Feather Sticks Explained (Polskie Napisy)

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Feather sticks and feathersticking 101. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of videos on how to make perfect feather sticks. Yet it seems like we've all been missing a quite important lesson from Ray Mears.
There seem to be 3 main techniques when it comes to feather sticking. The first one is probably best known thanks to Mors Kochanski and it is the 'point up' method, which throws shavings to the left of your stick. That is if you are right handed. Second technique is sometimes used by regular KZbinrs like you and I, and it's the 'edge parallel to the ground' method. It tends to curl wood straight in front of the blade. The third one I also tend to see on a lot of KZbin videos. It may even be the most popular out there. It's the 'point down' technique and it throws curls to the right.
All are fine and perfectly functional. But there is a fourth one. The ultimate, the best and one and only... Wanna know what I'm talking about? It's all in the video :)
Music: Julia Delaney by Sláinte

[@dancreed]

Mors would push the curls outward by tilting his knife at the very end of the stroke. Making it possible to stack curls right behind each other. Utilising all 3 directions is definitely superior! Thanks for sharing

[@Survivor245]

I just spent a couple of hours today, practicing my feather stick technique, you're right, time flies. I normally use the point down technique I'll go ahead and practice Ray Mears's way. Thanks for the tip.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Survivor245 You're welcome. Have fun :)

[@greekveteran2715]

That technique is called "2 in 1" You make both a featherstick and a girlfriend. Method-technique aproved! lol

[@RickTOutdoorAdventure1969]

Great job fella. Quality demonstration 🖒🔥

[@jacktrades4261]

Nice technique. Thanks for sharing.

[@AdventureTimeOutdoors]

Good tip Simon. I am looking forward to giving it a try.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Adventure Time Outdoors Thanks. It's a lot of fun :)

[@Rockheadsling]

Interesting observations. Thanks for sharing this.

[@jariperho]

Nice video and some great teachings. I definitely have something new to try out when practicing feather sticks again.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Jari Perho Thank you. Have fun :)

[@feralwoodcraft]

Good stuff Simon, very well demo'd and described!

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Feral Woodcraft Thank you. Like I said in the video, I didn't have the best day at explaining but Rachelle got it and some say it wasn't too bad so I suppose I'll just go with that :)

[@thecraftybushman5376]

Great video. well explained and I agree, I haven't seen any other videos explaining Ray Mears' technique of combining all 3 blade angles.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+TheCraftyBushman Thanks. It's always good to know I'm not just imagining things ;)

[@HighCarbonSteelLove]

Nice, brother! -Dave

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

HighCarbonSteel Love Thank you.

[@DrummingSurvivalist]

Simon's Discoveries You are fantastic at feathering sticks! I subscribed!

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Junior Pathfinder Thank you. Somehow I seem to have missed your comment here. Sorry about that. It's funny how KZbin 'works' sometimes.

[@DrummingSurvivalist]

Simon's Discoveries I like the new logo!

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Junior Pathfinder Me too ;) Thanks.

[@timothywitt9031]

Awesome!!! Great Job.

[@woodsmanadventuretv2604]

Nice video and perfekt feather sticks! Incredible

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Woodsman Adventure TV Thanks you. Although, I think now I could do better than that... in both departments - video and feather sticks ;)

[@americanpatriot3667]

You got feather sticks on point man ha awesome

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Daniel Isabelle Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@WarGrrl3]

You explain just fine, No worries. I have always done it the 3 ways cuz it just worked better. It was just instinct, once I understand the goal, i figure out what feels right and works best for me. Glad I got this one right. Great vid thank you. Peace. Wish I was there with you all, it looks really fun.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

It sure was. Thanks.

[@azsa0902]

これは素晴らしい！

[@therealmccoy70]

Thank you so much for this

[@michaelscoofield]

Very nice! I am using this technique some time and it is very effective. Subed! Good luck. MS

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Thanks. Looks like I've been subbing you for some time now.

[@tedmears]

Thank you i dint really notice the technique until you pointed it out. atb Ted

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Ted Mears Man the quality of this video... I forgot how I struggled with sound back then :) Thanks for bearing with me lol

[@tonyeden8381]

Sweet feathers man.........well done 👍

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Tony Eden Thank you :)

[@darthblade2016]

Nice video! I appreciate the explanation of the different ways to do this. Nothing you can do about the background noise, no biggie.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Thanks. Now I can but back then, I was still very fresh when it comes to recording sound, which can be surprisingly challenging.

[@johnhuynh9298]

very nice tip

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Thank you.

[@mateiros_carijos]

Olá amigo, Muito boa essa sua técnica! As raspas ficam bem finas, facilitando o fogo inicial. Vídeo muito bom e parabéns pelo canal! Um abraço do humilde aprendiz

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Mateiros Carijós Thank you and thanks for watching.

[@TurtleBushcraft]

Some very nice feathers atb John

[@KellyGordonUSA]

Awesome!

[@jay-rus4437]

Thanks for the explanation. Seems like a good day here in Oklahoma USA to go out and practice feather sticks 😄

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

You're welcome :) Have fun.

[@christianyoung4625]

Justin Russell T-town Baby!!!😎😎😎😎

[@josephallen19]

Good video, and great featherstick technique! What type of wood were you using?

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+JoeRobinetBushcraft Thanks. I think it was willow. So quite soft and easy to work with.

[@calvinbeckett1048]

pro trick : watch series at Flixzone. I've been using it for watching loads of movies recently.

[@keagancarson6371]

@Calvin Beckett Definitely, have been using flixzone for years myself =)

[@thewildernessphilosopher]

Awesome

[@bizonmg364]

Fajnie w tym Londynie. Nawet ogniska można sobie w mieście palić. Nadszedł czas aby faktycznie poćwiczyć ten feathersticking. Pozdrawiam.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Bizon MG Wyczuwam tu lekką nutkę sarkazmu z tym fajnym Londynem ;) Fajnie to nie jest ale coś można znaleźć jak się trochę poszuka. Dzięki.

[@Nemophotowildlife]

really good feather sticks ;)

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

GERALD FROMTHEBUSH Thank you :)

[@paulie4x1]

Say Heah Simon, That's why when I ordered my Skookum Bush Tool, I had Rod Garcia make me mine with a Continues Curve, I have more curve than straight (edge) , The way it came out, it's a little over than 4" and it depend's where you measure. I also had the handle extend more towards the spine so my thumb rest's on the handle then the spine itself, For me it's perfect. When I hold my Skookum Bush Tool. Only the blade show's so I have great control of my blade whether I'm just slicing bark off the wood or feather sticking. I also had my S. B. T. made in 3V. It's one of my Fav. Bush Craft Knives. When I go on a nice hike, I like neck carrying my Skookum Bush Tool with my 2Hawks Double Bit Hatchet and my Wood Handle Fiskar Fokding Saw. which fit's in my Silky Sheath. As my back-up I also add my Cold Steel Mackinac Hunter Folder (or any of my other multi-tool's or folder's). But yeah, I think a continues curve slices better to begin with. That's why I teamed my Fallkniven A-1 with my H-1 because it's a similar blade shape to my S. B. T. By the way, I liked your assistant's, and I enjoyed watching.,,.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Again, I'm ipressed and a little jealous reading about all those good knives you own :)

[@paulie4x1]

Simon, I'm alittle older than you. I'm single again, My children are grown up and professionals, So yeah, I'm retired and I enjoy my hobbie, So yeah, It took me a while to accumalate my knives, I usually buy a knife then build it into a set or combos, So yeah, I hold on to them, If someone want's a knife. Usually it's part of a set, combo, so they might not want to get the whole set. But sure I have a few, But compare to some, It's might not be that big to some. I seen a guy that might if had over a $250,000 collection, Maybe mire. Mine then look's very small to his. I have just enough to be able to have a nice rotation. That's all. But Thanx. I posted a few new ones. I got on a Stainless kick for my wet and snowy conditions, So I got a few Fox Knives and the H-1, Plus I got a nice Master Hunter in 3V, I already have the San Mai 3 version. Anyhow, I'll trade Knives for Age, heh heh heh.,,.

[@shane4176]

Your girl forced you to explain the technique better. So good job to her and great job to you for an awesome video!

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Thank you :)

[@DepthWave]

I like to use a chest cutting technique where I hold the knife backwards.... for bigger blades especially, I find it gives much more control

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Citizen Smith With bigger blades it's sometimes necessary because of that massive momentum they create when finishing each cut. What I mean is this forced follow through kind of action you have to counteract. Often times the knife will be hard to stop in a regular grip and it is tiring.

[@ramonrodriguez5728]

You almost got Mors Kochanski's technique down except he follows through slightly with his wrist.

[@bushcraft_in_the_north]

Thank Odin that i am living in the Norwegian forrest,not far from the mountains. Not a single sound made by man. Just a little wind in the leaves. And me hammering away on my annvill or chopping wood. Subbed:-)

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

True. I don't live there anymore and I'm happier now :) Thanks.

[@Jdmsword14]

ray mears knows best!

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Jdmsword14 He sure does :)

[@IamNemoN01]

+Jdmsword14 But Ray Mears is not god. People could argue that "Mors Kochanski knows best." At the end of the day, no man is "the best," and everyone has something valuable to add. My father never heard the word Bushcraft, but he lived in the woods many years of his life, with nothing more than a good knife and a piece of plastic for shelter - living off wild berries and fish (I added wild mushrooms and herbs to my repertoire). I've seen him catch fish with his bare hands. I grew up with that kind of example. . . But I never heard of Kochanski or Mears or Canterburry until a few years ago. Some survivalists get to have a television show and show their skills. The rest just live it.

[@amightyatom]

I noticed Mors Korchanski only uses the belly of the blade. The curls are much tighter

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

He probably has more experience and can controll the blade more in this, somewhat awkward, position.

[@cravensboughner2425]

My husband used these plans from woodprix and he's very satisfied.

[@wendylammington6264]

Superb!

[@ShelleyRaskin]

Dude, I have been going through your videos and am enjoying and learning from them, but bushcraft with hot chicks has got to be the best, you are a lucky lucky man!

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Shelley Raskin lol Thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying the vids :)

[@user-qe7qd4lq7q]

The girls do not have enough strength in their hands to properly hold the knife while removing chips. Another method can be recommended, when the knife is stuck into the stump and the stick is held with both hands while cutting the feather.

[@pubesicle]

Great informative video Simon! I noticed you switched from the Mora Classic to your Hultafors heavy duty. Do you feel the Hultafors does a better job? I'm looking at buying either or both. Many thanks, Hubert.

[@pubesicle]

P.S. Just subscribed!

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

pubesicle Thank you. Yes, I actually said that off camera. In this particular case, my convexed Hultafors does a better job because Mora simply bites too deep.I subbed back.

[@dennisleighton2812]

Just a question please: In all the techniques you demonstrated, you always have two interactive surfaces at different angles. Therefore it is very difficult to keep them interacting optimally with every stroke. Occasionally I see some folk using a different technique: These folk immobilise one of the surfaces (the knife) and control all comparative angle changes with the stick only. There are two ways of doing this: firstly, immobilising the knife hand against the leg, just below the knee, and drawing the stick towards the body. But, some movement is still there, so it's not perfectly motionless. The other way is to stab the knife point quite firmly into a log or similar, with the blade edge away from the body. The stick can then be drawn back towards the body with each stroke. The angle can be adjusted with fine precision and much more easily doing this. Now my question: Why is this technique not used more often?

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

I can only speak for myself but in my experience, it has always been much easier to control and manipulate the knife than the stick. In reality, the wood is never uniform in shape and structure so in order to control the feathers' thickness you need to be able to constantly micro-adjust the depth and angle as you go. So those long smooth cuts are much easier when your hand is, more or less, at the same distance from the stick. If you fix the knife and move the stick, it feels like you lose control as you pull away from the blade.

[@dennisleighton2812]

@@SimonsDiscoveries Thanks for that - the benefit of real life experience, eh? I just made the judgment based on how comfortable people were doing it in different ways. Thanks again. I think maybe I should try it when I get my Cold Steel Trail Master!

[@The.Alabama.Woodsman]

Why not hold the knife as is most comfortable for safety and rotate the stick to get a full bundle of feathers?

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

I'm not sure if I understand the concept but if you're saying what I think you're saying, it would only work with a perfect, straight and round stick. From my experience that practically never happens unless you get the stick from a lumber yard or sawmill.

[@lachlanbarry1567]

upload again please

[@coojoza]

Not too shabby....

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Thank you

[@Mykford1]

Great job man, I love your videos but my question is this. Why do you need that much kindling? Isn't the point of kindling just to get the fire going while you feed in slightly larger pieces wood until your base wood is hot enough to stay lit?

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Myk Ford That depends on weather and other conditions. For instance, in very windy conditions everything burns well. Too well, in fact, and all your tinder/kindling is gone in seconds. When it's wet, the thicker pieces just don't want to catch and need more time = more kindling. In a survival situation everything is more difficult and failing after an hour of preparation would not lift your spirit at all. That's why I like to make it right the first time even if it looks like overkill.

