A sellection of my basket weavers tools.

Inca spinners, this is what they used to make cloth and garments, many of which cannot be matched even today.



A choco hog from the other pair of hands in house.



A sadlers sitting down clams, made from English Oak.



Nut cracker madse from Beach and recycled metal parts from our local scrap yard.

I also specialise in medieval and older footware, pictured above is a pair of 9th century Viking house shoes, made to an exact pattern of a pair found at the Yorvik dig in York.



A pair of 14th century military boots with a double leather tun welted sole, these are better made in their day than the modern DMS issue and every bit as comfortable as their modern equivalent,

Both pairs are fully repairable in every way.

I like the military boots, they look comfortable actually. But the choco log takes the biscuit, excuse the pun love it.

The Apprentice wrote:
I would like a pair of these!

You've made some great stuff there Apprentice.

I like the look of the cake too.

The choco hog never lasted very long I can tell you, or anything chocolate in our house, I have known myself taking half a cake to work and nothing else, Ummmmm.

The Apprentice wrote:
Nice work.

I have a rather strange taste in footwear and really like those top ones.

psketti wrote:
If you ever get chance, visit the Albert Museum and view their shoe collection, the quality and variety will blow your mind, the guy who taught me has a cracking ladies Victorian semi high boot with button up vamp or top, which are down one side, semi high heel, they are fabulous things to see and wear, I have the pattern here and might build a pair this spring time.

Those Viking house shoes are very easy to make, the upper is one piece and the sole another, just two sections and leather duffle type rolled buttons to close up with, we think we have advanced in footwear, but have actually gone backwards slightly where ergonomics are concerned. The human Homo foot is actually very badly designed in order of supporting the weight of the body, where as the pre sapians feet were far more stable.

Its a pity you don't live closer or I could show you how to build a pair of those shoes in a few hours.

The Apprentice wrote:
I would practically die to have a pair of boots like those.

Just out of curiousity, how much does it cost in hard cash for such a delight?

psketti wrote:
12 hours or work, 25 in materials, hourly rate variable depending on what someone else has to offer, DIY tuition free plus materials.

English Holly & Ebony plumb bob, made today.

A Cox type sprung loaded bee escape, used for emptying the honey stores before you take the boxes off. Show below in situ with four corner escapes and the circular escape over a hole in the glass.

For a minute there I thought it was a part of the antikythera mechanism you were working on. Nice work there apprentice.
Can you perhaps explain the workings of the parts involved. Cant say I know anything about bees myself. Thanks

The Apprentice wrote:
I want them! Both!

The Apprentice wrote:
You could always make an instructional video...*wink, wink...nudge, nudge*

Griswald wrote:
The circular device is placed over a glass plate with a hole in the middle, this plate is the placed over a brood box or the nucleus/nursery of the hive with the honey stores above.
The bees pass down through the hole in order of leaving the hive togo and collect more honey, when they pass through the spring gates they cannot get back up stairs and the honey stores or supers are left clear of bees, so you can lift off the stores without any bees escaping the main hive, there are also four double gates in each corner as well that help clear the boxes much faster, faster than the modern Porter bee escapes used today.

K-Bone wrote:
I have everything ready for E-tuition on many different kinds of On-line crafts courses, everything but the funds to do it, but I'm working on it as we speak. This is what I asked the mods to add to as an alternative paradigm, but it wasn't to be, chat seems way to important, that's life I suppose.

I guess you can see the advantage of such a program.

Ingenious little marvel , I get the picture now.

The Apprentice wrote:

I,m a bit surprised to hear that really. I would have thought that a site that places so much emphasis on consensus among its partiicipants, would at least have given its members an opportunity to discuss your idea. I would have been far more likely to contribute towards this than chatrooms myself.
Where ever and whenever you manage to get this off the ground, keep me in the loop please. Its a great idea.

Remember the link I posted reference the crafty lives of Yaldhurst. Here was one of the most successful alternative paradigms in one place, back then there was no technology only the craftsmen plying their trade. Today we have enormous visual avenues to bring the working pictures to those who want to help themselves, but their are barriers abound thating halt the progress, why?, another conspiracy city within a city perhaps, I know the answer but plenty would scorn the phrase if fully realised.

See the craftsmen and women on the Lumberjocks forum myself included, join hands and minds for what is only woodwork, see many others taking the plunge by themselves as the reality in pictures is shared, this can be done by any group, but talking will eventually X Factor them away from doing anything, me thinks.

Just saying, there are life avenues within the zone, but not the insight to see a catylist to strengthen their whole, without all avenues to freedom all one can do is to continue to walk upon childerick.
Griswald wrote: