The Things They Carried (Finland)

[Fred Fuller]

http://perkelesblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/some-thoghts-about-old-days-finnish.html

Here's an interesting viewpoint from a younger member of a different culture... complete with a picture. An interesting toolset, but the skillset can't be underestimated by any means. And where old time Finns were concerned, from what little I know of them, mindset was never in question.

 

[Dr.Rob]

That was a great read.

 

[Readyrod]

That was the kind of canoe camping I did as a teenager. We had a big canvas tent,axes and all that other old style gear. It was a lot of fun.

 

[sm]

Great Read!

 

[hso]

Thanks!

 

[Carl Levitian]

Wonderful read!

Good to know that there is still some young guys who have not been seduced by the gods of comercialisim and hype. It's amazing how little you really need. I have to laugh at he guys I see with 30 pounds of tactical gear on just to go for a walk in the park.

 

[Fred Fuller]

A long time ago I used to wear a POW/MIA bracelet. The name on it was Larry A. Thorne, AKA Lauri Allan Torni, born in Finland in 1919. I can't help but remember this man's name when looking at the photo in the article linked in the OP.

I took that bracelet off after wearing it for years when I placed it on the left wrist of a gentleman named Holger Pitkanen on the occasion of his visit to the Special Warfare Center on Fort Bragg, where I was working at the time. Pitkanen had been Torni's lieutenant in the Finnish Army during the Winter War. He came to visit the place that had meant a lot to his friend and former commander.

The expression sometimes used back then was "hard as woodpecker lips." Those folks were incredibly, incredibly tough.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/larry-thorne.htm

http://www.mikecleverley.com/larry_thorne_born_a_soldier

http://www.mikecleverley.com/more_on_larry_thorne

 

[hso]

Major Thorne was exceptional amongst exceptional men.

 

[JLaw]

Very refreshing read.

Amazing how we can get so caught up in "gadgets", isn't it?

JLaw

 

[nevermas]

That was very cool, thank you for posting!

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Outstanding

Thanks for that.

Funny you should post that in light of recent discussions as home regarding mobility and "packing light."

The "kuksa" he mentions, the wooden cup in this picture . . .

. . . is something I've seen but never owned.

While there are other modern lightweight portable cups, some in metal, some in synthetics, I am intrigued by the wooden mug.

Where does one find the proper wood for something like this? What sort of hand tools are used? I haven't carved in years, and something like this might be just the ticket to add some new scars to my hands.


The picture is kinda cool simply as a look into the past, but I find that it also tends to help provide thinking hints for directions my mind would not otherwise take.

I'd probably go for a different kind of saw, but for some reason my benighted synapses had overlooked having a saw as standard gear.

Knife? Yes. Axe? Yes. Saw? Uh, sure, yeah, of course.


As a teen the minimalist approach to camping was part of the fun. When, after a hiatus of more than 30 years, I went to reacquaint myself with camping and hiking, I had turned into a "gear hound."

*Sigh*

Funny how what's "essential" grows to fill one's wallet and to exceed one's back and shoulders.

 

[TimboKhan]

deleted for horrible, rushed writing.

Short version: Timmy likey articles like this.

 

[Fred Fuller]

http://www.bushcraft.ridgeonnet.com/Kuksa tutorial.htm
Crafting a Classic Kuksa Cup

Would mineral oil be better to use than vegetable oil?
=================================

http://finnish-puukko.blogspot.com/2007/02/kuksa-ancient-lapland-drinking-cup.html
Kuksa ~ Ancient Lapland Drinking Cup
=========================

http://www.handmadeofwood.com/kuksa

etc/

 

[JVoutilainen]

If you really want to make a "classic" kuksa from birch burl you most definitely do NOT carve it. You remove the burl from the tree with enough material attached to form a handle. You "peal" the burl with a hammer and start pulling fibers from the inside of the burl. You pull and pull and pull until you have a "cup", after that you form the handle and possibly decorate it (only the handle) with bone fittings, or carvings. When finished you fill the kuksa with cognac and leave it for a day or two. Then you get a fire going, drink the cognac and celebrate your classic Kuksa. Carving = mass production*. Furthermore, if do not cut through wood grain your cup will last much much longer.

