AXE WORKSHOP WOODSMOKE COURSE REVIEW. By Danny Reid The Bushcraft Journal

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1 Photo - Peter Skillen WOODSMOKE COURSE REVIEW AXE WORKSHOP Having the ability to work with wood to create or repair your own tools whilst at home or in the field is an invaluable skill to have... By Danny Reid The Bushcraft Journal

2 Photo - Danny Reid axe workshop It never ceases to amaze me, the sheer beauty we have in the United Kingdom, I am heading northwards once more to the mountainous region of the Lake District national park. If you have never been here or seen it I highly recommend looking into travelling there. I am of course on my way to the meeting point of my second Woodsmoke course this year, and as every mile flashes past the windows of my car, the eagerness to head back into the woodland and spend some more time amongst the trees is growing at an exponential rate. This time I am heading up to Woodsmoke for an axe workshop; immersing ourselves in the woods for four days carving, shaping, sanding, listening, learning and gaining a greater understanding and respect for one of the most well-known woodsman s companions The Axe. This course was specifically designed to give you an insight into the safe handling, use and proper etiquette of axe work, with a high emphasis on safety and efficiency, being able to cut down and process trees for fuel without burning through too many ever so important calories whilst on your journeys or expeditions. I arrived at the meeting point early so I rang through and spoke to Ben and decided to have a stroll up to camp on foot as the weather was great and the surrounding scenery was lush too. Upon arrival to the now familiar basecamp it felt great to be back amongst the towering trees and be instantly hit by the smell of a campfire s smoke. That meant one thing; the kettle was on and I was looking forward to a brew and catching up with all the crew. Being welcomed by friendly faces is always a great feeling and knowing you are back amongst friends makes being on a course all the more fun. There were many of the usuals here and it was great to find out what everyone had been up to since we had last spoke.

3 Photo - Danny Reid I set my hammock and tarp up in a location I knew would give me good shelter in case the Lake District weather decided to turn nasty, but it also gave me views of stunning sunrises and sunsets Bonus! Hung up on trees The day started well; after a great night s sleep in the fresh clean air I woke early to a chorus of birdsong and was greeted by a stunning sunrise. Preparation is key, so they say, and planning where to hang a hammock is equally as important as hanging it correctly. Once I had watered the nearby plants and made myself semi-presentable it was time to get ready for the day s events. With a hearty breakfast and strong coffee inside me I gathered the essentials; notebook, pencil, axe, and headed over for the course briefing.

4 Photos - Peter Skillen Ben took us through the various different styles, designs, shapes and sizes of axe, and of course the all-important anatomy of the axe; comparing between American and British and where the influences in designs and their uses came from throughout history, going as far back as knapped hand axes. He covered safety and handling of an axe even down to the correct use of an axe sheath and what can happen if one is not applied properly. We set off for a walk to an area specifically chosen by the land owner, as it needed thinning out to allow the plants and flowers to flourish more on the woodland floor and around the water s edge, which were suffering due to the lack of sunlight getting through because of the volume of trees there. A good enough reason as any to take some trees down; allowing more plants and young trees to grow and therefore encouraging more wildlife. Good woodland management if you ask me. Ben and Ross took us through the various techniques involved in bringing a tree down to the ground, covering the dangers and the key points to consider like the direction of fall and even working out where the top of the tree will end.

5 We all paired up and went off to choose a tree to fell; taking into consideration all the important factors we set to work. This was a first for me as the only trees I had previously taken down were dead and to be used for firewood on a camp, and certainly not of this size. There is a surprising amount of work that goes into bringing a tree down and a lot of very important things to consider. There is some really great footage around of highly skilled people cutting down trees and making it look effortless; but let me tell you, a lot goes into the whole process from start to finish. Once the tree was on the ground, and after a well-earned break, we got on to limbing and sectioning so that the wood would be easily transportable or arranged so it can season to be used at another date in the future. We eventually got to the point where our tree was starting to fall so out went the cry, TIIIIMBER!!. Alas all was not well; the tree gods didn t feel as if we had put enough effort into this tree thus far so they hung it up on some big sturdy branches of a tree just to the side of its direction of fall. In truth this was more my fault; I should have assessed my axe strike placement more carefully, and adjusted where the cutting angles were to change the path in which the tree was going to drop; even slightly and the tree would have been on the ground with no bother. As it was now we had to get this tree on the ground; with some great teamwork and guidance from our instructors we all pitched in, changed our rope work around, used a knot known as the Dix knot which allowed us to gain some serious leverage on the tree and we could eventually pull it free from the clutches of the other tree. Photos - Peter Skillen

