Hi folks, i am here to share with you some untold stories carved from the wood. Now i have some stories of my own, but i hope the things i carve can inspire or become part of new stories that will be born in their new homes with you because once you find the soul in the wood you may found a Treenfolk that is truly yours 🙂
Greenwoodcarving is a name for crafts that use fresh, raw materials, namely wood occassionaly combined or complemented by other natural materials, colours or finishes, sourced directly from the nature and often processed at home in the best sense of one of our (yes, it is a great secret there is a huge community of carvers meeting at gatherings and online these days, bevare spooncarvers especially – they pop up from everywhere unexpectedly!) aims – to not to depend on chemical and other power hungry, or even poluting, industries. If it is for bussiness purpose we could actually name it a cottage industry as even bigger production needs just a workshop space, that easily fits under a roof of a small house or a tarp stretched in the woods.
It can be spooncarving, bowlmaking, chairmaking, or carving pipes but what it always has in common is that at least part of the process includes working wood in its fresh, green (non-dryed) state. You can make spoon from a branch broken in a storm in one go out of green wood or wait a bit and finish it later when it is rather dry. But it is a different thing, different proces and feel when we make something out of dry wood (And carving it green is a way more exciting.).
There are many of us who can carve and create on the way too and bring what they sell to the market equiped with very few pieces of tools, just like me when we travel in the UK or Europe. After so many years of carving (well, it is close to 14 years, but my carpentry experience – which is like carving in a pretty big style – started even earlier), i do have many tools extra as i bring them for the workshops and my range of products from the wood is quite broad now. I specialise on spoons, wooden cups, scoops and spatulas but i carve hooks, hangers, custom made boxes, shrink pots, pencil holders and other things and i am a bowl turner. Most often i like to use just my axe, adze, carving knives and a saw as all of that fits easy in my backpack.
Did you know?
Fresh wood has its special qualities –
“it is easy to cut it and shape it,
BUT CAN CRACK!,
has lovely smells and colours vivid
AND IF IT DOES CRACK PLEASE GIVE IT
to somebody gentle and kind who will think it is not so bad
and will use it in spite of that”
Into this little song i put what many people are afraid of, that when the wood dryes – it cracks and that potentially destroys our creation. But in case you know how to work with green wood it will simply not. I would be happy to make this web a good source of knowledge connected to greenwoodworking online though i prefer to meet people in person and talk, and carve together and have fun. There are some offers of courses announced every now and then here and if you could not find the right one for you, dear reader, let me know through email and we can talk about that.
And how can one become a greenwoodworker? – well, for me it all started with an idea that there is something strange happening in the woods – i walked my dog through rubbish, on the hikes i could often find pieces of plastic and cans spread along the routes so i got used to take a bag for gathering bits of that rubbish with me but i also got used to rest my eyes rather in the foliage and crowns of the trees above. And, well, at that time of my life i felt lost somewhat, i have seen deforestation and big harvestors working in the fields of spruce and i knew that something is wrong with that too.
But i learnt some people have very strong connections with trees and know a lot about them, especially if they work with wood and cut it and construct wooden houses, tables or cabinets, and that they do it a certain way, with a great respect and skills and with even better results than machines could ever produce (not to speak about the healthy issues like the noise and dust we have to deal with working with machines and the danger of getting hurt and, well, drinking glue – HAVE YOU NOT HEARD ABOUT IT?! 🙂 YET of course having the help of machines (i do have a drill and small circular saw either i am not using these really much) does not mean one is bad, insensitive or silly guy. No, there are heroes, big and brave hearts out there following what the time we live in brings and just accept the weight of it pushing their spirits down maybe a bit, hopefuly making them stronger, i hope so. But we all have to compromise somewhere so these people have and experience what i don’t and vice versa. No pressure, no hatred or jealousy. You have a chance to explore what is it about to work without and with machines and then listen to your heart. But you have to be smart, and maybe even keep apart from social life for a time and work hard on yourself.
Well i was lucky and i had started as a carpenter learning to handle a heavy axe for “squaring” the logs so we could put them in a shape of traditional czech timbered house called “roubenka” or use them to repair any damage done by time on old structures, some dating hundreds of years back into history. But out of my curiosity i have also learned about people with a passion of carving spoons and that was a ticket to ride. Not just on a rollercoaster, it is even more exciting i think 🙂 Now go and check out what else is to be found on this blog. Without further hesitation i would love to guide you through fantastic experience of working the green, solid wood and making useful everyday items, tools and untensils.
AUTHORS:
KAREL HEKRLE
Rue de Mafa 18
Manhay
6960
Belgium
email: treenfolk@tuta.com
tel. +420 723626887 ( in English, je parle un peu de français ;))
ELODIE KNUBBEN
Chief editor & assistant, translation
tel. +32472025432 (en français)
WORKSHOP CAMP
Our main workshop is based near Mont Pointu, Sprimont, Belgium
Some pictures from setting up …
..working on one of the structures for the roof in the camp..
Winter stage of spring pole lathe.
Smaller tarp with firewood in the background, also large workshop base A-frame and deck being constructed.
First frame, first place to sleep off the ground.
First rocket stove that had to be improved and changed a lot. Inside new bell tent 🙂
Bell tent and fireshed in construction.
Another Aframe with wood stored for later projects. We asked a local guy to come with a portable sawmill before beetles could attack some of the wood for carving/ turning given to us by a generous landowner living nearby.
Treenfolks 