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Look at the 'Plants for a Future' website for questions like that - a great resource and all entries contain citations to their original source. Here's a linky to the Mahonia entry http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Mahonia+aquifolium Quoting from 'Edible Uses' section: But also...

The wear is reduced because the cord isn't under the high tension found in normal bow drill sets. Peter

Always wanted to visit NZ. Just waiting for that free air ticket now ;-) Peter

Dunno - it was a while ago and I've passed a lot of cider since I made that ;-) I think I just stuck a couple of teaspoons of Potassium Nitrate in a cup of water, soaked the trama overnight and then hammered it thin and dried it out. Works a treat in my fire piston and takes sparks well. Peter

Should have patented that idea before posting! ;-) How about the woven heat proof fabric that you can get for protecting walls/skirting board when ga torch soldering plumbing pipes? That's built to stand a much higher temperature than a wood fire. Peter

I think the fact that the drill is fixed to the cord (either with a knot or passing the cord through a hole in the drill) is what makes it 'Egyptian', but that may just be slack Bushcraft terminology for this twist on the theme. Securing the cord in this way does mean that the cord does not need...

I have good tinder from a conk, in this case made by soaking the trama layer from the conk in salt petre - works brilliantly in my fire piston. Peter

Somehow I'd missed cooked Common Hogweed as an edible! Just tried a couple of shoots from a plant that I know definitely isn't the Giant variety (very important!). All I can say is this weed may well change my mind over green vegetables! Excellent flavour and good texture. Assuming they stay...

Thanks both. Toddy's suggestion sounds simplest - I was trying to work out how to do it with a tied thong, but for some reason I just couldn't picture it. Peter

I'd like to make a mask for an axe I'm about to do a restore job on. I consider myself quite good at leather-craft, but don't have any studs or buckles etc. Can anyone show me a way to secure and release the mask without metalwork please? Peter

The old saying is that by the time you've reduced 200lbs of rock to gravel, you'll get the hang of it ;-) Go spend a day with John (and Val - she's a treasure too ;-) - it will be a day you'll remember for the rest of your life. Peter

I suppose if you could find some decent quality large diameter bamboo then a Bhutanese bow could be made so that the two sections bolt together at the handle. If you can find he 'boo, then this should be quite quick and simple to make. Still likely to be 5ft+ length mind you. I've yet to find a...

I went looking for this, but couldn't see it on his site. Can you give me a clue where I should be clicking? Peter

A weekend in the woods making and using lethal projectile weapons and then sitting around the fire with your mates and a beer or two in the evening. What's there not to love about that? ;-) Peter

I wish I'd caught the person who donated the foil tray to the atlatl and flint display. Really p155ed me off having to tidy up other people's rubbish. Peter

No fibres left when I checked dead standing nettles here in Dorset in early Spring :-( Peter

I hope Tony will allow me this one short plug following our time at the Moot... For all of those who asked me for contact details for the Prehistoric Archery and Atlatl Society (PAAS) at the Moot, all you need can be found here: http://www.thepaas.org.uk Before you get too excited though...

I'm looking for someone who will be at the Moot Main Days to show me how to make Fan Birds. Any offers? Peter

http://www.thepaas.org.uk/atlatl.html See you at the Moot? Peter

If you're coming to the 'Moot, bring it along and introduce yourself to the Prehistoric Archery and Atlatl folks. Peter