6 Photo - Danny Reid Photo - Peter Skillen That evening we went for a walk to sit and enjoy watching the sunset, looking out on some of the lake district s stunning mountain ranges. No one said a word; we just sat and drank in its beauty. A LOG OF TWO HALVES The dry weather we had was never going to last forever; as all British outdoors people know it s always wise to have a waterproof close to hand, and sure enough the rain came. It was refreshing due to the hot nature of the work we had been undertaking and it didn t stop us for a second.

7 Back at basecamp we set to work, splitting down large diameter sections of logs, then stacking them under the dry safety of the extra-large tarpaulin that Ben and the team had put up so we could continue in our outdoor classroom. Although it was hard work and I could feel my muscles beginning to ache, it was a great feeling. Ross showed us a way of stacking the split logs which he picked up whilst he was in Canada during the winter season earlier on this year. It is a great way of doing this and it allows the air to flow right through without any obstructions. This method is known as a Beehive wood stack. Photo - Danny Reid HANDLING THE AXE Having the ability to work with wood to create or repair your own tools whilst at home or in the field is an invaluable skill to have. It adds another string to your bushcraft bow, strengthening your ability to comfortably travel through the land knowing that if something were to happen, for instance you broke the handle on your axe whilst a long way from home in the northern boreal forest, you would have the skills to craft another, however crude it may be. But you would have one of you most valuable working tools back again and camp life would be all that more easier. Photos - Peter Skillen Brian Elener being an experienced carpenter and outdoorsman took our group through the next part of the course, sharing his skills, teaching us how to turn a seasoned piece of ash into a finished axe handle. From the start I enjoyed this, being someone who has always enjoyed working with wood and carving various utensils, cups and bowls over the years I have always had an appreciation of what s involved in the process from start to finish. And Brian left no stone unturned. We got straight into it and before long we were marking out, cutting out and then starting the shaping process. As darkness fell there weren t many of us that wanted to put our axe handles down and finish for the evening; but safety is what s important, plus we had another fantastic meal to polish off. There wasn t too many of us staying up late on this course and it s no wonder why, with the packed days and the effort spent by everyone. I looked forward to my hammock at night and I tell you what; sleep came easy. Photo - Danny Reid

8 Once the head was fitted correctly and securely there was only the finished sanding to be done and then to oil it. There is a great pleasure to be had in this part as it is now that you really start to see the finish in the grain begin to pop out, and the character of the axe appears. Photo - Danny Reid Photo - Peter Skillen

9 With a few more axe work projects still left to do we were in for another great day in the woods. Improvising tools and equipment whilst outdoors is again another set of skills which every Bushcrafter should learn to do, whether making a tent peg or a bucksaw and of course everything in between. Photo - Peter Skillen We ll start with those two for now though. Using my new axe we were shown how to make tent pegs, a simple but very effective and useful piece of equipment that you can make whenever out in the woods. The bucksaw is a great tool to take with you on any wilderness trip and having the skills to craft one from wood you can collect whilst there means all you would need to take with you is a saw blade, or a couple of saw blades, one for green wood and one for seasoned, and some cord to use as a tensioner. But once again very useful and it will make life in the woods easier. Sadly it was time to pack up as the course drew to a close. We all went home taking various highlights away with us; mine was once again knowing I had thoroughly enjoyed spending time with great people amongst nature, and the fact that my back, arms and hands ached was proof I had been on another jam packed course with Woodsmoke. Thanks for having me around your fire once again guys and I hope it s not too long before I m back. Find your next adventure at: By Danny Reid The Bushcraft Journal Photo - Peter Skillen