Hand Carving an Apple Wood Water Bottle or Travelling Flask - Part I | Anglo-Saxon Green Woodworking

[@gesithasgewissa]

Hi all! You can check the subtitles and description for much more detail. Thanks for watching, and many thanks to Herknungr for the music 'The Wolf Chieftain'!

[@stevedoolanTacoma]

I have just watched all of your videos and am looking forward to more. I don't know what you did before this project, but you have an eye for film making. I love the quiet, and the scenes of the country with so many deciduous trees. I like the clothes and the handmade tools, although I kind of doubt that the Gesips carried beautiful Damascus steel knives. Thank you for sharing.😎

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you Steve, your words mean a lot and I'm glad you are enjoying the videos! Before starting this project I worked for the Sutton Hoo Ship's Company, the film work I am learning as I go. I love the area I live in and want to show off its beauty. The knife is pattern-welded, forged from bars of different iron twisted together to form the pattern. It is a technique often found in Early Anglo-Saxon and Merovingian swords and seaxs (short daggers). I agree though; amazing that they could make such beautiful metalwork back then.

[@caveofskarzs1544]

​@@gesithasgewissaI've heard of Sutton Hoo, pretty sure there was a burial ground there where a lot of historical artifacts have been found! Rowan Taylor, a blacksmith, did some recreations of them.

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@caveofskarzs1544 yes, the largest ship burial and richest Early Medieval burial in Britain. Well worth looking into!

[@chriscorbin2059]

As someone who used to do decorative wood carving I used to think i spent as much time sharpening my tools as I did actual carving 😊

[@gesithasgewissa]

For sure! Sharpening tools is quite a discipline I find.

[@caveofskarzs1544]

So calming and satisfying. Makes me want to dry out the old apple tree I tore down and use it to carve something! You have great skill in what you do with your hands and the way you make your videos.

[@gesithasgewissa]

You definitely should. Apple wood is beautiful and lovely for green woodcarving and carpentry. Thanks for watching!

[@henri0661]

"Not only do you have insight into history, but you're also quite handy. You English people know how to make history fascinating. Greetings from Belgium."

[@gesithasgewissa]

Kind praise! Thank you!

[@TheMegaRedHead]

Greetings from Belgium too!

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@TheMegaRedHead Hello!

[@TheSlain1969]

Just subbed few days ago and binged almost all videos… Do you make footwear yourself also? More greetings from Belgium… I love channels like this ❤

[@toucann8]

Very interesting! How easy is it to sharpen that hook-knife?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Hi, thanks for watching. I sharpen the hook-knife on the outside bevel, which isn’t too hard but needs a bit of focus to keep the edge true as you follow the curve round. I just hone the inside edge, using the round side of a scythe whetstone which fits into the curve. Next time I film using the hook-knife I will try and show the sharpening process too. Glad you found it interesting!

[@LukeKeeganN]

Man, that thing is awesome, looking forward to the second part!

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thanks! The second part is in the works!

[@greenjack1959l]

Your intro is so atmospheric, perfect for the subject. Looking forward to seeing a completed shield, hopefully with every step shown if possible.

[@gesithasgewissa]

I'm glad you like the intro. It might be too long for some people but I like to create the atmosphere. I'm aiming to make the shield completely authentically, so I will definitely be showing every step! (I perhaps won't tan the leather myself, but I would like to forge the ironwork if I can).

[@greenjack1959l]

@gesithasgewissa I made a shield myself, unfortunately not really authentic as I used recycled bed slats for the timber. However I did hand raise the boss, although it's a tad shallower than I would have liked. I do plan to cover it with linen (from dust sheets?) Using home made cheese glue, and fix a rawhide rim to it (probably fixed with Carpet tacks.)It should at least look the part when done. Respect to you for taking it to the max though, I look forward to seeing the end product.

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@greenjack1959l Ah that's really cool. I hope the covering goes well! For the late 7th century, I will be needing to make a sugarloaf shield boss (a quick google search will show you the shape). With a boss that height, I've set my self quite a challenge haha. I hope I'm up to the task.

[@greenjack1959l]

@@gesithasgewissa I know the type, I wish you good luck with that one.👍

[@chrish3175]

Both interesting and very relaxing to watch

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you!

[@dawnbaker9274]

Impressive. Nice work and the patience to do it is commendable.

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you very much!

[@Ben-xg2mc]

I LoVe your videos!

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you my friend!

[@kdr0519]

와~~ 정말 장인 정신으로 만드시네요^^ 힘든 만큼 보람도 크죠^^ 멋진 나무 그릇입니다

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you for the kind words, and for watching!

[@raarnt]

You can do anything! Love your talents!❤

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you!!

[@sreejisreedharan621]

its very nice. but how are u gonna hold water in it? i wanna see it completed .

[@gesithasgewissa]

You can watch Part II on my channel ☺

[@sreejisreedharan621]

@@gesithasgewissa you know what I was watching all your videos with my son. We couldn’t find the second part at that time. But I have found it since then. It’s brilliant and it’s crazy how you made the glue with cheese. Ingenious. Really enjoyed all the videos. Keep up.

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@sreejisreedharan621 Thank you, I'm glad you and your son are enjoying the videos!

[@barterinn123]

I love your videos I find them very relaxing❤

[@gesithasgewissa]

I'm glad you find them relaxing, thanks for watching!

[@armorclasshero2103]

A lot of the intial rough shaping probably would have been done while the piece was still green/unseasoned

[@gesithasgewissa]

Yeah that's usually what I would do, I just didn't get to it in time.

[@adamguinnmusic5871]

Man that's some seasoned rock apple

[@gesithasgewissa]

It was pretty solid 😄

[@josepereiramachado5102]

Belo trabalho. Parabéns!

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you!

[@woodcarvingart-dh3gd]

Hello nice to meet you 😊

[@gesithasgewissa]

Good to meet you too!

[@Mererid]

I love these videos. Expiremental and practical archeology are amazing. What would they use to smooth the surface? Anglo-Saxon sandpaper?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thanks! You can get really nice and smooth with just a very sharp knife. But they could have used dried horsetail plants which contain silica. Though I think these were used more for getting a final mirror polish on precious metals.

[@hatac]

You can see why the guy that could make good draw knives and plane blades got rich.

[@gesithasgewissa]

Indeed!

[@11BeezDD214]

Thanks for the video...I enjoyed it. I have a question... I've never used that carving tool before but would it be easier to carve with the grain when removing the bulk?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Glad you enjoyed it! The spoon knife? You can carve with or across the grain, it generally depends where in the bowl you are carving as to the direction of the cut, as the grain direction varies across the bowl. Thanks for watching!

[@rickschuman2926]

So they did not have gouges or hollow adzes then?

[@gesithasgewissa]

No they did, it's just I don't! Haha! Adzes were fairly common, gouges less so. I will get an adze at some point, I'm just working with the tools I have at the moment. Thanks for watching!

[@saxazax]

best intro on yt that ive seen in while

[@gesithasgewissa]

I appreciate it, thanks!

[@mortua_conjuga]

how would you keep it from going mouldy inside?

[@gesithasgewissa]

The beeswax seals the wood, but it's good to store it empty with the stopper out

[@microwave221]

How would a pole lathe have allowed you to hollow it out with a smaller outside hole? I'm picturing bizarre work holding methods, so l think I'm just overlooking something obvious

[@gesithasgewissa]

This is the best video I have seen on traditional pole lathe turning of a canteen ☺ kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnbMk6dpZrSfeaM

[@microwave221]

@@gesithasgewissa thanks, that cleared everything up for me, l was really curious how this was done. That video was an excellent explanation

[@ShiryuCain]

Why specifically applewood? It doesn't seem too easy to carve so what? Availability? Other properties?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Applewood is rarely available, so when I pruned our apple tree I wanted to make sure I used the timber for something special! Thanks for watching!

[@ShiryuCain]

@@gesithasgewissa I understand 😁, thanks for the videos.

[@Klartext.Germany-lg9dm]

❤❤❤❤

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you!

[@elizabethglew6930]

Why do you think our ancestors used a hook knife for all of the hollowing out rather than using a gouge and then finishing the surface with a knife?

[@gesithasgewissa]

There are finds of Early Medieval hook-knifes, and also finds of gouges and adzes too. The reason I used a hook-knife here is simply because that is all I have at the moment! I'd much prefer to use a gouge or adze for larger bowls but have yet to buy or forge one. I imagine it might be the same for our ancestors; iron was very valuable and they may have made do with whatever tools they had, or chosen more versatile, smaller tools that used less iron. That said, the Mästermyr chest suggests that specialised craftspeople were very well equipped! One extra advantage of the hook-knife is that I do not need a workbench or clamps to hold the piece while I carve, as you might with a gouge, so I can carve anywhere.

[@elizabethglew6930]

@@gesithasgewissa Thanks very much! Most interesting!

[@SCARRIOR]

You could make these, and sell these on your own shop, and to add value, you could carve anglo saxon/nordic/germanic/celtic iconography into the woodwork to add even more value. I still don't understand how it will hold water though, I guess it is meant to hold water temporary from a river, for drinking, not to store water, maybe a way to see what you are drinking before you drink it? to remove debris? PS: I saw your response to my other comment in the other video, ignore my message on Instagram haha. Where you from anyway? Sunderland here. PPS: I saw part two of the video :)

[@gesithasgewissa]

Yeah that would be nice to sell some woodcarvings at some point!

[@richardschneider4775]

I hope you will make the disc and seal it. It won't carry water as it is.

[@gesithasgewissa]

Certainly, right now it is no use to man nor beast! Once the two pieces have fully dried I will make a second video showing the sealing process. Thanks for watching!

[@jonathanwilgus5021]

Where's the other half?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Here is Part II: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5WoZWlrjK2nndU

[@stephencrowther524]

Imagine a Britain with a population of less than 5 million !

[@gesithasgewissa]

Yes indeed! Lots of wildlands and small scattered villages! I would have liked to see that

[@davidpriest8882]

He is in no hurry or he would have used a gourd

[@gesithasgewissa]

No hurry at all haha, plenty of water round here!

[@fionabryant7923]

Lethal looking tool that crook knife, not good in the hands of a bad tempered saxon

[@gesithasgewissa]

Luckily I have a good temper! 😄

[@conorm571]

I can imagine that they burnt out the cavity

[@gesithasgewissa]

Potentially, although there are finds of Early Medieval crook knives and other hollowing tools. Thanks for watching!

[@sandrinakeffufal6008]

conorm571 Yes I was expecting that too lol