the moot, so I thought I’d start the moot review with what was and what wasn’t used. I should also explain that for those who haven’t been to moots that they (amongst other things) provide an opportunity to learn, test kit, play or at least inspect other people’s kit and allow other people to have a go with yours. Vehicle parking is usually right on top of the site, so there is no need to carry anything any great distance. I tend to set up like a semi-permanent camp and not really too minimalist like a 24 hour excursion, therefore I’m not too bothered about how much kit I take along (hence the folding chair and archery kit). Nevertheless, all my kit went into a 75 litre (with room to spare) and a day bag (for food).

So what did and what didn’t get used? The clipper didn’t get used at all. Yes, it’s time this was sent to the great rucksack in the sky. You know… the one which is stuffed full of spare webbing straps, the other half of ‘get one free’ items, bits of wood, flint and pouches that are no longer used. The Opinel No 8 – This sits happily on my belt next to my possible’s pouch. I’ve never really used this and didn’t use it at the moot at all, so… yep, that’s going as well. The SAK Hunter – This did get used, primarily as a bottle opener (!) but I also lent it to a young lad who was making a leather sheath for his knife. The awl came in handy for this purpose. This then will stay in my trousers pocket. The spoon knife – This was used to help make the traditional moot spoon and will stay in the shoulder bag. The folding saw – Yep. Used on a number of occasions to cut some hazel and other wood for camp ‘furniture’. It provides a nice clean cut from the tree. This stays. The Companion – I was pleased with the Companion. It performed admirably on a number of tasks. I just need to hone the edge a bit more. I found that it just wasn’t as sharp as other people’s knives. The mini axe – Again I was very pleased with this little fella. As soon as we arrived, I brought it out to trim around the trees for hanging the tarp and hammock and clearing away some evil looking thorn bushes. It was also involved in spoon carving and preparing kindling. It sat happily in its pouch on my belt most of the time. Could I have used the SFA? Probably, but using the heavier SFA for the fine carving work does tire the hands and fingers. The SFA was used probably more than anything. At an early stage we decided to use the round metal containers provided for fires. This meant an endless stream of wood chopping, which was good practice and put the SFA through its paces.

As for the rest of the kit, apart from the spare T-shirt and trousers, it all got used. Even the shemagh, not previously used, proved indispensable as the temperature dropped and the wind strengthened. I was pleased that I decided to take the double layer fleece despite setting off with the temperature in the 20’s. I did, however, forget a rain jacket (I wished I’d brought along the wax jacket) but luckily I had a poncho. Although it kept the majority of water out, I did find it got damp on the inside. Perhaps it was condensation. I’ll have to investigate this further.

After the first night, I swapped out the BCUK group buy hammock for my trusty DD hammock. I just can’t get on with the group buy hammock, although people swear by them. It’s just too big for me. I feel swamped. I’ll probably keep it as a spare though.

Even though we used the fire container, the Swedish Army Trangia was still used for brews. I liked the luxury of having a plastic insulated Aladdin mug. The brew tasted better than out of the Crusader cup.

Next time I’ll talk about the activities at the moot.

See you later.

Pablo.

Luckily, Mrs Pablo hasn’t minded the influx of surplus gear, camping supplies and sharp, shiny things over the last couple of years but I do appreciate the problems some people have. I still have to justify it to myself though. So whatever category you fall under I’ve compiled a helpful list of purchase excuses specifically tailored for Ebay purchases:

It wasn’t me.
I hit the wrong button.
I wanted to see how much the reserve was
I wanted to see how much the hidden bid was.

A big bloke forced me to do it.
My finger slipped.
It was a bargain.
It was two-for-one.
You won’t find one of these anywhere.

Someone else would have got it.
I’ve always wanted one.
I can always sell it on (for a profit)
It will increase in value.

Everyone else has got one.
Nobody else has got one.
It’s essential.
It cost less than your hair products.

This time I used “It was a bargain” but I could have used, “I’ve always wanted one”.

Pablo.

If you ask people who practice bushcraft or wilderness living what is the most essential item in their kit and they will invariably answer that it’s their knife. Many people go to great lengths to select their knife and usually only a custom knife will do. Of course, selecting a knife is very much a personal preference and it depends on what you’re going to use it for.

For me, the jury’s still out. I’m not sure if I’m 100% happy with a single knife (see updated cutting tools pages). Perhaps I’m the sort of person to select whatever tool or combination is right for the occasion.

I  still haven’t committed myself to an expensive custom knife and enjoy experimenting with the odd knife that comes my way. My latest addition to the family is an EKA Nordic W11. Ironically, this was the first knife I was going to purchase after my very first Frost’s Clipper; but I decided to go for Phil Siddell’s Companion Mark 2 instead. When I saw the EKA on Ebay,  I decided to go for it, winning the auction at just £47-50. They normally retail around £20 or £30 more (£68-00  Edit £83-00 from Heinnie Haynes)

The EKA Nordic Hunter W11 is Swedish made 8 7/8in. overall with a 4 3/8 inch drop point blade.  It’s a full-length tang Sandvik 12C27 57-59 Rc out of 4mm with checkered Bubinga wood scales and lanyard hole.

