A Homemade Life
Welcome to Homemade Life.

To take full advantage of everything offered by our forum, please log in if you are already a member or join our community if not ....

Chilli-head
A Homemade Life
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Who is online?
In total there is 0 user online :: 0 Registered, 0 Hidden and 0 Guests :: 1 Bot

None

Most users ever online was 112 on 8th October 2020, 7:09 am
Latest topics
» Champion the Lumber Horse
by Chilli-head 18th August 2024, 6:24 pm

» Hungry Birds
by Dirick55 7th December 2023, 6:04 am

» PRESENTATION
by Chilli-head 23rd November 2023, 2:55 pm

» New Kiva loan
by Chilli-head 21st July 2023, 12:35 pm

» A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial
by Dandelion 25th April 2023, 9:42 pm

» New gardening year 2023
by Chilli-head 5th March 2023, 10:15 pm

» What have I done in the workshop today?
by Dandelion 2nd December 2022, 1:12 pm

» What are you harvesting today?
by Dandelion 2nd December 2022, 1:12 pm

» Wartime marrow casserole
by Dandelion 18th October 2022, 4:42 pm

» Late sowings in August ... beans ?
by Ploshkin 11th August 2022, 9:29 am

» Come August, come night in the garden
by Chilli-head 4th August 2022, 3:29 pm

» Welcome guest
by Ploshkin 31st July 2022, 9:16 am

» The Jolly July Garden
by Ploshkin 19th July 2022, 11:38 am

» More mead ...
by Chilli-head 13th July 2022, 12:52 pm

» The June garden thread
by Dandelion 25th June 2022, 9:55 pm

» Plastic bags
by Dandelion 5th June 2022, 7:28 pm

» The merry May garden
by Dandelion 31st May 2022, 10:04 pm

» Fooling around in the April garden
by freebird 1st May 2022, 8:33 am

» March into the garden
by Dandelion 1st April 2022, 7:26 pm

» Mow Suggestions
by freebird 29th March 2022, 5:48 pm

Statistics
We have 271 registered users
The newest registered user is Phil Morris

Our users have posted a total of 48047 messages in 2416 subjects
Pages we like:

Endangered crafts Hca_button


Endangered crafts

4 posters

Go down

Endangered crafts Empty Endangered crafts

Post by Chilli-head 22nd December 2017, 12:12 pm

The Heritage Crafts Association have published this list of crafts considered "endangered" in the UK. That is, sufficiently few practitioners that their skills may not be passed on.

I have had a go at a couple of the ones listed as critically endangered - plane and saw making. Actually I would say that a lot of hand-tool making is dying out, since there is so little demand for them. Hand forging of auger drills for example, which died in the UK when Clico closed recently.

A lot of these crafts are interesting to me, in that the knowledge you need to have a go - to make a wooden plane, a besom, etc, etc is not really that great. What is being lost is the ability to knock them out in the way they would be made professionally. I was talking with one of the few surviving besom makers earlier in the year, very entertaining chap. Initially slightly cagey about his trade secrets, but enthusiasm got the better of him with time and he explained how he seasons the birch twigs to keep them supple (in the dark is key, apparently). But the amazing thing was the speed he could put them together. Complete economy of movement, hands working as if they knew what to do on their own without the need to interrupt his conversation with me. Only by doing something day in day out do you get that proficient !
Chilli-head
Chilli-head
Admin and Boss man

Posts : 3306
Join date : 2010-02-23
Location : Bedfordshire

Back to top Go down

Endangered crafts Empty Re: Endangered crafts

Post by Dandelion 22nd December 2017, 9:54 pm

When we visited the Weald and Downland Museum in the summer, one thing which fascinated me (for the same reason) was some pre-war film footage of men working in a walking stick manufacturers in Sussex. It was amazing to see how quickly the sticks were bent and trimmed; there was a rhythm to the process'
Ha! I've just had a look and found the film...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4vbuG0DGwE
Dandelion
Dandelion
Admin

Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 68
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire

Back to top Go down

Endangered crafts Empty Re: Endangered crafts

Post by FloBear 23rd December 2017, 11:19 am

I don't know if it's endangered but when we used to take year 3 to Cranborne Ancient Technology Centre there was an older chap, Reg, who was a complete joy to watch with his billhook. He sliced branches for hurdles, trimmed them up and also did more delicate tasks with practised ease.

He was also i/c the forge and could produce useful and decorative items. In those days the children were allowed to have a little go at hammering the iron. I still have a rough but useful knife which is used as a letter openiner.
FloBear
FloBear

Posts : 868
Join date : 2015-02-10
Location : Forest of Dean

Back to top Go down

Endangered crafts Empty Re: Endangered crafts

Post by Ploshkin 24th December 2017, 2:51 pm

I recall staying with a bunch of Brownies in a village called Newdigate, probably late 70s / early 80s.  The village church needed the oak shingles replacing which was only done every several decades. The only oak shinglers around were very old men but they were used to train young, local builders who were then able to do the job.
It really is no good being cagey about your craft if you want the skills to survive.
Ploshkin
Ploshkin

Posts : 1779
Join date : 2013-07-18
Location : Mid Wales

Back to top Go down

Endangered crafts Empty Re: Endangered crafts

Post by Dandelion 18th February 2018, 5:43 pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-43007051/i-fix-umbrellas-to-save-the-world
I don't know if you would call mending umbrellas a craft, but this is a couple of minutes of joy!
Dandelion
Dandelion
Admin

Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 68
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire

Back to top Go down

Endangered crafts Empty Re: Endangered crafts

Post by FloBear 19th February 2018, 9:06 am

What a lovely man - and a wise attitude. Unfortunately it is usually more expensive to repair items than purchase new.
FloBear
FloBear

Posts : 868
Join date : 2015-02-10
Location : Forest of Dean

Back to top Go down

Endangered crafts Empty Re: Endangered crafts

Post by Ploshkin 19th February 2018, 9:36 am

Yes, what a lovely man.
Ploshkin
Ploshkin

Posts : 1779
Join date : 2013-07-18
Location : Mid Wales

Back to top Go down

Endangered crafts Empty Re: Endangered crafts

Post by Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum