In search of the perfect plate....

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,456
1,294
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
Get someone to turn you a nice wooden plate/bowl to your spec - real men do not use plastic!:)

Get a woodturner to make you one to your specifications.

Edit:
Ah, the great JF got there before me.

You know what, looking at the kapulika others posted made me think about wood - I have a lathe and should drag it out of the back of the man cave!!!! :D Wonder if I can convince the wife that eating from wood is safe! :D

We had a good sized sycamore come down at work recently that could yield some decent diameters.....
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Of course wood is safe! People have been using it for, oh, a few thousand years now.

Of course, convincing one's wife of anything is a significantly different issue... :)
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,456
1,294
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
Of course wood is safe! People have been using it for, oh, a few thousand years now.

Of course, convincing one's wife of anything is a significantly different issue... :)

I know it and you know it but convincing 'er indoors is going to be interesting. She may just go for it straight off but I suspect the brainwashing of the meeedja over the years will not have helped!
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,504
2,917
W.Sussex
:Wow: Sausages, mash and gravy.... droool

Seriously though I have to agree with Mesquite, those kupilka plates and bowls are rather good. John Fenna and Steve (Mesquite) both had them at the Moot last year and they really are the bizz for camping.

I suspect your first meal when you get back might be bangers and mash with thick onion gravy? The French do do sausage, but they don't do SAUSAGES. :)

Porky Whites are my fave at the moment, used to be Porkinsons, but I can't find them anymore.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,136
2,874
66
Pembrokeshire
You know what, looking at the kapulika others posted made me think about wood - I have a lathe and should drag it out of the back of the man cave!!!! :D Wonder if I can convince the wife that eating from wood is safe! :D

We had a good sized sycamore come down at work recently that could yield some decent diameters.....

Do it!
Do it!
Do it!
Do it!
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,456
1,294
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
i picked up enamel cups, bowls and plates from the 99p shop good old school feel to them but why not just use mess tins?

Mess tons are horrible at the best of times and this is for the glamping side of things with the wife and kids rather than in the ditch with the worms. ;)

The fine China would prob get chipped though.... :D
 

robin wood

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Oct 29, 2007
3,054
1
derbyshire
www.robin-wood.co.uk
You know what, looking at the kapulika others posted made me think about wood - I have a lathe and should drag it out of the back of the man cave!!!! :D Wonder if I can convince the wife that eating from wood is safe! :D

We had a good sized sycamore come down at work recently that could yield some decent diameters.....

You know it makes sense. Interestingly plates are a relatively modern thing, they come in in the 17th C at the same time it becomes normal to eat at a table. Before that wooden dishes and bowls were the thing they just make so much sense if you are holding them in your hand or on your lap. Wood being a natural insulator keeps your food warm but does not get hot on the outside.
 

Gaudette

Full Member
Aug 24, 2012
872
17
Cambs
They have rimmed enamel plates in Poundland. Also I have used an old fray bentos pie tin in the past also available in Poundland.
 

cranmere

Settler
Mar 7, 2014
992
2
Somerset, England
We had a good sized sycamore come down at work recently that could yield some decent diameters.....
I have a sycamore plate from when I was playing with a historical recreation society. It's attractive and works well as a plate, the wood doesn't impart any flavour to what is put on it.
 

woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
I did a job last year & part of my payment was in wood, 12 elm planks, I've not done anything with them, just wondering how hard it would be to "carve" a plate ?

Rob
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
I did a job last year & part of my payment was in wood, 12 elm planks, I've not done anything with them, just wondering how hard it would be to "carve" a plate ?

Rob

If you didn't insist on a circle, then I don't see why not, though the bowl removal might take a while. Elm is very hard when seasoned though, although it would look fantastic.
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
54
Rossendale, Lancashire
I'm not sure if they still make them but Evernew used to do a handle less version of one of their non stick frying pans which neatly stacked in the handled version. For my purposes it makes the ideal bowl come plate since I usually don't need to cut up what I've cooked on the plate so am only spooning stuff up and that don't harm the non stick, well not so far.


On the rare occaision I take bacon or something that's a usually knife and fork job I take a stottie and turn it into a sandwich.

One thing I am planning on trying is baking some trenchers and trying them as edible plates since I invariable eat a lot of bread when out anyway.

Atb

Tom
 

woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
If you didn't insist on a circle, then I don't see why not, though the bowl removal might take a while. Elm is very hard when seasoned though, although it would look fantastic.

Thanks for the reply, these planks are well seasoned, the person who's house it was said they were in the loft when he moved in 12yrs ago, so hard as a hard thing that's hard, would be a good guess !

Rob
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,456
1,294
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
A couple of bits of Elm. Not bad considering that it's at least 14 years since I turned a bowl!



i know they 're not the Sycamore I suggested I would use, nor are they very plate like.
I decided that I may struggle for time to get the sycamore cut as well as turned so got hold of some elm bowl blanks and made these. I plan to use them for the same purpose, just dinner will be in a bit deeper/narrower diameter bowls. :D

I may get to doing the sycamore eventually, though I need to think of a plan on how to fit the blanks to the lathe - much more of a diamteter and the work catches on the motor housing!!! :( doable with adding spacers but more of a faff.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,136
2,874
66
Pembrokeshire
I just bought a hand turned sycamore bowl in a charity shop - £2!
Scoured, sanded and oiled with flaxseed oil it is now my new user :)
No photos - it is packed for the Moot :)
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
A couple of bits of Elm. Not bad considering that it's at least 14 years since I turned a bowl!



i know they 're not the Sycamore I suggested I would use, nor are they very plate like.
I decided that I may struggle for time to get the sycamore cut as well as turned so got hold of some elm bowl blanks and made these. I plan to use them for the same purpose, just dinner will be in a bit deeper/narrower diameter bowls. :D

I may get to doing the sycamore eventually, though I need to think of a plan on how to fit the blanks to the lathe - much more of a diamteter and the work catches on the motor housing!!! :( doable with adding spacers but more of a faff.

You haven't lost your touch. Excellent turning.
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE