The Bushcraft Toolmaker Course - A weekend making your own tools

£310.00
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This fantastic course from Adam Logan at A.Woodsman sees us spend the weekend transforming the campfire into a metal working studio as we craft our own Mocotaugan, chisel and awl in the woods.

Over the course of two intensive days, your experienced instructors will guide you through the basics of selecting materials, maintaining the fire, and refining your forging techniques.

This course not only equips you with valuable skills but also fosters a deepened understanding of what metal tool making meant for our ancestors. By the end of your journey, you will walk away with handcrafted tools, an understanding of the forging process, and the confidence to apply your newfound skills in the great outdoors.

The crooked knife, the “Mocotaugan” in Cree, is fantastic example of elegance and understanding shaped by the knowledge of natural materials. This tool has been used to make canoes and paddles, baskets and bark craft for centuries. We selected this tool for the course tuition as it represents a complex pinnacle tool for this skillset, if you can make a Mocotaugan you can easily make a belt knife, sloyd knife, or really any other bladed tool.

Take the first step towards becoming a self-sufficient toolmaker, ready to embrace the wilderness with both knowledge and creativity. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot today and forge your path to independence in the wild!

Date:

This fantastic course from Adam Logan at A.Woodsman sees us spend the weekend transforming the campfire into a metal working studio as we craft our own Mocotaugan, chisel and awl in the woods.

Over the course of two intensive days, your experienced instructors will guide you through the basics of selecting materials, maintaining the fire, and refining your forging techniques.

This course not only equips you with valuable skills but also fosters a deepened understanding of what metal tool making meant for our ancestors. By the end of your journey, you will walk away with handcrafted tools, an understanding of the forging process, and the confidence to apply your newfound skills in the great outdoors.

The crooked knife, the “Mocotaugan” in Cree, is fantastic example of elegance and understanding shaped by the knowledge of natural materials. This tool has been used to make canoes and paddles, baskets and bark craft for centuries. We selected this tool for the course tuition as it represents a complex pinnacle tool for this skillset, if you can make a Mocotaugan you can easily make a belt knife, sloyd knife, or really any other bladed tool.

Take the first step towards becoming a self-sufficient toolmaker, ready to embrace the wilderness with both knowledge and creativity. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot today and forge your path to independence in the wild!

What You’ll Learn – Traditional Mocotaugan Making Course

Dive deep into the history, craftsmanship, and practical skills behind the Algonquin-style Mocotaugan, a traditional North American woodworking and carving tool. This immersive course covers everything you need to know to forge your own functional Mocotaugan using authentic, time-honored methods.

Key Topics and Skills:

  • Historical overview: Explore the origins and cultural significance of the Mocotaugan and compare its use to the European drawknife and shave horse

  • Tool components: Learn about traditional materials including blade metals, carved branch-fork handles, natural root bindings, and tool pitch design

  • Campfire forge operation: Master using a basic campfire forge fueled by charcoal and hardwood coals with improvised bellows

  • Fundamentals of metalworking: Hands-on annealing, shaping with files, bending, quenching, tempering, and finishing your blade

  • Blade finishing techniques: Apply modern epoxy or natural pine resin and birch tar as binding agents, wrapping the blade with wire, cord, or roots for durability

  • Additional traditional tool making: Craft simple chisels from repurposed old files and make a functional awl for hide or bark work

  • Primitive toolmaking philosophy: Emphasize methods achievable away from modern electric workshops, honoring the authentic origins of the craft

  • Safe blade storage: Create a long buckskin strap sheath to protect your blade and maintain its edge during travel and use

Course Details

Time: 3:00 PM Friday - 4:30 PM Sunday
Price: £310 per person
Location: Private woodland near Harrogate, Yorkshire (exact directions provided with booking pack)

What’s Included:

  • Create and take home your own Mocotaugan, chisel, and awl

  • Expert tuition from Lead Instructor Adam Logan and Support Instructor Jamie Dakota

  • Small group size (max. 8 guests) ensures a focused, personal learning experience

  • Fully catered, starting with Friday evening meal and finishing with Sunday lunch

  • Option to camp onsite in peaceful woodland with toilet facilities

  • Full kit list provided upon booking, bring your usual warm clothing and sleeping bag

Important Information:

  • Suitable for ages 16 and over

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by a participating adult

  • Please advise us of any dietary requirements so we can accommodate your needs

  • Please read our Terms & Conditions before booking