Before the use of metals, stone was the primary material used to create cutting tools. Stone was shaped to create knives, arrowheads and spearheads, drill points, and hammers using a technique called flintknapping. This method of turning raw stone into effective and often beautiful tools is based on the predictable manner in which stones break. […]
In real estate, they say there are only three important factors; location, location, and location. When making fire by friction, there are also three important factors; materials (type), materials (condition), and materials (preparation). As a child, I once used my dad’s electric drill to make fire by friction with a pine dowel rod and a […]
Once humans developed a need to travel on water in order to fish, trade, and explore, cultures worldwide created lightweight boats consisting of the skin of an animal stretched over a light frame of wooden poles or strips. One such boat is the coracle. This is a boat of the British Isles and is varied […]
I remember the first time I tried to make a bow and arrow. There was a wind storm and many branches were down from the large black oak trees in my backyard. I picked up a stick and ran to get some string from the house. Then I looked for a shorter, straight branch.I took […]
Miss Part 1? Go here to read the first article. Welcome back. Thanks for joining me once again. As you can see, bowmaking can be complex. That said, it is a craft that is well worth learning. Imagine shooting a bow that YOU made with your own hands. It is a feeling that cannot be described. Learning how […]
Miss Part 1? What about Part 2? Things are getting interesting. Here’s an update of where we are in the process of how to make a bow and arrow. Our bow: is fully dried has an ultra-smooth back is starting to bend on the top and bottom limb This is a good place to be. We’ve laid out […]
Flint and steel is a primitive fire-making technique dating back into the Iron Age when steel was first available for this simple and quite effective way to ignite fire. It was frequently used until more recent years, when matches were invented, making the flint and steel method obsolete. Yet there are many reasons why flint […]
You’re speeding down a river in a canoe. Before you know what has happened, you flip out of your canoe and you wake up next to your friend with a roaring fire in front of you. He says, “I used that bow drill kit lying there to make a friction fire. Would you be interested […]
I remember making my first bow as a kid. I found a branch on the ground under the Black Oak trees that grew in our yard. There was a windstorm the prior evening and branches were everywhere. I found one with a bend and tied on a string. Then I grabbed a smaller, straighter branch. […]
by Andrew Meyer, The Immersion at Wilderness Awareness School Graduate There it was, flying through the air with a perfect spin stabilizing its flight. An arrow on steroids, six feet in length, fletched like a traditional arrow with turkey feathers, secured to a fire- straightened dogwood shaft with deer sinew, with a business-end of duct […]