Good article, but filled with somewhat misguided nostalgia.

*Edit: unless you do it with your knife, of course.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Visualize . . . ?

If you really want to make a "classic" kuksa from birch burl you most definitely do NOT carve it. You remove the burl from the tree with enough material attached to form a handle. You "peal" the burl with a hammer and start pulling fibers from the inside of the burl. You pull and pull and pull until you have a "cup", after that you form the handle and possibly decorate it (only the handle) with bone fittings, or carvings. When finished you fill the kuksa with cognac and leave it for a day or two. Then you get a fire going, drink the cognac and celebrate your classic Kuksa. Carving = mass production*. Furthermore, if do not cut through wood grain your cup will last much much longer.

Good article, but filled with somewhat misguided nostalgia.

*Edit: unless you do it with your knife, of course.

Having a little trouble with the visualization of that "peal with a hammer" thing.

Are we talking about using blunt force trauma, or is this the claw side of a hammer, or is this a different kind of hammer completely? Pull fibers with . . . what? Pliers? Fingers? At what point does sandpaper get involved?

After getting the Kuksa properly drunk D), what best treats the wood for long life? Are there certain things one should not use the cup for? Is it expected that the surface will become "seasoned" and stained from different liquids, or is it more usual to do something to keep the wood more clean?

In the link from Lee above ("Crafting a Classic Kuksa Cup"), I see that the author doesn't use a burl at all, but a common split. Does this affect the quality or service life of the resulting cup?

From Lee's second link, comes this remark:

Kuksa is light to carry with you and you can use it for any type of beverages hot or cold. The burl is soaked in salt water before the kuksa is carved, so it has a little salty taste the first time you use it.

This is a standard process?

After that it will never hold any taste! You can use it for tea or coffee, juice or even for a shot of whiskey. All you need to do is rinse it with water after each use. Never put it in a dish washer or soak it in soap water!

Does this also apply if the cup is used for soups?


Sorry for all the dumb questions, but I've never had to maintain wood utensils. It's a piece of ignorance I'd like to remedy.

 

[JVoutilainen]

Use the blunt side of a regular carpenters hammer, or the edge of the blunt end to be specific, and strike at an 30 degree angle. Be gentle and firm at the same time. Try not to damage the soft layer that is directly under the bark, because that is what is going to preserve the outside of the cup naturally. You know you have succeeded if the outside of the cup turns golden brown in a day or so.

After cognac no other treatment is necessary (except for the handle, if you prefer it for the looks) and to be honest... the cognac is there just for color and enjoyment. You keep the cup in good condition by using it regularly.

Use a knife to lift the end of the fiber and pliers to pull it out. When you are satisfied the walls are thin enough, leave it as it is. DO NOT use sandpaper. You can get the inside of the cup clean enough if you are patient. Besides, grinding the inside of the cup will cut the grains and allow liquids to penetrate the wood fibers and the whole point of this method is to produce a cup that is naturally resilient.

If the edges of the cup are rough after you have pulled the fibers out finish it with a very sharp knife. You know your knife is sharp enough if the cuts look polished.

The salt water treatment you mentioned is used in mass produced kuksas. With the method I have described this is not necessary since you are using the natural properties of the wood to preserve it. Furthermore, you use a burl that is fresh out of the forest.

Kuksas are great, but I don't agree that they do not transfer a taste to a drink, for example. I have noticed that whisky, especially cask strength, tends to change in nature when enjoyed from a wooden cup... and not necessarily in a good way.

Does this also apply if the cup is used for soups?

You might want to rinse the cup with hot water after greasy stuff. But yes, never ever use soap or put it in a dishwasher.

