Need help with accessories...

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
20,978
I want to take a few accessories with me to the Renaissance thing, including a mug, knife and fork (or spork).

I have the mug planned out - going to make it out of some cherry I have; it will have hexagonal shape.

What's more appropriate for a fork/spork? All wood? metal ok? I can make it out of a piece of mahogany I have if necessary.

The knife thing I got worked out already...;)


Can anybody help me with the rest? Are there other things I should have with me? I'm planning to make a small money pouch as well. Oh yeah, all of this will be hanging from a double belt - so lots of room...;)

Guess I should mention also that I'm making a "woodsman" costume. Simple and more like me. :D Nothing gaudy on this fella.


Dan
 
Also, should ask: What do I seal the inside of the mug with?

Seems like the replicas I've seen have some kind of lacquer or something inside. I plan on using this thing, and I don't want to be drinking noxious oils all night long...:barf:
 
I dont mean to be advertising, but if you like wood bowls and stuff check this place out.

http://www.kellamknives.com/

Also a great place for Puukko's and Leuku blades, as a matter of fact they are suppost to be amaizing, but I am sticking with my JKM for the time being.
 
Pen-- you might try beeswax on the mug/tankard. I believe wax was used to seal leather tankards, so it should probably work on a wood one as well. Just don't use it for hot beverages:barf:
--Josh
 
Thanks, guys. Kellam has good stuff, but I'm more interested in making my own right now. Got a little spare time on my hands too, btw...:D

I want to avoid the wax thing if possible because I want to actually use it (with no fear of "suffering consequences")...


One more thing:

Anybody know where to get the cord that you wrap around your waist? I'm thinking this might be a less expensive solution to the double wrap belt.


Dan
 
Dan, I can see you're serious about doing this right, so here goes;

1. Spoon/Fork: Forks were not in common usage among other than nobility until well into the Colonial period. Fingers, a spoon, and a knife would have served for utensils. Wood is perfect for the spoon (in the middle ages wooden spoon production was so important that the craftsmen who produced them were not charged taxes), and wooden spoons are fun and easy to carve. Ragnar sells full curve Swedish carving knives that make scooping out the bowl of a spoon a breeze.

2. Sealing your mug: If you want authenticity use bee's wax or brewer's pitch. If you want the mug to look good and be able to drink a variety of beverages from it use food grade polyurethane.

Woodsman eh? Go cut you a good oak quarterstaff. It's an authentic accessory and last I checked they're free. Bound to be a thicket around that could benefit from some thinning.;)

Sarge
 
Dan, the cup (kuksas) that kellam offers are sealed with salt and parafin according to them. Got one for my dad and he seems to like it alot. Hot or cold drinks it works fine.
 
Carve yourself a nice wooden spoon. Don't forget to make a lid or cork for the mug, to keep the flies out. :)
 
Sylvrfalcon said it all...

Forks were a thing for the kitchen. They had two prongs (right word???) and it is said that people found this was similar to the two horns of the devil - of course noone wanted to sit at the table handling such a diabolic instrument...

I use a knife and a spoon similar to these:
olivenholzloeffel.jpg


and this bowl. It is treated with olive oil from time to time:
akazienholzschalens.jpg


for a mug I can recommend clay-mugs (cheap but might break) or a kuksa (a finnish or lapplandian wood-cup) if you want to travel with it and hang it from your belt.
oa03001a.jpg


however this is more "medieval" but the poorer people (like woodsmen...) would not use typical renaissance things or stuff that would be very different from the things in use during the middle ages.

Hope I could help a bit.

Andreas
 
Originally posted by pendentive
Also, should ask: What do I seal the inside of the mug with?

Seems like the replicas I've seen have some kind of lacquer or something inside. I plan on using this thing, and I don't want to be drinking noxious oils all night long...:barf:
Click to expand...

What about some of that artillery grease that Sarge was talking about. :D

I thought the woodsman was made of tin.

:confused:

I'm sure the smart folks around here will offer some "good" advice. ;)
 
Andreas, That's some nice stuff!

Bruise, Dan has too much heart to be made out of tin.
 
