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I'll share with you how to make woven sloyd knife sheaths, when (like me) you don't have access to any birch bark. The weaving technique is exactly the same, but the steps to prepare the weavers and stringers are very different. If you don't have the tools to make the shavings, skip to the weaving portion of the video, and just cut up some cardboard milk cartons (I prefer bonsoy) into strips to suit your knife, as this works just fine.
You will need a plane, and the iron needs to be very sharp for this to work. A low angle plane is best, as it fractures the shavings less as they come out of the throat. I show how to use both a wooden jointer plane (my preference) and a low angle block plane, to show that whatever plane you have will work, with some skill involved. You don't need an axe for this, but it speeds up making the blank.
Wood selection:
I've used poplar and birch successfully for this. I've tried ash, and it didn't work. It's important to find a good straight grained piece, any knots or wavy grain and it won't work.
Your wood should be very fresh / green so it bends easily without splintering. Once it dries out, it will shrink a little into a nice tight fit on the blade. You can test it on the blade while it's green, but wait for it to fully dry before using it - to avoid rust.
About me:
www.littlebearsloyd.com.au
Littlebear Slöjd is Julian's Spooncarving business. Littlebear refers to Ursa Minor, and Ursula, which is his Daughter's middle name. Slöjd (Anglicised as "Sloyd") is the Swedish word for practical and useful handcrafts. It also refers to an educational philosophy about teaching wood and leather craft, especially wood carving, to young people.
Julian is a certified wooden spoon tragic and has carved hundreds of spoons since picking up the hobby on a trip to Canada. He also has a bachelors degree in history, with research into spoon carving in Wales for his final project. Joining together the craft of spoon carving and the study of material culture history is his way to rediscover the role of the wooden spoon in the household. Julian uses his spoons every day and encourages others to make functional objects and do the same.
#birchbarksheath #sloyd #greenwoodworking