I recently ordered a Montane extreme smock after the death of my old trust Buffalo and I was so mightly impressed by the new smock I not only wrote a review of it on BES (http://bushcraft-educational-society.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1197.0) but I also have decided to start stocking them!!

The rrp is £80 but watch the website for a introductory offer ...........your chance to pick up one of these excellent smocks a little cheaper than usual!! ")

Details
Active cut with drop tail
Large pouch pocket with accessory attachment ring
DWR Beardguard lined collar
Part elasticated self fabric cuffs with hook and loop adjustment
Reinforced elbows
Glove attachment loops on forearms
Generous neck zip with hook and loop storm baffle
MONTANE® Cross-Vent system
Two-way zipped side vents with storm baffle
Hook and loop adjustable hem
Removable crotch strap
Removable, fully specified, single hand adjustable, pile-lined hood with wired peak
Colours: Black (With self-coloured logo), Olive (With self-coloured logo), Red (Main Image)
RRP £80.00
Fabric
Outer: PERTEX® 6- 69g/m² lightweight Nylon 6.6 plain weave- Breathable to 98%- Dense weave gives a wind resistance of 1ft³/min- Water repellent with a spray rating of grade 4Reinforcements: POLAR-DRI® mini-rip- Coated high tenacity textured Nylon rip-stop- 85% breathable- Water repellent- Suited to applications where durability and breathability are keyLining - DRYACTIV® 3000 Pile- Polyester fibre pile- Excellent inherent wicking- High warmth to weight ratio
Weight
875g / 31oz: Medium

Vildmark in the Sunday Mirror

For those of you thinking of joining us on the excellent Vildmark and.or WEISS courses in 2008 you might find the attached article from the Sunday Mirror of interest.

In particular the fact that soon we'll be able to fly from Stanstead to Karlstad - with collection from there - making traveling to and from the courses much much easier!!

Enjoy

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/homesandholidays/holidays/2007/08/26/life-is-swede-98487-19682361/

Cutting tool Maintenance

Knife maintenance and sharpening.

You are only as sharp as your knife - or a blunt knife is a screw driver!

Below is a little refresher on knife maint - as with all things shrafting theres more than one way to skin a cat but the below are skills which work for me and are most common among experienced outdoorsfolk.

Sharpening.
The best set up for sharpening a flat bevel knife involves 2-3 grades of honing stone.-

Course – 800 grit-
Medium – 1000 grit-
Very fine 6000 grit

A very course 250 grit may sometimes be used for restoration work.

At home the best set up for a novice is.- 2 sided India Oil stone made from Aluminium Oxide.

The coarseness is determined by the binding Agent but generally these stones consist of a course and medium side. I often use these to take off secondary bevels and to repair 'dinks' students make in there tools.Arkansas stones are mined from sedimentary rock in Arkansas (hence the name) and are usually fine and very fine. Arkansas stones are the best naturally occurring stones in the world.

Other useful items –- Steel, as used by butchers. These are used in the field to produce a micro scopic secondary bevel which gives our edge a more robust finished profile. Be aware a steel does really sharpen your blade it just re-aligns the teeth!

Strop – leather strop like you see in the barbers shop (or an old leather belt) are used to finish the edge before use and as such remove the microscopic wire created by the sharpening process.

Other products - Japanese Water stones.- Excellent for producing a superior edge but expensive lacking longevity- Made from rare clays impregnated with crushed seashells which are ground together and recompressed.- To use soak in water until the fizzing stops- Soft will not survive rough handles.Weston Water stones.- Basically cheaper copies of the above- More robust and hard wearing- Don’t hold so much water.*note water stones will shatter at below 0 degrees.

Diamond Whetstone- Rip away a lot of steel very quickly- Can Ruin your knife fast!

Ceramic stones- Superheated clays to recreate a volcanic type rock.- Too hard – take a long time to produce an edge but are good as steels (improvised)-

ExpensiveOil stones- Robust- Used will oil- Very good – a favourite old trooper!

