Musings of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
Dowel Cutter – A useful tool for large-scale production A version of this post appeared here in 2012 but here is an update as prelude to a coming post. I’ve been using a Veritas dowel and tenon cutter to rough out arrow shafts from planks. Quite a while ago I posted about the jig I […]
Read More Arrows from PlanksSeveral years ago I starting documenting some of the arrow-making I do. I wrote the original version of this piece in 2012 but as it always draws a lot of interest I have re-edited it and am posting it again. Arrows have been much on my mind after seeing how ratty some of mine have […]
Read More Bamboo Arrow ConstructionEvery woman, high or low, ought to know how to make bread. If she do not, she is unworthy of trust and confidence; and, indeed, a mere burden upon the community. –William Cobbett Today this should probably read “Every homemaker” instead of “Every woman” but, as Cobbett composed this treatise in 1821, he assumed that the […]
Read More Bread – Some Thoughts from CobbettOriginally posted on Denney Home Place:
It’s only the beginning of August, but there is a chill in the air in the mornings that awakens the wistful thoughts of fall, and this little song, sung by old Bilbo comes to mind. It’s not just the fall of the year, but the fall of life that…
Meredith Moon’s version of the Hills of Mexico. Enjoy.
Read More The Hills of MexicoSome Thoughts on Making Arrows, an Underappreciated Art – I have been making my own arrows from scratch for a couple decades (since 1987 to be precise) and thought I’d showcase some I have made over the past few years. I don’t generally make them to sell and I rarely hunt these days but there […]
Read More ArrowologySewing I do quite a bit of sewing and I feel it is an essential skill for nearly everyone. My sewing includes new buckskin trousers, cotton shirts, shoes, a few leather bags, backpacks, and repairs to clothes to name just a few projects. All this has caused me to think about sewing without manufactured goods. […]
Read More Primitive (but useful) Sewing KitI love these the old sheepherder camps. I’ve seen quite a few parked on ranches from Colorado to Idaho and even a few in Arizona. I know they aren’t highway capable but it seems they could provide a real housing alternative for low-income minimalists who have access to land. Far better than a housing complex […]
Read More A Fine Old Sheepherder WagonSometimes, you just have to make some candles. The smell of pure beeswax makes me very happy indeed.
Read More Making CandlesFrom the ingenuity of the Roaring 20s. Pack up with your favorite Flapper and head to the wide-open spaces! Novel Camping Trailer Opens Into Comfortable Quarters A NOVEL camping trailer has been produced in London which is hailed with delight by lovers of the outdoors because of the comfort it provides. The trailer, compact when […]
Read More Novel Camping Trailer from 1929