New Blog November 2023 I have been asked time and again why I don’t have a blog. Plus what is the meaning of the Forestknights tagline, Wilderness Wildlife and Warrior Arts? So bear with me whilst I attempt to find my feet with this initial post. I thought a quick biography might put the tagline…
Shrink pots are another item I have been making. These pots have been made with silver birch, felled about November. But I understand you can use most green woods, but you do need to think about how and what they are going to be used for. Traditionally they were used to store dry goods possibly…
What can we do at home? Well, today with two university boys doing their best at home, we ran out of bread.So, having seen all the comments on the Muurrikka pan and as the phrase goes in ‘Heartbreak Ridge’ ‘Improvise, adapt and overcome’(name the actor). Some bread was needed!!!!!! Ha ha.Ok most will know who…
Teaching Spoon and bowl carving courses I am always looking for quality carving tools. I prefer to support small businesses and craftsmen keeping traditional skills alive. If we do not support artisan crafts people then we cannot complain when their skills are but a memory. That said a tool must perform the task it was…
John Mathieson is one of the members of the Sussex Bushcraft Club and one of the Forest Knights guest instructors. He has many years experience in the outdoors as a accomplished canoe coach and Duke of Edinburgh Award leader and assessor. John has been on several forestknights Bushcraft Canoe Expeditions to Finland. John will be…
A Magical World for Bushcraft Experiences The first time I sat alone in a glade in our woodland in West Sussex, it was so still and peaceful I heard the eerie sound of a single leaf fall. I was quite alone and it frightened me at the time. I thought someone was creeping up on…
There are a vast number of First Aid Course providers out there. Some are huge national companies providing 1000s of courses per year to business and individuals. Many providers offer outdoor focused courses as well. Like everything in life there are some great courses on offer and some not so great. One or two might…
The nights are drawing in and there is a chill in the air. Autumn is a special time of year for those that love to venture outdoors. Each season has its own special character. One reason I love the autumn is the colours. The leaves of the tress in the northern forests are changing from…
Introduction. It’s now October 2019. The years tend to fly by as we get older. Life has become a little more stressful. Each of us are juggling busy lives that often conspire to sever our connection with the natural world. It often feels like there is a constant conflict between our commitments to our family…
Making cordage from natural materials is a fundamental bushcraft skill; attend any basic bushcraft course and the chances are you’ll learn how to turn such as nettles or willow bark into lengths of string. However having learnt this new skill you’re faced with the question of what use it can be put to other than…