🔴 Viking skies? Making and Decorating of Traditional Norwegian Ash-Wood Skis

[@bosse641]

Beautiful. Love snow. Miss the white winters so much.

[@LucasRichardStephens]

Thanks John, we have snow here, but it has been very mild this year, true.

[@SteifWood]

If you have the time, make a pair for Klæbon so we can verify their real speed potential .... otherwise, excellent crafts Lukas (maybe Madshus or Åsnes could hire?)

[@LucasRichardStephens]

Don't you think he has treski already? I have to keep a steady pace, I can't take the heavy falls any more.

[@mrsjenniferstephens]

wonderful , the decoration is beautiful , a labour of love .

[@LucasRichardStephens]

Thank you!

[@MrGiggy4u]

The very essence of skill and beauty .Blessings and thank you for sharing.

[@LucasRichardStephens]

Thanks Dean, All the best!

[@jimargeropoulos8309]

Thanks for sharing that! We skied 15k today, but on fancy new skis and groomed trails. Maybe someday I'll get to make a pair for some back country fun

[@LucasRichardStephens]

All the best Jim

[@awldune]

I was surprised that you carve with a Swiss army knife. But it gets the job done! I'm a bit jealous to see that snow. We have had a very wet winter here in North Carolina.

[@LucasRichardStephens]

The short,thin blade was what I wanted, the other knives I tried were too long, it worked out great. That Ash-wood varies in hardness a lot from summer to autumn fibres, it is just the kind of wood I would have cut myself whittling when I was a kid.

[@docklikeable9264]

Hia from Alaska

[@LucasRichardStephens]

@@docklikeable9264 hi Dock Likable! your comment has been hiding here in this thread so apologies for the delayed answer, all the best!

[@xntrcshft]

Excellent work! Made my birch rando skis there. Plastic is over-rated. :^)

[@LucasRichardStephens]

👍

[@marchanselman]

keep your tips up!

[@LucasRichardStephens]

Not much snow this year.... thanks for watching, all the best!

[@joenathan8059]

The Norse loved skiing so much they worship Ullr, god of ski hunting and mountains

[@LucasRichardStephens]

That is fascinating, thanks for watching!

[@timberdoodles4647]

Beautiful hand work! Any treatment on the bottoms, tar, what are you using for wax? We have a lousy winter, lots of snow changing to rain, it snowed slush more than I care for. I missed nice crisp fluffy snow. Here on the Maine coast we often get wet snow and rain. We had what is considered an "open winter" most snow accumulation was about 4 inches in one storm. I missed skiing this winter. The carving on the tips reminds me of the "little man" put into the stems of birch bark canoes.

[@LucasRichardStephens]

These skis have never been waxed since we have only used them on cold fresh snow so far. Pine tar would be the option for longer trips but even then if the temp goes up above freezing they drink water and cease to function as skis and become heavy and unwieldy snow shoes. I suppose I would just use the swix waxes for traction wax. I have no deep knowledge of things ski, but it is the national sport here so you can't avoid picking up a bit of it.

[@fordkend]

How wide, long, and thick are the finished skis? Thanks!

[@LucasRichardStephens]

I don't have those measurements at hand, sorry (I am about 176cm tall). Those measurements are unique to the individual skier and actual piece of wood used, since they are all different in strength. It is the amount of weight on the ski and the consequent deflection that determines how thick the ski will be. It is a craft and knowledge that I could not repeat without the aid of the teacher. The width and length are also relational to the skier, and what type of snow the skier wishes to ski on. There are not fixed answers, though there may be rules of thumb, but I don't know them, sorry. I encourage you to attend a course. My films are not instructional, they are meant to inspire rather than teach you how to do it. That is why they are not titled "How to" and are listed in the technology section, not the How To section. Thanks for watching and sorry I can't be more helpful.

[@samipesonen5771]

At least with Birch the tips will never undbend if after bending water is boiled out for example in the oven.

[@LucasRichardStephens]

these are made of ash

[@samipesonen5771]

@@LucasRichardStephens I presume the trick would work also with ash

[@fordkend]

Did you use ash boards, as in a lumber yuard?

[@LucasRichardStephens]

Yes, I attended a maker course and the instructor supplied birch and ash rough sawn boards, as is shown during the film.

[@МирославЗасечный]

Из какого дерева изготовлены эти лыжи?

[@LucasRichardStephens]

yasen'

[@JAlvisllc]

Why rift sawn instead of quarter sawn?

[@LucasRichardStephens]

I can't honestly say I remember if there was a specific reason, but I think my oak skis are also such. I should check my other wooden skis to see if they are the same. It was a few years now since I attended the course. Suffice to say I couldn't easily make another pair, the teacher was very knowledgable and every small aspect and detail was very particular, I remember.

[@abrahambergen4256]

What binding system is that?

[@LucasRichardStephens]

I don't know the name. It has been used for a long time, very similar if not the same as the one the Norwegian military use. Check out the facebook group, someone there knows the name.

[@Thrillseeker666]

Using Opinel, Victorinox etc. to make Norwegian skiis. What a shame! We have a very rich knife-making culture in our own country. Skiis turned out well though.

[@LucasRichardStephens]

Are you some kind of xenophobe? I am British, not Norwegian. I have however forged a Norwegian knife but the blade is not thin enough on it, or any of my nordic style knives, for this particular work. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnvOhIxjpMqBqKM this film shows some of the nordic knives in the household, that I didn't want to use for carving skis. I do use them for other things regularly. I also share some National pride since I have lived here thirty years (maybe longer than you?).

[@Thrillseeker666]

@@LucasRichardStephens Are you? Or some kind of xenophiliac? How dare you accuse me like that...? What tosh!

[@LucasRichardStephens]

@@Thrillseeker666 ;)

[@Thrillseeker666]

@@LucasRichardStephens ;)