Sharpening Techniques

Field sharpening.- Cut down water stones or small pocket Arkansas stone- Sit cross legged and place on shoe to use.- No ideal system but generally I'd recommend taking the stone to the blade always ensuring fingers are kept clear of the cutting edge!Base camp sharpening- Here we use our oil or water stone as follows,
Place stone on a flat surface
Lubricate stone (if a water stone soak in water until it stops fizzing the keep wet - never cross lubricate i.e oil on water or vica versa - and for field use always use water as some time or another the only lub' your have handy is spit!) This is to enable the microspoic metal filings to be carried away from the pours on the stone.
Lay knife flat onto stonestarting at near the handle as possible.
Tilt up the blade until the bevel is flat on the stone.
using gentle downward pressure slide the blade (as if slicing of a thin layer) down the stone - starting at the handle but ending the motion at the tip.
If nec' round the tip slightly to ensure full contact with the stone.
Do this intially 6 times one one then reverse and do the same towards yourself 6 times.
Keep repeating this process until were happy the edge is getting sharper.
Now start to reduce the strokes each side - come down from 6 to 4 to 3 to 2 and then 1
once on 1 stroke each side to this at least 10 times to weaken the wire (the wire is a very fine strip of metal which builds up as we wear away each side of the blade during sharpening if its not removed it will snap of in use and dull the edge.)
Once we're happy the edge is sharp we move to the strop - the strop will remove the wire for use.
Strop in a reverse motion to sharpening - minimum of 50 strokes each way.
Job done test the blade as described.
Stropping – as pointed out above stropping removes the fine wire edge that is built up by the sharpening process. The wire edge makes your knife ‘feel’ sharp but if it is not removed by stropping it will break off in use taking the knife edge with it.
Ideally strop your knife 50 times on each side.

Testing your edge.
Paper test, shave hairs off arm or use thumbnail.
The thumnail test is best - to do this drag your cutting edge across the HARD part of your thumb nail - if your knife is sharp you will feel it biting into the nail - any dull spots will slide without resistance.
Now we have a sharp cutting tool we will look at how to use it SAFELY!!

Maintenance

Care of your cutting tool can be as simple or as complicated as you like - it also reflects usage. If you use your knife often it requires less care as it will be constantly maintained in use - resharpened cleaned ect ect - so for our now let us consider the knife as if it were going into storage or likely not to be used for some months.

Firstly sharpen the knife, even those its not going to be used sharpening it will clean the cutting edge.

Next if the blade has a good patina on it already down scrub it off - the staining and discolouration a carbon blade picks up in use protects the blade from corrosition so leave it on - like wise I often add patina by coating the blade in organic Balsamic vinger and leaving it a few hours - the vinger darkens the blade and this blackening also helps protect the blade!!

So whether the blades work stained or not (bear in mind that doesnt mean covered in dirty. veg matter or anything else - if thats the case wash the blade to clean) we now are wise to oil it - riflte oil is best for this jub but I appreciate most people cant access gun oil so lightly use any oil available - again bear in mind if you use the knife for food prep you might not want to coat it in motot oil!!

Leave the oil to 'soak' in for a while then wipe off the access.

Depending on the scale material we can either give them a light coat of oil (wood ect) or just clean with a damp cloth (plastic ect)

Now heres a bone of contention - once the knifes clean give the sheath a once over - if its clean, in good repair and dry slide the knif ehime and store until next wanted.

Why is that contentious because some people think you shouldnt store your knife in the sheath as the leather might stretch or mositure might damage the blade - ya right - as long as the sheathes dry and the storage place is dry damp isnt going to be a problem - as for the stretching issue - same thing the leather is only gonna stretch from usage or is damp - I always store my knives in the sheath and have never had any problems.

Hope that helps - any questions please feel free to ask.

The bushcraft ideal

What is the bushcraft ideal?

Or I'm going on the bearclaw Tenderfoot course HELP!

In Military survival for example the ideal is that you learn to survive and avoid capture with the minimum of kit - the survival tin and all the Rambo type gear of recent years are just gimmicks to catch the stupid out as most soldiers know that unless you escape within the first 24 hours or less of capture you will be processed and in being processed not only can you expect to be beaten senseless you will also be stripped of everything useful - Geneva convention stated IPK to be left ect but I doubt some of those we fight these days can read or have even heard of the Geneva convention.