[@Mykford1]

+Simon's Discoveries makes sense thanks.

[@madafaka_madafaka]

Spoko

[@nielsfaass8811]

Nederland💪

[@szymonmazur5099]

Witam! Mam jedno pytanie. Co to za krzesiwo w 10:51? Z góry dziękuję bardzo za odpowiedź i pozdrawiam!

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Szymon Mazur A to takie całkie niezłe ale bezimienne 12,5 cm długości na 12,5 mm średnicy. Mam ich trochę do sprzedania.

[@PotenzaVito]

nice one my friend ,good video ,i have receive my two Hultafors GK Heavy Duty and you are correct since i have use the knife once from that day has been my one of my favorite ,always is the first one to go in my bag ,and for the mora companion heavy duty all ok now fill the gaps with epoxy ,i have contact 3 o 4 seller and they told me the same thing ,they say all this model have gaps ,not the normal companion model are all good no gaps ,my hold mora companion in stainless is perfect i had no need to fix nothing ,is that bit strange about the heavy duty in my opinion ,i hope mora will start pay mo attention been so popular knife , all the best

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

VITO LAGINESTRA Thank you. I think the gaps may even be intentional. I they are, I still don't like the idea :)

[@PrzemysawDziubczynski]

Przebiłeś Morsa :) MIstrzostwo

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Morsa może nie. Ale zawsze dobrze spojrzeć też na inne źródła :) W tym wypadku pomysł Ray'a Mears'a bardziej mi podchodzi.

[@Shorty_Lickens]

BEFORE making a fire you need to gather up all the bobby pins you can find, and put them in your hair.

[@TheVaughan69]

Pretty certain this is (was, it has been levelled out now!) Camley Street Natural Park?

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Correct. I didn't know it's been leveled out though. Haven't been to London for years. What happened there?

[@TheVaughan69]

Simon's Discoveries it's only this end of the reserve hat has been levelled - they have built a new visitor centre and a bridge over the canal landing right where you shot this. Sad times. We got married in this exact location August last year just before the works - a great location!

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

I think I remember people mention that something like this was going to happen. It was a nice spot where I could teach bushcraft. And definitely a good place to get married :) Congratulations, even though it's a bit late and the spot is gone. At least you have it immortalized in pictures.

[@mistersmith3986]

Oh, that's where my broom stick went!

[@sinfonianbarelytone9191]

What kind of fuel wood are you trying to start with that monster? twigs start easily.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Sinfonian Barelytone You mean the feathers? That's willow. Twigs work fine if you can find them :)

[@briancox2592]

You might try shooting your action and then doing a voice over in a more quiet place.

[@Christopherjamesmurphy21]

Ive been saying this for awhile. But for me to find lumber that long without knots is terribly unlikely bahah

[@Mateo-vx5hx]

Hejka, dopiero teraz obejrzałem ten film. Oceniam bardzo pozytywnie. Niemniej jednak fajnie byłoby gdybyś zapoznał się z tym filmikiem: /watch?v=yUGVdh45FdY&list=FLmgEyXQHKHjn5G0OxuxTteA&index=3 - chodzi o obróbkę audio. Myślę, że jakość twoich materiałów na pewno by na tym zyskała. Pozdrawiam

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Krul Mateusz Coś chyba się zapodziało bo link nie działa nawet po skopiowaniu. Aż tak źle z moim dźwiękiem? Tu akurat było głośno i niepotrzebnie filmowaliśmy z daleka. Zwykle mój mikrofon kierunkowy zbiera dość dobrze. Tak mi się przynajmniej wydaje.

[@Mateo-vx5hx]

Działa, działa. Na PW wytłumaczę Ci o co chodzi.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Krul Mateusz Dopiero dzisiaj go wydostałem ze spamu, bo mi go YouTub automatycznie wyrzucił. Twojego posta mam na myśli.

[@tsosmits777tsakous9]

is that a Hultafors knife ?

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Tsosmits777 Tsakous One of them is. The one with a green handle.

[@tsosmits777tsakous9]

Simon's Discoveries yeah I was talking about that one . thank you !

[@Mateo-vx5hx]

Niektórzy mówią na Pierzaste Patyki - "pukle". 11:07 Czy to jest dożywotni zapas Hultaforsów? Some people call Feather Sticks - "pukle". 11:07 Is that lifetime supply of Hultafors knives?