 

[scramasax]

I have read the in the days of trappers and mountainmen they would make a "Noggin".
This also was made from a burl. The way they supposedly made the bowl was using coals to shape the inside.

Thanks for the instrcutions on how to do it the Finnish way.

Cheers,

ts

 

[JVoutilainen]

scramasax,

That method is used in Finl... northern EU also. It is a good technique because heat "hardens" the remaining wood against moisture.

 

[kamagong]

Thanks for that. Great read.

I think the focus on gear is a natural starting point for many people. After all, it's the easiest part of the equation. Do some research, go get the gear that suits (or you think will suit) your needs. Knowledge OTOH is not gained so easily. That only comes with time and experience.

 

[Pete D.]

kuksa

Does the burl have to be fresh (greenwood)? I ask because I have a seasoned burl that I have been saving, waiting for a project.
I am still having a hard time with the pull the fibers out of the burl to make the cup idea. Any pictures? I am very much a visual learner.
Pete

PS - That article about what was carried really was a great read.
Pete

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Love this great old school stuff.

 

[JVoutilainen]

Pete,

You can use seasoned burl also, but you have to soak it in water before you start working on it and during the process.

No pictures at the moment, but generally speaking you start from the middle of the burl, or middle of the cut. Study the burl and learn how to see the individual fibers - this technique is all about understanding the material you are working with.

 

[JVoutilainen]

nitpicking

A quote from the article:

9. Sharpening stone. One sided or more expensive, back then, a two sided. I always wondered as a kid, and even now, that with a single stone grandpa made his puukko and scythe super sharp. Meaning it opened a fish without ripping, made nice fire starting whittlings, gutted a rabbit without sawing with blade, nice toy bows, and just about anything. Back then i think the knives held their sharpness better as they werent sharpened to hairpoppers that sure wont pop a hair after a day in the bush and they didnt sharp the knife in the middle of whittling a new pot hanger etc. Hairpopping knives....waste of stone,steel and time often. Super steels were unknown thing and whats the real, field use, gain you get with some exotic steel ? I have some of those, but i think i could do fine without any as well. Those guys made it before, used knife 568 times more than i, you know, with simple carbon steel, why could i not then.

1. you do not need superfine whetstones to get a blade "hair popping" sharp. You simply need to know what you are doing. I can use my grit 240 stone, or a rough 1 euro scythe stone, and a leather strop (belt) and still get a knife hair whittling sharp.

2. sharpening a knife extremely sharp is most definitely NOT waste of steel... unless, again, you do not know what you are doing, and have to "waste" steel practicing.

3. using a knife that is anything less than hair popping is waste of your energy.

4. Is it possible that "granpa" wasn't a superman?

I have also rummaged through piles of old axes, files, knives and other tools of my grandfathers generation (1907-2010). It has made me realise that although most of them were extremely hardworking they did not necessarily have the skills to properly maintain their tools. Some did, and you would never ever see an axe handle with epoxy/wire/tape fixes in their collection. After all, it takes a skilled person with simple tools less than an hour to re-shaft an axe. So, why bother with epoxy and wire?

This "my grandfather who built this country settled for this" can be translated; "I don't know how to sharpen a blade, or re-shaft an axe, but my grandfather did not either... so, it must be ok".

Nitpicking? Yes, definitely. But this is supposed to be the "high road", is it not? And what is the high road? Making excuses or... practicing till your fingers bleed?

 

[Pete D.]

OK

You can use seasoned burl also, but you have to soak it in water before you start working on it and during the process.

No pictures at the moment, but generally speaking you start from the middle of the burl, or middle of the cut. Study the burl and learn how to see the individual fibers - this technique is all about understanding the material you are working with.

OK. I'll give it a go. (if I can find that piece of burl)

Pete

 

[conw]

Jv...you aren't nitpicking. I would say you're splitting hairs