But Bushcraft - woodcraft - wildernes sliving is different ................isnt it?

So what are our ideals?

Personally speaking I think of 'the craft' as being something that gives me the ability to go into the wilderness kitted out with a knife, a blanket and cook pot and being able to live comfortably.
Of course I have trained myself to be able to do without each of these items but then I would consider that a survival situation as the priorities are different.

And being able to to live happily with just a knife - blanket - cook pot doesnt mean I want to do it all the time. Although I do like to keep my kit down to a minimum at all times especially as we see so many people burdened with all sorts of unnessacary junk but I digress.

So if the ideal of bushcraft is to be able to go out equipped as above (forget the moden trend of carrying a axe, saw kitchen sink ect) and live with nature comfortably surely the three key items we carry are important - so lets consider these.

Knife - your knife is your life and in this case never has it been closer to the truth, so whats the best knife? The best knife is the knife you feel confident in using and can use to the best of your ability. But a knife should be able cover a variety of needs (forget the modern bushcraft knife with its 4" blade and spear point tip - much copied and never seen used outside the bushcraft clique circle - unless you have mastered it in all its fine detail ALL native people and those with experience generally go for something a little bigger) and more importantly should enable us to make a tool to meet our needs if we done carry it.

For example a knife at a minimum should be good for,

• Chopping - wood for shelter - fire - bone
• Carving - we need to fashion tools and trap triggers so fine control is important
• Splitting - either with a baton or more axe like
• Butchering game
• Food prep
• Any one of a million other tasks it might be called upon to do

Ideally our knife should do all the above with ease, in a safe manner with the minimum of effort. It should be easily maintainable in the field and strong.

EQUALLY - the sheath its carried in most be just as good - for a knife is only as good as its sheath!

Blanket - a blankets a blanket isnt it? Well no, not for our purposes. Here we need to consider warmth to weight ratios - fire safety and durablility.

The old Whitby blankets or hudsons bay point blankets were favourites among the Indians and trappers of the 1800's as they had all the above characteristics - but they are bulky and quite heavy!

A US army poncho liner is light, not as warm maybe but not effected by the damp and quick drying - its down side is care must be taken near the fire.

Fleece blankets - again are similar to the Poncho Liner.

A wool polymide blanket would be lighter but more fire friendly.

Also size matter - a single blanket is ok as a top cover or ground sheet in the right conditions but a double blanket would be bulkier but more versatile.

Lastly a space blanket will reflect back body heat - it can be incorperated into the back of the shelter as a fire reflector - but it isnt in itself warm.

Cook ware - of all the modern items the native americans covetted the most the metal cook pot was top on their list - imagine how hard life was without one!

So what should we look for in a pot -

• Size - the bigger the better as we can cook a small meal in a big pot but if we have to purify all our water a small pot isnt fuel and effort effecient.
• Bail arm - if we can hang it over a fire it means we can slow cook foods like stews without the risk of burning the food.
• Wide base - the wider the bottom the better heat is distributed and the quicker it cooks again minimising the risk of burning
• Materials - ali or steel - your choice on what ect
• Thickness - some pots (the stainless mess kit for example) have bombproof thickness - and while it could be argued once hot that stay hot longer - it could also be argued they are heavy and require more calories to carry and more fuel to heat.
• Other bits - is the lid a fry pan, a plate? Does it double as a cup?
• Plastic bits - does it have plastic handles or rim which could melt in the fire?

A pot isnt just a pot we need to think carefully about it.

So those are our key items - I hope they have been food for thought.

And as anyone who has done our Tenderfoot course will tell they maybe be simply items but with these alone the trained person can live like a king!!

Traditional Crook knife

We've all watch Ray Mears in his series Bushcraft making a beautiful Birch bark caneo and we've all heard Ray praising the crook knife for its ability to carve wood to a plain shavingly smooth finish.

