Woodworking

I believe it was John McPherson who coined the phrase, "tools to make tools, to make tools." This kind of describes the domino effect making primitive tools...a stone (tool) is used to strike, from another stone, a sharp flake (tool) which is used to cut & notch a handdrill set (tool), which then twirls a hot coal for a fire (tool), which is used to coal burn a bowl (tool), etc.

Several years ago I put together this assemblage to show some basic wookworking with primitive tools. In the process of making a wooden spoon, a limb is split using antler and bone wedges. A hot coal is used to burn a depression in the split section. A stone bladed adze is used to chop out a rough spoon, which is shaved down with stone flakes. A final burnish, or polish, is put on it by rubbing the spoon briskly with a deer leg bone. (Two coal burned bowls are pictured which were made by placing hot coals on the blank, allowing it to char the wood. This is scraped off, and the process repeated.) Hmmm...now I need a tool box to put all this stuff...