I liked the shape of the knife from the start. Perhaps a 4mm thick 4 inch “all rounder” blade would, after all, be the most suitable general purpose knife for me. The reviews have been favourable and as a factory-made knife it’s often compared to the Falkniven F1. The reviews threw up a few problems though, which prevented me from buying it in the first place. The first was the bevel and the second, the sheath.

When I received the knife I was delighted to notice that EKA had listened to feedback and had changed the sheath. Previous owners were bemoaning the fact that no matter how careful they were, the knife always cut the sheath when pulling out or putting away the knife. This must be a brand new version. Also it was obvious the knife has never been used. Chuffed.

Unfortunately the deep hollow grind with secondary bevel was still there. I’d read that this could be rectified with a little re-profiling and I was convinced that could do it! Of course, I’d do it my way, and not the recommended way with mouse mat and wet and dry. Out came the diamond hones and before long I was scrubbing away with the black coarse re-profiling hone throwing all caution to the wind. The aim was to extend the secondary bevel and then make it slightly convex…sort of! Not an easy task when you’re leg is elevated in a plaster and you’re using an upturned tea tray as a work-bench!

Quite a few hours later (actually many, many hours later) I had increased the original bevel size and there appeared to be a slight convex shape to the blade. I now worked my way down the hones to sharpen the edge, finishing off with a good strop.

Now I’m certainly not an expert and I’ll have to give it a proper knife guru for them to tell me I’ve completely ruined it! Nevertheless it’s now razor sharp and it looks ok to me. Whether it will stand up to a “bushcraft bashing” is another story, and of course, I won’t be able to give a go for a few weeks yet.

The knife feels great in the hand. It has a nice weight to it, but not over heavy like some custom 4mm’s I’ve handled (including the Woodlore). It fits my hand extremely well (I’ve got small hands) and I like the forefinger cut out and the serrated thumb grip on the spine. The handle is warm and I like the light checkered serrations on the lower part of the handle. Not bad so far.

As for performance, I can’t say any more at the moment.

Needless to say, I enjoyed doing this little re-profiling task. Project Number One – done and dusted…Next!

Thanks for the visit,

Pablo.

Although I have a few bits of the most up to date textiles and plastics in some of my kit I still prefer leather, wool and wood. Not only are they functional in a traditional way but they are also aesthetically pleasing and come within the ethos of the what I like to consider is the spirit of bushcraft and wilderness living.

There are a couple of drawbacks with using these materials though. Firstly, they tend to be heavier than modern plastics and fibres and fabrics, which is why I don’t really use them a great deal when going light or when tracking. The second drawback is that they take a little bit of breaking-in and maintaining.

Every six months or so I give my wood and leather an overhaul usually in spring and autumn. This is in addition to the more regular chore of ensuring that after each excursion, blades and axes are wiped down and sharpened and any leather and wood is likewise wiped down and clean.

For the natural woods i.e. axe handles and handles of knives I use a very fine sandpaper and gently rub the surface of the wood. I like to keep the grubby patina on the wood so I don’t rub too hard. I then give the handle a thin coating of boiled linseed oil.

Some people prefer other oil coatings such as Danish oil and they use a piece of wire wool to knead the oil into the wood. If you use linseed oil it’s important that it isn’t applied too thickly or it will take too long to dry and the handle will become slippery and dangerous to use (especially when the hand is sweating or during wet weather).

I don’t tend to do much else with the handle as it should be well maintained from new. As soon as I buy an axe I soak the head in a bucket of anti-freeze for 72 hours. This will forever seal the axe head on to the handle. The water will make the wood swell and the anti-freeze will make it stay swollen.

A tip I learnt was to remember this little ditty for applying linseed oil to new axes handles:

“Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year for life.”

If you follow this then a little annual maintenance is all that’s needed. I use a coating of walnut oil for any wooden spoons I use. This is the only oil I really trust for use with or near food stuffs.

Many folk apply renaissance wax to their blades. I tend not to do this, but I do check to make sure carbon blades aren’t rusting. If I’m not going to use a blade for a while, I’ll coat it in a thin layer of oil before returning to a dry sheath.

You can’t beat giving leather items a good polish, especially leather footwear. Boots made completely of leather aren’t really in vogue nowadays, however I still use a pair of Rogue Rangers and Bison tracker boots both of which are leather. After cleaning them and giving them a polish I gently warm up the leather in the sun (or on a radiator) and apply a bit of leather wax. Finally, I apply a coat of dubbin.

The dubbin works for leather sheaths and pouches as well. It puts back a little moisture and nourishment back in the leather and provides a degree of protection against moisture and water.

I believe that wood and leather are there for a purpose and not purely for show, but it doesn’t do any harm to shine up your kit and make an effort to maintain it now and again. I’ve found that you will be rewarded by the effort.

All the best,

Pablo.