Well recently my mate Frenchy made me a traditional crook knife for me to play with - and mightly impressed I am with it too.

Its my belief that the Native Americans first obtained crook knives from the early pioneers and european settles in trade - logic tells me that the natives wanted steel tools but the whites fearing giving them proper cutting tools which they could easily use as weapons traded old farrier hoof knives with them instead and this is what Paul has used for this tool too. The blade is a frost mora farriers blade so (excuse the pun) it comes from a good blade making stable!

To this paul has attached a fist sized lump of antler which fits my hand perfectly. Remember the crook knife is designed to be used in the draw method of carving so the handle needs to fit the hand backwoods (if that males sense)

Anyway slightly dull from the packet I sharpened the blade (sharpening only on the flat unbeveled side and soon had it razor sharp and ready to carve with. I carve a spoon from start to finish with this fantastic looking and aesthetically pleasing tool with no problems what so ever - all it took was a little time to accustom myself to gripping the tool in a different maner to that which Im used to.

Overall very pleased with it - I found an old sheath for it and now its my only carving tool - well after my main knife of course.

If you'd be interested in obtaining a hand made - unique - beautiful yet practical tool like this please contact Frenchy direct ..........remember to mention Bearclaw when you do and he'll ensure you get service and a tool second to none - contact piuspaul@fenech0.wanado.co.uk

Among our anglosaxon forebears no tool was as import than the SCRAMASAEX - (scramseax, scramsax ) Indeed so important was the tool that the people were eventually names after it - the SAEX or Saxons. The AE are known as ASH and are prounced AA - so SAEX reads SAAX's

Ths tool was their camp knife, butcher knife and weapon in the press of the shield wall when the warriors came to Briton and banished the Celts to its rocky fringes. Indeed it could be argued England would not exist if not for the Scramsaex.

But enough history lets look at the tool.

Pictured above is the prototype saex which I have recently had the pleasure to trial - and it has been a great pleasure indeed.

The SEAX itself comes with a 4mm thick 8" bearing steel blade which terminates in a slightly clipped point. The overal design follows the artist and practical lines of the BFK making it a real users tool witht he balance being at the termination of the scales and the cutting edge. This excellent point of balance means that though a big knife it can be used for both chopping and heavy chores while still remained agile enough for feather sticking or fine carving! The scales shown are horn a traditional material of the Saxon peoples and are good in the hand withputht e risk of slippage in use.

The sheath (pictured) is made of two leather sleeves the outer is laced together and sits snuggly in the laced belt loop - but is not attached to it - means we can wear it left or right handed and change it to suit or needs (truely ambidextros) The inner sheath is a siliconized leather which protects the blade and is removed for drying if wet ....................but this is the prototype remember and its been decided that we aregoing to folow a more traditional sheath idea which was used by our Angloseaxon ancestors, instead of the silicon leather all bushcraft Seax's will have a more traditional sheep skin liner, the sheep skin (real sheep skin not PC faux crap) will do several things most important of all imparting lanolin to the blade which will naturally protect it!!

Once ready I think this will be the Rolls Royce of bushcraft knives .......

I can see your appetite is wetted .............so watch this space for more details as the trials continue

Whats new?

Sorry I havent been updating the blog recently but we've had a busy old time at bearclaw.

So whats new?

Firstly my mate Frenchy is now producing some cracking traditional crook knives - Mora blades mounted in the materials of your choice and designed to be used in the traditional manner as a draw knife. With a little practice they can also be easily adapted for use in spoon carving - one knife for the whole job cant be a bad think!!

Also were pleased to announce that in the waning months of last year we contacted Fjallraven and suggested they make a 45 litre version of their 20 litre Vintage sack (a excellent sack which is the choice of the whole bearclaw team!!) - anyway the guys at Fjellraven took this on board and we are pleased to announce they will be arriving/released in Feb 2008 - this is excellent news as these really are the best sacks I've every come across!

I'm working on a couple of articles too - one about Knife and cutting tool care - the other is a picturial on the classic rabbit stew cooked over the fire.

Hope this brief update has wetted your appetite - see you soon.