Category Archives: Bushcraft Clothing & Equipment

Bushcraft Clothing & Equipment

New Ray Mears Bushcraft Knife to be unveiled soon

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For those who missed our earlier blog post on the subject, production of the Ray Mears Bushcraft Knife – with its handle of reclaimed Iroko wood – has now come to an end. The final batch of these knives went on sale at midday on the 1st of September, and was completely sold out by 16:30 p.m.

However, as promised, Woodlore will soon be unveiling a new version of this knife, featuring an alternative handle material. This model will be released for sale for the first time on Tuesday 4th October.

In the build-up to its release, Woodlore will be offering a series of clues on our Facebook and Twitter pages, to help you figure out which material we have chosen for the knife’s handle. The first of these clues will be released at midday today, so keep your eyes peeled!

How to make your own meth burner from a tin can

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Rogelio, a fellow Woodlorean from Spain, e-mailed us previously with some pictures of his hand-made crooked knife handle, which we posted on our blog. Recently, he got in touch with us again, this time with an excellent article on how to make a DIY meth-burning stove from just a tin can. We’ve posted the full guide below, complete with step-by-step pictures, for you all to see. Thanks Rogelio!

Hello Woodloreans,

I have just returned from a friend’s house with whom I have been making my own meth alcohol burner to fit in my pocket stove from tin cans, and after seeing how well it actually works, I thought it would be nice to share with you some pictures on its making.

To start with, you need the bottom ends from two tin cans and a rectangular strip that will fit into them (this must be cut slightly higher than the other pieces, you’ll see why later). If you use cans made from stainless metals it’ll last longer.

Step 1

Step 1

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Joshua Le Pla’s Julius Pettersson Knife

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Woodlore customer Joshua Le Pla got in touch with us earlier this year, with photos of his own knife project using the Julius Pettersson Knife Blade. Where Joshua’s design differs from the other knives we see is in his inclusion of unique materials, including the wood from a set of antique bowling balls and a six pence coin:

Hello Woodlore,

My Dad bought me the Hand Forged Knife Blade and Antler Rolls last Christmas, as I requested. I’m 16 years old and a great fan and admirer of Ray Mears. His vast knowledge of all things Bushcraft greatly influenced me into discovering the natural world and what it can offer.

I began to prepare and make the handle for the blade from Christmas day and finished it in March. I have an interest in engineering and woodwork and am currently doing an electro-technical Apprenticeship. This has helped me greatly to create the knife. With my efforts alone (and with help from my granddad in drilling and gluing the pieces), I am very proud of what I have created and will of course give it the utmost respect as it is a dangerous tool.

Joshua's knife, ready to be shaped

Joshua’s knife, ready to be shaped

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Chris Ward’s Julius Pettersson Knife

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Woodlore customer Chris Ward got in touch earlier this year with some photos of his own Julius Pettersson knife. Chris has taken a different design route to many of our customers, so it will be interesting to hear what you all think.

Hi Woodlore,

This is the first knife that I’ve made using your Hand Forged Knife Blade:

Chris Ward's Julius Pettersson Knife

Chris Ward’s Julius Pettersson Knife

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For the latest news from Woodlore, follow us here:

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First of all, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you, our followers, for your continued support and interest in the Ray Mears and Woodlore Blog over this past year. If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve found here so far, stay tuned for more articles and reports from the Woodlore camp, including your own contributions.

However, if you’d like to hear more regular and exclusive news updates from us, you can now follow Woodlore on both Facebook and Twitter. Additionally, Woodlore now has its very own YouTube channel, which already features a number of instructional videos from Ray for you to check out.

Through these networking sites, we aim to keep our followers up-to-date with snippets of news on the kit, courses and expeditions that have yet to be released to the general public. Essentially, we will provide you with the news that you won’t find anywhere else.

To follow Woodlore on these sites, please visit the following links:

            

 

Nick Simmons’ Julius Pettersson Knife

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Here’s another fine example of the many different styles of handle that are being made for our Julius Pettersson Knife Blade. Woodlore customer Nick Simmons created a more ornate handle than is often seen, using filework techniques to great decorative effect:

Hi there,

Just finished this knife for my good friend Eddie’s 40th birthday. Thought you might like to see it!

Nick's finished Julius Pettersson knife

Nick’s finished Julius Pettersson knife

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Frazer Downie’s Julius Pettersson Knife

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The following post was kindly provided by Woodlore customer Frazer Downie:

Hello Woodlore,

I just wanted to show you my finished Julius Pettersson knife and I’m very happy with the results. I used antler for the main part of the handle and wood for the spacers:

Frazer Downie's finished knife

Frazer Downie's finished knife

The knife took me about two days to finish and I enjoyed every second of it. The longest part of making this knife was the filing and sanding to make the handle fit my hand. Even though it took numerous hours, it was well worth it in the end.

Thanks for the very good service at Woodlore and I’m sure this knife will serve me well in the future!

All the best,

Frazer Downie

Ray Mears Iroko Bushcraft Knife nearing end of production

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Production of our Ray Mears Bushcraft Knife, as made by the esteemed British knife-maker Stephen Wade Cox, will soon be coming to an end in its current form. Our limited supply of Iroko – the African hardwood salvaged from a demolished church to create our handles – has slowly but surely diminished with each batch of knives.

The Iroko-handled Ray Mears Bushcraft Knife

The Iroko-handled Ray Mears Bushcraft Knife

At the time of writing, our penultimate batch of knives has just been made available on our website, and can be seen and ordered here: The Ray Mears Bushcraft Knife

Following on from this, the very last batch of Iroko-handled knives will be made available this September.

However, this departure does not mark the end of our collaborations with Stephen Wade Cox; a new version of the Ray Mears Bushcraft Knife is currently in the works, and further news of this model will be released later this year.

Declan Haworth’s Julius Pettersson Knife

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The following post was kindly sent in by Woodlore customer Declan Haworth, who purchased the Hand-Forged Knife Blade:

Hi Woodlore,

I just wanted to send you a picture of my knife, as it’s the first knife handle I’ve ever made. I’m really happy with the knife and how it turned out:

Declan's finished Julius Pettersson Knife

Declan's finished Julius Pettersson Knife

I used curly birch, reindeer antler, bull antler and leather spacers.

Thanks,
Declan Haworth

David Fotheringham’s Julius Pettersson Knife

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Woodlore customer David kindly sent in the following photo of his hand-finished Julius Pettersson Knife:

Dear Woodlore Team,

I would like to show you my Julius Pettersson knife project, bought just over a year ago, and started two weeks ago. It has a privet wood and yew handle, with black leather spacers and solid copper pommel; all the materials were sourced locally:

David's hand-finished Julius Pettersson knife

David's hand-finished Julius Pettersson knife

I really enjoyed handling the blade; it has given me a real sense of achievement. I’m now the proud owner of a truly custom hand-made knife. Thanks to all at Woodlore.

Regards,

David Fotheringham.