Friday 27 April 2012

My first attempt at a kuksa











As I understand it a kuksa is a traditional Swedish drinking vessel, the type you might have hanging from your belt or stowed away in your pack for a camping or hiking trip. I've seen a few on line now and I think they're fairly beautiful objects. I've wanted to have a go at making one for some time now so, with a little time on my hands a couple of Saturdays ago, I thought I'd give it a whirl.

It was actually a little harder than I'd anticipated. Not technically, but because I chose a piece of wood from my wood pile which turned out to be a piece of oak. Kuksa are traditionally made from birch, I believe, an altogether softer and easier wood to carve. After about three hours carving my oak kuksa, my hands were sore and blistered and really felt like I'd been working at it. The smell of the shavings, however, which gave a very warm and rich aroma, was more than reward enough.

Ultimately, I was fairly pleased with the results and look forward to trying it out properly. I guess I'll take it with me when I camp out at Spoonfest this August, if not before.

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