Got a new axe today

Just quick posting because I am very exited about this new axe I got.
Today Tampere has had largest free market event and I found this!
It is a Billnäs small axe model 300.
Head weight is about 800g, helve 40cm. It really is in good condition. The only problem I can find is hang is little loose. Let's see if I can fix it nicely without replacing it.

裏山ブッシュクラフト - #02 - ブッシュチェアー (Bush chair)

Here you go, the second Urayama Bushcraft video. This time I am challenging on making bush chair but little different from usual bush chair construction. I was planning on making this video out in the woods, but when I had time to make video, it was bad storm all day, so made this video indoor. But I still have used only the tools I would carry in my pack.

裏山ブッシュクラフトの第二回。今回はブッシュチェアーに挑戦です。通常ブッシュチャーといえば三脚型のものが一般的なのですが、少し違った構造のものに挑戦してみました。
本当は森で実際に材料集めて作る予定だったのですが、撮影予定日は朝から吹雪。仕方がないので室内での作業です。しかし使った道具はバックパックで持ち歩ける物のみ、キャンプ地で作れることを前提に行いました。

Easter holiday - Exploring forest

I also had time to get out in the woods with dogs. The weather was quite crazy as was snowing now and then for about week, then above zero degrees in day time. Well, at least the day time was good sun shining like spring should be.

As I get some enough time to go out in woods these days, I head out to “that” forest / woods to explore the area more. This time, I grabbed my belt kit which I call “Skelton Pack” as it composed by only the minimum set of items I need / want with me.

There was still quite deep snow in the woods but not difficult walk. Only few small areas I wish I had my snowshoes with me, but was manageable.

The aim of this time was to find some nice hang round place I can use for this coming summer. Well, I did not find that this time, but still there was some interesting findings in that woods…..

ネックナイフ、熱処理待ち- Neck Knife ready for HT

ネックナイフ２本、熱処理待ちまでたどり着きました。熱処理前に行う必要のある削り作業、鋼材内のストレスを取る為の焼きなまし作業、焼きなまし中に刻印打ちと全て完了です。
2 neck knives, ready for heat treatments. I have finish shaping the blade, normalizing the blank to release the internal stress, punch mark the maker’s mark,,, all done.

あ、そうそう、刻印のデザイン決まりました。結局単純化し続け、これに決定！
Oh, yes, yes, I finally decided the marking.
↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

勝ち虫です。ただ単純に昔から好きだったということもありますが、これにした一番の理由は＞

環境変化の指標ともいわれるトンボ＞ブッシュクラフトっぽい

「勝ち虫」と昔から縁起の良いトンボ＞縁起が良い

刀装具などに昔から使われるトンボ＞和テーストが入るナイフに良い感じ

このデザインなら刻印自作可能＞これ重要ｗ

 It is a Kachi-Mushi = the winner’s bug
The reason I choose this was simply I like a Dragonfly… but also there are several reasons>
Dragonfly indicates the climate, environment changes > Bushcraft like bug!
Dragonfly = Kachi Mushi was popular among SAMURAI as a lucky bug > lucky bug symbol is a good mark!
This design was popular on Katana decoration > I make Japanese taste knives, so that suite.
It is simple enough so I can DIY the stamp > This is important… lol

で、完成して刻印打ちしたのがこれ。

And this is how it looks on the blade…..

本番前に何度も練習したのに！！！こつ掴むまで練習したのに！

やっぱり本番になると腰引けるようです・・・・まあ、、それっぽく見えてるから今回だけは良しとします。だってもうやり直し効かないし・・・・涙

次に使う時まで色々試してみて、気に入らないようなタガネに切り替えようかな。。。

Doesn’t look like anything?????? DO not say it! I have practiced so many times on junk steel beforehand. And I was able to make it much better 10 out of 10….
I guess I chickened out on real go…. Well,,, it still look, perhaps, with kind eyes, maybe look like something, so I let it go THIS TIME.
I will keep practicing and play around till next time. if It seems not suitable for me, then will change it to Chisel work.

Neck Knife forging - ネックナイフの鍛造

It was Easter holyday and had 4 days of off from work. Generally, it was good days off for me that got to do some projects started. But was not quite relaxing as I got my eye injured and is bad….
It seems to have happened when I was grinding the forged knife blank. A tiny particle jumped in to my eye and seems to stack in. I was wearing a eye protection, but seems was not proper. The particle made its way to my eye and now, I have hard time keep my eye open.

