Process and Design

My leather goods are made from reclaimed handbags, coats, saddles, tannery seconds and cut-offs from furniture manufacturers. These “recycled” leathers lack nothing when it comes to performance. Commercial companies reject “seconds” for various reasons that include range marks, scars, brandings, discolouration and inability to accept dyes evenly. When choosing leather for a project, I take advantage of these aesthetic “flaws” to add character and uniqueness. Each piece is hand crafted and hand finished without the use of machinery.

My knives are hand forged from 5160, 1075, 1095, and O1 stock purchased from reputable steel vendors. I don’t use scavenged metal for blades as it is nearly impossible to accurately heat treat unknown steel. The less critical small tools like steel strikers, awls and mini chisels can be made from recycled materials such as used steel files, leaf springs, RR spikes, and lawnmower blades.

I allow each piece to “evolve” during the forging process and try to limit the use of power tools in their making.

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Shop Tour

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• An overall pic of the newly made shop.
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• My forging area —
  A good selection of hammers is a bonus - some for heavy work, some for texturing and some general purpose whackers. A few styles of thongs helps. A couple pokers for pushing around the hotstuff... a straight edge, anvil, quench tank, waterbucket and propane forge are in there somewhere too.
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• My tempering oven with a multitude of temperature gauges - accuracy is important.
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• The grinding department —
  A Grizzly 2x72 was a fine purchase at $365... and the scotchbrite wheel on the other side is a godsend IMO. A little ventilation goes a long way (notice the exhaust fans in the window).
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• Drilling and cutting - don't forget to have extra bandsaw blades handy...and a multi-vice for the drill helps.
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• A organized bench and toolbox doesn't usually stay that way... but it’s a good starting point.
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• Some of my most used handtools —
  Good files (coarse, fine, round), a sanding paddle, handy clamps, non-slip drawer liner (for under the piece when clamped to the table), a homemade straightening vice and a bit of good ole' Canadian Whiskey to help work through those difficult times...
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• And what shop is complete without "Helper Elves". Child labour is a beautiful "thang"...

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The Bushkit

Bushknife
Hand forged from 5160 spring steel, the Bushknife "Original" was designed to be an indestructible "back-up knife" that never leaves your side. The cord wrap is not for everybody... I wouldn't have it any other way for its intended purpose.... A cracked handle that has been epoxied and pinned would be a nightmare to repair in the field, let alone a survival situation. Though it may not last as long, the wrap is easily replaced or removed. The knife is intended to be compact with a slim ride on the hip. You can wear a pack with a waist belt and it doesn't interfere too much. It’s not a specialized tool for whittling, skinning, food prep, etc... but the blade shape lends itself well to most tasks. It excels at battoning, prying and crushing plants for cordage fibres. The pommel is hardened for traditional flint and steel use.... and the cord can be pried off with a sharp stick to be used for bow strings, snares, fishing line… whatever. Underneath, the cord, the tang is sanded smooth so the knife will still be manageable in a bare hand without the wrap. The cord channels really help out when lashed to the end of a lance. The heat treat is a little on the soft side so it will bend, not break or chip out. Simple, tough and practical.

Firepouch
Your Firepouch is a traditional fire starting kit that is worn low on the belt and easily accessible. It contains a Hudson's Bay Tobacco Tin with burning lens in lid. Inside the tin is a piece of Illinois chert, a hand forged Strife (striker/knife), char cloth and jute cord. Here are a few helpful hints to make using your fire kit a little easier and safer…

• Separate one of the pieces of jute completely. Pull the fibres apart until they are fluffy like a ball of hair. Practice finding natural tinder to supplement your kit.
  
  
• Never cast sparks directly over the tin. You could unknowingly burnout your entire char supply.
  
  
• When casting sparks with the Strife, pinch it between your thumb and first two fingers while keeping the blade pointing up with the edge toward you.
  
  
• Hold a bit of char cloth between your thumb and the piece of chert. Strike a fast glancing blow perpendicular to the sharp edge of the chert. What you are doing is shaving a small piece of steel from the striker that super heats and lands on the char.
  
  
• Place your glowing char into the bundle of jute fibres and blow to flame. Make sure you have made the appropriate fire preparations ahead of time… ie. tinder, kindling and fuel wood.
  
  
• Avoid making char cloth in your Hudson Bay Tobacco Box. It can ruin the lens in the lid. In a survival situation, remove the lens from the lid prior to cooking in it.

