Nomad Tree Craft

Hi. Here's a video of the chopper in action. Really nice to use sneds and cross cuts well. Bites deep.

Hi all. Sorry I've not posted anything in a while. Life's been quite busy of late. The summer season gets busy with festival and weekend camps. Helping out my local DofE groups supervising expeditions. As well as working on several different projects as gifts for friends, building stock for festivals and some of my own little projects.
I've also taken on a few commissions over the summer period. One of which is this lovely little chopper a repeat customer has sent me to clean up and restore back to a workable tool.

Hi all. I've been working on several projects recently. Mainly walking staves and Kuksa cups. Here's one from last night. First to have this style of handle and also with a leather lanyard finished with a diamond knot and cows horn tip toggle. Hope you like. Please comment and like.
Thanks
Nomad Tree Craft

Hi all. I've recently been looking into the Mocotaugan as a carving tool. For those that don't know, this is a native american Indian crooked knife. Designed to be used as a one handed draw knife. I looked into purchasing one. They seem to go for around the £60 mark. The sort of money that isn't excessive to pay out for a tool, if you know you like using it, and it'll get used frequently. However for me this was too much, having never used one before. So I set about trying to... find a common man alternative, that may not do the job quite as well, but could still be workable. That's when I came across the hoof knife. A knife used buy farriers.
At first glance these knives look almost identical. Hoof knife handle is a slightly different shape, the blade is central in the handle and the bevel is a different grind to the blade. The Mocotaugan blade being positioned at the underside of the handle, the handle having a thumb rest in the grip and the blade being of a single bevel like a chisel.
I decided the hoof knife was the closest shop brought tool I would get to a Mocotaugan and at a fraction of the price. I Payed £4.50 including postage for mine. So I set about addressing the differences. Firstly regrinding the bevel on the blade, secondly reshaping the handle, not just to produce a thumb rest, but also tho reduce the amount of wood on the underside of the handle.
The pictures show my outcome. Have tested a little and seems to work reasonably well. Tho I don't know how it compares to a purpose built Mocotaugan having never used one. But as a cheap alternative it might suit some of you that want to have a play.
Please comment below.
Nomad Tree Craft
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Hi all. I haven't posted in some time now due to being very busy recently. But this hasn't stopped me from working on several different projects when I can. I recently purchased a Roselli axe from Ian Montgomery. He was great to deal with and the axe came as described and at a great price. Over the weekend I got the chance to put this axe to use while away camping with my scouts. I decided I would finally attempt to carve a kuksa ( a traditional Scandinavian wooden cup, norm...ally made from birch).
So I set about carving my kuksa from a piece of green birch I had freshly cut a few days before. The tools I used for this project were: A Lapland folding saw Roselli axe Large Mora carving knife Flexcut carving jack knife Mora spoon knife sand paper and cooking oil
Here is my first attempt:
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Hi all. Having been away recently spending time with some friends and fellow woodsmen / carvers at the Weird and wonderful wood festival, I've come home with some new inspiration and ideas for my own work.
So I've been working on a few different bits that hadn't even crossed my mind before. So here are a few of the pieces.

What I've been working on today. Only 48 more to make up.

Hi all. A few more Ferro rods this afternoon. Two silver birch burl handled and another red deer antler.
Hope you like. Please comment and share.
Nomad Tree Craft

Hi all. What I've made this evening. Been working on some different sized ferro rods. Small - extra large. Leather wrapped, crows horn tip handles and red deer antler handles.
Hope you all like them. Please comment and share.

Hi all. Here is one of my most recent staves I've been working on for a close friend. Started off as just stave I was working on in general, but he took a shine to it when I first carved the tree spirit. It's hazel with a rubber foot, tree spirit carving (which was then scorched to help it stand out) and a specially requested deer antler crown crook. The handle is a natural bark finish and the whole thing has been finished with linseed oil.
Hope you like. Please comment and... share.
Nomad Tree Craft
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This afternoon's little project. Nearly finished. Needs a little more sanding, then treating with oil.

Hi all. Know it's been a while since I've put anything up. Have a few projects I'm currently working on and waiting on a few materials to show up. But here is my most recent project I'm working on. Am really enjoying doing this one. It's going to take some time, but the end result should be worth it. :p

Today's project:
I've been making a shadow board compass. This is a type of solar compass, it uses shadow to determine direction.

Hi all. A proud moment for myself. My first time getting an ember using a bow drill fire set. Friction fire!!!!!! :D

I recently purchased this blade on its release day. The price then being £6.50
It's normal price is £12.99. This is in the same price range as its competitors e.g. The Svord Peasant and Opinel knives.
I would like to say this is an unboxing and my first impressions. I have yet to field test this knife.
... Firstly the packaging. It seems well presented and fairly simple. The box comes logoed with a few of the knifes specifications on the back.
Secondly the knife itself. Let's start with the handle. Ergonomically designed, fits the hand well with a built in finger guard, to stop your hand sliding onto the blade. It's construction appears to be metal with plastic scales. It also has a metal belt/pocket clip. I have found this to have some movement from side to side. But shouldn't effect the functionality of the clip.
The blade: this comes fairly sharp as a factory finish. Enough to cut cleanly newspaper and shave hair. So be careful. It has a finger nail slit to help pull the blade out of the handle. This movement is quite stiff. It features a thumb stub as well which would suggest the blade could be opened one handed. This is not the case. The blade holds firm open and closed, with a mechanism like that of a Swiss Army Knife. Feels very solid.
Having looked at the grind of the blade I notice that it is slightly uneven. This however shouldn't really affect its cutting capabilities too much. It would be interesting to know if this is a common default. (I know the Svord Peasants have a similar problem).
So to recap: seems like a well made blade for the price and is sharp out the box. (Bonus!!!)
However there are a few defects. The pocket clip moves about, the thumb stud is unnecessary, as can't be used to open the blade one handed and the knife grind is slightly off.
Despite these defaults, I am fairly impressed with the overall look and feel of this knife thus far.
I plan to field test this knife. Use it for a time and review again at a later date. I am hoping as this comes from a bushcraft company, it will stand up to bushcraft tasks as well as EDC tasks. We will find out.
**** 4 stars for now
Let's see if there is any movement in the future.
Hope this has been helpful.
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The thumb stave, for a friend. Complete with spiral carving and pyrography.

Another stave I've started working on. Start of a word spirit handle.

A new stave I've been working on for a friend.
Leather wrapped thumb stave.