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+Krul Mateusz To były noże dla całej grupy uczniów. Kupione przez organizecję dla której pracowałem :)

[@William_Asston]

Rename title to: man makes george washington's wig from a stick

[@Dutch1722]

Use a knife with a scandi grind. Also flat grind seems to work as well. Concave grind welp not so much.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Dutch1722 That's what some well known carvers say as well. Thanks.

[@inthewoodswithbigfoot3941]

Hey Brother, Great advice! Check out Mantis Outdoors here on KZbin. William Myers uses this same technique. Thanks for sharing!

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Thanks. I've seen his channel but I just can't remember where and when I saw all the different things anymore :)

[@inthewoodswithbigfoot3941]

If you watch Prepared Mind 101, He's on there a lot. They are good friends.

[@starry_lis]

I have to apologize in advance, but the urge to say it is to strong: it seems survival is a nice way to make chicks take care of your wood...

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

+RaphaelAtherill LOL

[@thedude1744]

I teach my wife how to feather my stick as well.

[@jeanmartox3570]

C'est là que je me dis que les citadins ont du souci à se faire pour l'avenir bien trouble en vue!!! Les gens ont tellement peu de compétences en les aptitudes les plus basiques!!!! Enfin!!

[@Mateo-vx5hx]

10:23 Tak wygląda feminizm w rzeczywistości :P 10:23 Feminism in real life :P

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

Krul Mateusz Pełne równouprawnienie ;)

[@Lars1540]

I completely disagree with your logic here. Doing tip-up (Mors style) feather sticks does NOT cause you to work your way back on the feather stick... This only happens if you are not pushing your next cut all the way forward and underneath the first feather. I have pictures directly contradicting your statement on Facebook. Here is my page- facebook.com/scarysharpshs

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

***** Thanks for watching. Those are very nice feather sticks. But I'm afraid the picture clearly shows you do work your way up the stick. It's inevitable no matter what method you use. But by throwing the feathers in three different directions you're simply conserving your space. In the only picture where it is possible to see what's going on, you started about 3/4 down the stick and ended up almost in the middle. And you had to in order to have enough material to work with and to produce feathers. Unless that's not what you meant and we're having a little misunderstanding here.

[@Lars1540]

No misunderstanding. In this picture I moved back about 2 inches only because I wasn't paying that much attention when I was doing it. I can snap a picture from one of the many others I carved in the pile outside! Basically you work you way straight down into the stick rather than backwards up the stick. Let me get a better picture for you.

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

***** If you are able to do that throwing feathers to one side, then think what you could achieve if you had more surface area and space to work with :)

[@Lars1540]

Simon's Discoveries In theory I agree with you, but in practice there's a few reasons why I only like to use tip-up feathering. The first is due to simple knife physics. Knives cut best when "sliced" instead of just simply "pushed". This is why you can always cut deeper and remove more wood when you cock your knife tip up and cut into a stick versus having the knife perpendicular to the stick and simply trying to "push cut" into the stick. The second reason I only use tip-up cutting is because using tip-down cutting does two things - first, when you tip the knife tip downward, you inevitably wind up cutting off a lot of your previous feathers, and second - you run the risk of driving the tip of your knife into the dirt if your knife slips and skips along the wood. The risk becomes greater, the longer the knife. So for these reasons, I find it makes the most sense (both physics wise, and to avoid problems) to use a tip-up feathering technique. =)

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

***** You can also slice tip-down :) In fact, it never has to push cut. You just need to tilt the blade ever so slightly up or down and move it from side to side. If you move your knife left to right you shouldn't cut any curls off. Driving knife into dirt can only happen if you're working on the ground. I always try to get me some sort of wooden platform. If the knife is very long, I'd look for a stump or a fallen log to keep me higher. I borrowed this idea from Ray Mears as his feather sticks blew my mind when I first saw them lol It's more of an aesthetics issue I suppose but it's not impossible that his feathers actually do burn longer.

[@edevard8445]

She's not wrong either

[@duxdawg]

Nice vid. However feather sticks are a time waster invented by instructors needing busy work for large classes. Always much better options to be had much more quickly. At least outside of some deserts, having a broken leg, etc.

[@iroironman9115]

What knife you are using

[@SimonsDiscoveries]

I think it was a Hultafors Craftmans Heavy-Duty GK Knife.

[@iroironman9115]

Thanks for answering. I Have another question. Do you Have favorite knife for feather stick making ?

[@iroironman9115]

I bought the same knife and it Make feather curls thaks to you