Bois d'Arc Primitive Skills camp & Knap-In

[Daniel Koster]

Had a heckuva good time. I did manage to take a few pics...but did not come even close to capturing a tenth of what was going on.

Hopefully my buddies Tom Krein and Michael Burch will be able to add their pics - as both were in attendance and joined in on the fun! :thumbup:


Here's the link:

http://www.boisdarc.info/


A list of activities:

• Friction Fire
• Flintknapping
• Rivercane Flutes
• Basketry and Pottery
• Deadfall Traps
• Pine Pitch and Hide Glue
• Pump Drills
• Bow and Arrow Construction
• Atlatl Construction
• Bone Tools
• Tracking and Trailing
• Primitive First Aid
• Bowls & Containers
• Primitive Cooking
• Braintan Buckskin Hide Tanning
• Cordage
• Shelter
• Rivercane Blowguns
• Edible, Medical Useful Plant Identification
• and much, much more

Evening Programs:

• Nightwalking
• Storytelling
• String and Didgeredoo Music
• Drum Circle
• ... and who knows what else!

There were several open areas to camp in...and there were booths, vendors and instruction going on over the entire place. It was all centered around Hulston Mill:

The building in the middle was set up to serve meals all day long.
(inexpensive, but great food!) I had brought my own...fully prepared to cook...but found that quickly grabbing a meal gave me more time to work-n-learn!



Here's the registration table - you can see one of the organizers heading left in a blur.

There were tons of rock available...some polished, some ready to be knapped:

...and some already cut to shape:

(note the great work in the case)

 

[Daniel Koster]

Some folks brought their tipis for camping:

The first table to really catch my eye, though...was the flute-maker's:

Just incredible work...and they all sounded great.



And the prices outstanding:

These were for sale for $40:

And these for $100:

And then there were these:

Flute canes and walk-sticks!!!


And, again, they all played and sounded great. No matter where we were in camp, we could here the ocassional notes being played on the flute....a gentle, but piercing and carrying sound. Really very nice.

Here's a pic of the flute-maker playing a nice burly crape-myrtle flute:

And here are some videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fsoRkFnygQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dd4aXa_fX8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMVtPQgvbKs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7HIcdPUjnM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P_HHvX0qb8



An example of another booth:

And some nice arrowhead necklaces for sale:

Some collectibles:

and some nice hides for sale:

 

[Daniel Koster]

The highlight for me, though, was in the workshops.


There were classes spread all over. Here's a group working on fire-making and cordage:

But I spent the majority of my time Friday on a bow-making class.


Here's what we had to start with:

Mine is the third from the bottom - a nice piece of cherry.


My oldest son's birthday was the Monday following the camp and I wondered if I could make a bow and arrow o'er the weekend and pull off a "World's Greatest Dad" moment.

So, I talked with the bowyer/instructor and we set to work.

First job was to strip the piece, shape the sides of the bow and start tapereing the ends:

After hours of chopping, rasping, filing and scraping...finally got to something recognizable as a bow:

Then the tillering process began. Take a little off...check it on the tiller...take a little more off...check it on the tiller. Spent more time walking to the tillering jig, then I did working.

Finally got it finished!

Attended an arrow class on Saturday, making a simple flu-flu arrow with a spiraling turkey feather for fletching...and I had my bow-n-arrow done.

Here's a picture of my father-in-law testing it out:

And, of course, my "moment" came and I was KING for a day. :thumbup:\

(pics of him shooting the bow to follow...!)




Another class we attended was making an atlatl. Here's Tom demonstrating his atlatl and dart...and proper throwing stance.

All-in-all...a great time!!!

 

[ShadowchaserUFP]

Dan, please let me know when this event comes around again next year. I am very interested in primitive skills and wish to attend. Was this mentioned on the PSG group? If so I missed it entirely.


Yours,
Jack

 

[on_the_edge]

Great pics, Dan. Thanks for sharing. It looks like you had a great time.

BTW, had I known they would have a polecat pelt for sale, I might have had you pick that thing up for a little project I've always wanted to do since I was a kid. No regrets, though. Maybe next time.

 

[Bladite]

the tillering rig concept is cool, i hope that they properly treated the wounds in the tree though. it cheeses me off when trees are hurt.

i saw a guy the other day chaining his lawn mower to a tree so nobody would take it. he secured the chain to the tree with a lag bolt and a nut driver INTO the tree. great way to kill the tree sooner than later.

and not wanting to sound like a tree hugging whiner primitive arts like that rock. the bow looks fantastic - you did a great job. i'll have to try that soon. i'd love to have expert instruction at it.

bladite

 

[Daniel Koster]

I "left early" (saturday) - so I don't know how it was removed...but considering the event and the carefulness of the staff...I can trust they did the right thing. :thumbup:


The beauty of that tillering system...was being able to check the bend of the limbs across the entire pull of the string. Really a superb idea.

 

[DannyinJapan]

I really wish I could have been there.
Dang.
I once knapped a 9" khukuri blade from glass..

 

[Fiddleback]

Man, that looks fantastic Dan. I'm in the process of making a bow now.

What a fun looking weekend, but... no blacksmith?

 

[Daniel Koster]

There was a guy doing a sharpening demonstration...and I do think there was supposed to be someone doing basic smithing...but it got cancelled...???


I offered to do a primitive knifemaking class....maybe next year....