Utilipouch
This handy little item is your backwoods toolbox. The Utilipouch holds a sewing kit, jute twine, leather lace, paracord, sharpening kit, char making tin, beeswax and an 8hr tea candle. The leather closure strap is extra long for tying items to the outside of the pouch. There is still some space available to add other essential items such as a first aid kit, fishing tackle or butane lighter. The idea is to personalize this pouch to best serve your needs.

Neckpouch
Canoe tipped over? Pack lost?
Made from a single piece of leather and worn around the neck, this kit provides a reliable and waterproof means of fire starting. This is your “last resort” tool. The kit includes a magnesium/ferro rod, striker and a stick of resinous pine (Fatwood). Simply scrape a dime sized pile of dust from the magnesium bar and ignite using the ferro rod glued to the back. Add some shavings from the fatwood to sustain the flame for even longer periods. Don’t forget to lay out your fire making materials ahead of time to maximize the results.

Tomahawk
For centuries the tomahawk has found a place in the modern woodsman’s kit. This versatile tool is lightweight, fast and efficient. The slip fit handle means it is more easily replaced then that of an axe. When sharpened properly a good hawk can be your main camp tool, performing tasks from chopping wood to food preparation. The simple snap closure sheath effectively protects you from the cutting edge whether it’s tucked in your belt or strapped to a pack. I have found Cold Steel brand hawks to be of highest quality.

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Testimonials

On the “Bushlore”…
"I have carried a fixed blade knife since I was six years old...which means I've carried and used them for thirty six years now. I have owned lots of them. In my childhood my family and I did commercial fishing and trapping for our livelihood. I have used my knives for many tasks and chores; cutting stakes, building shelters, making tinder, spits, cooking sticks, pot hangers, processing fish and game, cutting up vegetables… the list goes on.
It has been five months since I bought this knife, the model you call the Bushlore. Having put it through a good bit of work I have to say that I have never been more pleased with the performance of a knife. It has a fantastic feel in the hand, the handle is very comfortable and allows for a really good grip, and the angle of the blade to the handle really helps during camp chores such as skinning, carving, whittling and cutting meats and vegetables. It has a wonderful density to it and upon picking it up, my first words were "Now this is a knife!" The knife came sharp enough to slice tomatoes as thin as sheets of paper. Even after all of the chores I've put it through, the edge has held up well. Thank you Rick, for making such a fine tool… this is a fantastic knife, and one of my most prized pieces of kit!

Sincerely
Brian Griffin, TN. 

On the “Strife” knife…
“That little blade is the coolest thing EVER!! I've been using it for several things. Its so friggin sharp I use it occasionally as a wood carving tool, it slices through leather with ease, and its always in my man bag as a handy do-everything blade.”

Peter, NS

Allan “Bow” Beauchamp is a Wilderness Survival and Primitive Skills Instructor based out of Ontario, Canada. Bow practices “extreme” survival and native spirituality. He has come to understand what can be learned from just listening to what the bush has to say. Bow ventures deep into the skills learned, often, in the extreme cold that can be frequent in Northern Ontario. He knows what works in environments where few will ever succeed, whether in a traveling or stationary survival scenario. In the short time that I have studied with Bow, I have come to know him as a teacher and a friend.

This is what Bow has to say on the subject of Firepouches…

“It is everything in the bush… it is FIRE… and it can be my life! I developed my kit because we need some core items with us, always, while in the bush... to make our travels safer. If you’ve never gone out into the bush during bad weather or extreme conditions… then this pouch really has no meaning to you. However, if you’ve ever broken through the ice on a very cold night… then you will, as I have, come to understand why this pouch is "everything".

 Over time I have come to learn that when "playing bush" (As my native spiritual teacher calls it) you can use most anything to get you through the training time. However, if you wander the bush in search of what Mother Earth "really" has to teach, you’re usually off the beaten path. In these environments many things can go wrong… believe me. Sometimes just getting a fire going is all you can do and it’s not always as easy as it seems. This pouch is a product of many trips “gone wrong” and is what got me home!!

 I have come to respect my "Firepouch" ...............it is truly a great friend!”

Allan "bow" Beauchamp, ON

Announcement
In collaboration with Allan "Bow" Beauchamp, I have gathered and assembled what we truly believe to be a "no nonsense" fire making system. Modeled after Bow's personal gear, it consists of an every day use Firepouch, backed by a reliable secondary or “emergency” Neckpouch fire lighting system.

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