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  • Foraging as an act of reverence by Robin Harford.

    Reverence exists all around. The smile of a child. The kiss of the rain after a long dry spell. The smell of Land as she sighs in delight for simply existing. Reverence for self and soil. The first meeting point starts with breath. Where we go from there is up to us. With so much…

  • Ernest Journal feature

    It’s been a pleasure to be featured in issue 9 of the wonderfully produced Ernest Journal. Read the article here > Woodworker David White carves spoons, jugs and other objects out of oak that he’s salvaged from abandoned Welsh slate mines – which has to be one of the most Ernest projects we’ve ever encountered.…

  • Cumulus Selva 450 Hammock Underqulit Review

    I recently bought a down underquilt for my camping hammock – the Selva 450 by European lightweight outdoors specialists Cumulus. Follows a review of the underquilt in a sub-zero snowy environment. Backstory About a year before buying this underquilt, I bought a well respected lightweight camping hammock from the USA as I couldn’t find a…

  • Wild Camping

    This year, I decided I would wild camp at least once every month of the year. When possible to make something from wood while out there. Cook from the fire too. This to add a level of adventure and learning to my outdoor life. If I was to use the same equipment every month for this, such…

  • Mine Oak – Film Preview

    I was lucky enough to be able to go deep into an abandoned slate mine with the film crew Soup Creative. The goal was to bring out some oak that had been in the mines for over one hundred years. All of that time saturated in water and rusting iron. Bring it out and see…

  • Telegraph article – Crafty chefs using their loaves

    It was a pleasure to see one of my walnut spreaders featured in this image as part of an article on chefs using home made breads and spreads as a course in their own right. Read the article.

  • Jwrnal Magazine Issue #1

    A talented friend, Sarah, had a vision to connect and shout about the makers and creatives based in Wales. Exploring how place and landscape informs creative work. Going way deep. With pop up galleries, an mid-term exhibition in Wales, dinner talks and a printed Jwrnal under her belt, I think we can say the project…

  • Exhibitions 2018 / 2019

    Creu // Make & Jwrnal Selects Oriel Davies Gallery November 2018 – 30 January Creu // Make is an exhibition that explores contemporary craft products made by Makers from all corners of Wales. Arddangosfa ydy Creu // Make sy’n archwilio cynhyrchion crefft cyfoes sydd yn cael eu gwneud gan Wneuthurwyr o bob rhan o Gymru.…

  • An interview with David White (The Whittlings)

    Here is an interview with me, questions by Daniel of www.woodenspooncarving.com – find other interviews with spoon carvers on his website. Tell us a little about yourself. How long have you been carving and how did you first get interested in it? I have been making with wood all my life, but having studied and worked…

  • Scorched Oak

    I am really enjoying the simplicity of working with green oak. Although dry enough on the surface to take a scorched finish, this piece is most definitely still green. Those lovely radial cracks will keep opening up and it will no longer be a true cube. Likely not the best breakfast bowl in all sorts…

  • Outdoors podcasts

    While carving, I am really enjoying working through the back catalogue of superbly thoughtful ‘The Paul Kirtley Podcast’ by @paulkirtley – in depth interviews with accomplished outdoors folk. I would love to find quality podcasts on the nature of creatively and making and also on the love of nature/outdoors.

  • Green Woodwork Caddy

    There are two ways of stopping these delicately edged tools from damaging each other – either make a sheaf for each one of them, or fix them to something. This portable workshop keeps everything really easy to move and also always available.

  • Park in the Past

    Here is a really impressive green oak structure that’s just been erected at the fledgling Park in the Past project in Hope, north Wales – this marks the first permanent exhibit to go up on the site – exciting moment and the first step in some big plans for the future…

  • Spoon Carving Workshops

    Great ‘tools-down’ moment from yesterday’s spoon carving workshop – spoon by the talented @jostoff_nino If you fancy a day obsessing over wood with me, the workshop page is here

  • Necessity is the mother of invention

    So, I accidentally cut the end right off this painstakingly hand-hollowed tray. I was so appalled with myself, I cut the other end off too, then made two replacement ends, but with handles. Necessity is the mother of invention, so Joe Strummer (The Clash) once said.

  • Silky Zübat Saw circa 1935

    Silky Zübat Saw (equivalent) circa 1935. It’s been fun getting this old saw back into green wood cutting shape. Bash all the teeth flat, sharpen, then use this old tooth setting tool to splay the teeth to allow enough clearance for cutting green wood. Works fine! Eat that Silky.

  • How to make a twig spoon

    How to make a stick spoon from a small branch, using only three tools! I am figuring out the simplest way to make green wood objects with youngsters.

  • Green woodworking tools

    Not a comprehensive list of everything you might need, and some might argue, many more than you need, but I guess if tools can be carried to the woods, don’t need electricity and get used, they pass the test… One – Cleaving Wood Two – Marking Out Three – Roughing Out Four – Slicing Five…