If you dont mind, I wouldnt use mahogany for fork or spoon.
I ones made a butterknife from mahogany and after first wash it went... "splintery?" so now I have it like a show piece what not to do in future.
Do you know what is the most dangerouse knife in the whole wide world? The one that has killed more people than any other and will continue to do so?
Butterknife.
This knife is so dangerous that it must be banned!:D
 
Some of you wanted to know something about kuksa's.
This is my earlier post in rec.knives, I hope some one may find use fo it.

There are many ways to make "kuksa" and none of them is the right one.
Some ways are better than others and it always depends what is the materialyou are using. For you, I think is difficult to find the traditional materials like big piece of burl of birch. If you find a burl that is little bigger than your fist you can make kuksa out of it. Otherwise you have to use some other wood.
Maybe you can find burl of willow? If not, try with normal birch.
With burl, you don't want it to get dry. Some soak it in salt water for a week to get the "bark" get of and to tender the wood. Dry burl of birch is hard and will be difficult to work with. The best way is to cut it in spring time when the juices are flowing.Take a sharp knife or better puukko and start a little hole in the middle of your piece of burl. then take pliers, yes pliers, and start to pull off the fibers of burl.
Some times it is difficult to find the "end" of these
fibers but little aid with puukko you can get these fiber ends out in open.
Continue to pull off these fibers until the thickness of the wall of
kuksa is something 5mm. then take sanding paper and sand inside smooth.
Don't forget to leave some wood for the handle.
When you have your kuksa ready and smooth inside outside
you can put some linen oil or parafinwax or beeswax on it.
The legend is to fill kuksa with Cognac and let it "soak".
This will take lots of Cognac since kuksa will "suck up"
most of it. Hunters wife's always wonder how much one little kuksa
can suck Cognac. ;-)
Real test is to put boiling water in it. Bad kuksa will brake, good one will hold.

Other way to make kuksa's is to take a piece of birch with no knots in it and drill holes to help the carving in side, make a mug shape the out side and treat it with some linen oil or parafinwax or beeswax. With this method wood must be dry so here comes the salt. Put the piece of wood in salt and it will dry off in week or so. When ready, test it with boiling water.
Other legend with kuksa is that when used first time, fill it with Cognac, Brandy, Vodka and then face north, look for North star and drink up.
I wonder why so many Finnish traditions are related with booze?

All the best,
Juha
 
I wonder what kinda looks you'd get if you pulled out a set of nice custom made wooden chopsticks?:D

I've got a few wooden bowls and have found that the oil they seem to love the most is "camellia oil."

I ordered mine from here-- along with some Japanese waterstones:

http://www.bladegallery.com/accessories/accessories.asp

but I'm sure you can find lower prices with a google search
 
Sajuma, thanks for a very informative and interesting post. First I've heard of the objects you describe. I do know how to drink Cognac, though.
 
I know how to drink Heineken -- and once in a great while some Johnny Walker black with a spash of soda and ice.
 
You guys crack me up. Welcome sajuma!

I already have the mug thing figured out. I just want a good idea for a fork.

I guess making my own wooden spoon will be the way to go. I made an oversized wooden spoon for my wife a few years back (out of oak) and I think that's the way I'll go again.

Thanks for the great information.

Dan
 
I'm still working on the mug. I changed my idea. We'll have to see if y'all like it or not. Pics later, ok?

I'll be carving a spoon today as well.

And my costume will be completed thanks to a wonderful copper clasp Keith sent me. :D
 
that hasn't been said. already. Other than horn was also used to make spoons.

The clasp is a cloak pin, and is the safety pin the world had used for about 1200 years concurrently (more, if you count the Irish usage of the brooch and cloak pin into modern times).
To use it, you push the pin part through the two corners of the Cloak, hood, or mantle, then flip the "C" shaped part around and over the pin so that the pin passes thru the opening in the "C". then twist (ie, roatate) the "C" around on the pin about 90 degrees and voila! Yer set. The pin should end up on top of the "C", so that the tension of the cloak is transferred to holding the pin closed against the "C". That is also why the ends of the 'C' are slghtly upturned, to prevent the "C" from rotating againnst the pin and slipping open.

Might be more than you needed, pardon if I assumed you might need this info.

Keith
 
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