先週末は復活祭休暇で四日間の連休でした。久しぶりの連休ということで、溜まっていたプロジェクトを消化することに・・・が、しかし鍛造を終えたブレードをグランダーにかけていた時に事故発生。保護ゴーグルを着用していたにもかかわらず、削りかすが根に飛び込む自体。どうやら横の隙間から飛び込んだらしい。しかも刺さってしまったようでアイボンしても取れない。参った・・・というか今目を開けていられない状態。救急で病院行ったものの、専門医の診察が必要なので休み明けまで「我慢しなさい」とのこと。今日、これから眼科です・・・

This picture has nothing to do with the topic, but was a nice moon sky night…
関係ない写真ですが、綺麗な月夜の日がありました

However, let’s talk about the knife project. It is always difficult to find time for forging work, so even I do not have the makers mark ready, I went ahead and started the blade making.
I have bit short on material at this moment as I only had enough to make about 2 to 3 neck knife + one short blade puuko.  so I needed to choose which one to make this time.  I picked Makiri and Puukko neck knives and one small Puukko.
目の話はこのくらいにしておいて、鍛冶作業の話。鍛冶をする時間を捻出するのはいつも大変。なので、銘の刻印がまだ出来てないくても、このチャンスにブレードは鍛造しておかないといけない。ということで計画していたネックナイフです。
ただし、素材となる古ヤスリの手持ちが底を突いていて、使えるのは半円のヤスリ一本だけ。これだと、ネック２・３本と小型のプーッコ１本しか作れない。仕方がないのでマキリとプーッコのネックを１本ずつ、そして小型のプーッコ１本を作ることに。

After forging job, put the blade blank to grinder and hand grinding to get the detail straight.  A great Japanese blade smith said, “Grinding is not a job of a smith”. So I usually try to get detail as much completed as I can on forging process. But this time, I had very remitted time on anvil; I choose to spend more time on grinder instead.

鍛造後はグラインダーと鑢で形を整える。「削るは鍛冶屋のやる事ではない！」ということですので、通常は出来るだけ完成に近い形まで鍛造するのですが、今回は時間の都合から削り取ることで成形時間を短縮です。

 2 blades are almost done. Still need to shape tang and clean up the deep scratches out.  The largest one… I will work on that bit later when my eye is back..
ネックナイフ２本はほぼ完了。タングの成形と深い傷を消せば後は焼きいれ待ち。３本目のプーッコは目が治るまでお預け。ちなみにこれは親友の「クレイジーメキシカン」君への一本です。

裏山ブッシュクラフト - #01 - バックソー (Bucksaw)

This is the first Urayama Bushcraft video. Making bucksaw in the woods with only knife and axe.

裏山ブッシュクラフトの第一回。今回はクラフトや薪作りに便利な「バックソー」を作ります。使う道具は斧とナイフだけ。これで簡単に伐採用のノコギリが出来てしまいます。

バックソートはその昔、伐採や薪作りに使われていた大型ののこぎりで、弓鋸に似ています。違いは、のこぎりの歯をささえてテンションをかけるのに、弓型のフレームではなく方形のフレームを使い紐をねじることでテンションをかけます。
この道具も、チェーンソーが出てきてから廃れていった道具の一つです。

ではビデオの方をお楽しみください。

Several on-going projects

I have been slow on updating the blog lately, but not because of laziness. It is because I have been occupied with several projects.

I have mentioned it on last video upload (was only in Japanese…) that I will be making series of bushcraft related videos in Japanese but with English sub this time.
I was working on few of those videos and now the first 2 videos are edited and third one is on shooting process. So will be making it for public view on this weekend (Saturday or Sunday).

Other projects that I was doing…
A candle lantern and 3 seasons’ shelter.

I got the idea of these 2 projects from the blog “The Weekend Woodsman”. (My project on these are not completed yet, so if you do not have patience waiting me to finish, go check out his blog. )

First, I needed a small candle, but somehow, all Tealight candles are consumed in my house…. So decided to make some.
I have a stock of 1kg pure beeswax in my workshop so melted some to make beeswax candle.
Used a WC paper roll core as a mold, because could not find any other suitable diameter mold…. 
And this is the result.

I assure you it is not a dynamite:).
It is just a core of WC paper roll filled with beeswax + linseed oil mix. As a wick, I have used a hemp twine.
Originally, I was planning on cut it in short few pieces then peel off the paper mold to make Tealight candles.

But once I cut off a piece, it came to my mind that the mold could also be a wick…
So I lit it to see how it works.

 Took little longer time for flame to go all the way around than expected, but it worked well. It throws quite enough heat around.

Of cause, it works well as a normal candle too.

Humm, I wonder…. can this round flame candle be used as some kind of stove???
I should test that some time.



Then the shelter project.

I call this shelter a “3 seasons”… only because I got winter shelter which I can fit a stove in. But as seen on Weekend Woodsman’s blog, he has been using it in winter time and I do not see any problem doing so.

The reason I wanted to make this is that I saw the potential of shifting the configuration of this shelter to accommodate the needs of different situations. I have been wanting a single shelter system, which can be used as a open / closed A frame, a lean-to, a Loue Lean-to and a tarp.
And this shelter would do all that + rain poncho and bivi bag. Also the weight of  this shelter is relatively right as will be about 2kg all included.


I am using 2 sheets of German rubberized rain poncho as a base and adding the knock off US army rain poncho for the side closure.

Left: German rubberized rain poncho
Right: El cheapo knock off US army rain poncho.

Cut the US army poncho in about half to make triangle, add some snap buttons, then sew the cut-off edge.

Also adding some snap buttons on to German poncho so US poncho pieces and German poncho can be connected. 

I will be showing this more in detail once it’s done.