Just thought I’d post a review of the Primitive Tools course run by Wilderness Survival Skills that I attended last weekend. John and Val Lord handled the teaching of the primitive element of the course whilst the WSS instructors Joe and Glen taught bits of bushcraft as the need arose during the weekend. John and Val shouldn’t need any introduction, and both Joe and Glen are both very experienced instructors. I won’t bore you with their CVs but it was clear from the confident, easygoing manner of how they taught that they knew their stuff.
I arrived at Salisbury station late on Friday evening and was collected by Joe, the chief instructor. Arriving at the site it was a short walk through the woods to the campfire where I was given a brief outline of the site safety rules and Joe checked if I needed any extra kit for the weekend. Since I was coming straight from work I was laden down with my work clothes in my rucksack as well as various other work related stuff. I’d mentioned this to Joe before the course started so there was a basha already up for me which was one less thing to lug about.
There was also a bowl of venison stew waiting for me which was especially welcome as I’d not eaten for many hours. Aaah, the food. In a previous life Joe had experience in the catering business and it certainly showed – the food was invariably excellent with ample portions throughout the weekend. John and Val introduced themselves before retiring, then myself and the WSS team sat around chatting while we drank Joe’s beer before hitting the sack.
Saturday morning I got up especially early and went for a bimble in the woods. I’d been advised the night before that the woods, mainly overgrown hazel coppice, birch and oak were a bit of a jungle and it would be easy to become a little lost so I was particularly careful to check for natural features to signpost me back to camp. Thankfully the ‘jungle’ was simply the profusion of hazel which meant that whilst line of sight was fairly limited it was easygoing under foot. Anyway after my excursion to find some nettles for cordage it was a relatively simple matter to find my way back to the campfire where the kettle was boiling away and I was offered breakfast.
After breakfast we helped John bring over his stuff and then we waited for the other three students to arrive. It was all very relaxed though plenty got done. That was very much the motif of the weekend - relaxed but purposeful. All us students were encouraged and supported in doing things but if we wanted to take a break then that was fine. The instructors were attentive and made sure everyone was agreeably occupied but weren’t constantly harassing the students to complete tasks in line with some rigid timetable. There was plenty to do but none of it felt rushed.
Once the other students had arrived and had sorted out their stuff there was a concise site and safety brief and then we sat down to learn something of flint knapping from John Lord. What can I say about the man that hasn’t been said elsewhere; an incredible craftsman, a brilliant teacher and also a very nice bloke. It was captivating to watch him at work – I was enthralled. First he showed us how to make a handaxe (or should I say he made a handaxe whilst explaining what he was doing and why – there was no way I was going to be able to make a handaxe on my first attempt) and then prepared a core and made a few blades. He next brought the core round to each of us and set us up to produce a few blades for ourselves which certainly boosted my confidence.
Then we set to work trying to make handaxes whilst John wandered among us offering advice and answering questions. What I liked about the whole experience was that at no time did I ever feel talked down to (as can happen sometimes when experts teach) and I felt comfortable in asking what might have been stupid questions. Under John’s guidance I might not have made a handaxe on my first attempt but I came close and when it did go wrong it was a flaw in the material and not my incompetence that caused the calamity.
After lunch John showed us how to pressure flake with both copper and antler and the students made projectile points. I’d had some previous experience with pressure flaking and so chose to concentrate more on making a handaxe. With some more guidance from John I was delighted to turn out a recognisable handaxe (though I’m sure a so-called primitive stone age man would have been disgusted with my handiwork). I think one of the things that significantly helped me to achieve this was that there was never any feeling that I had to get things done; I was able to chop and change between activities as I wanted and I knew I had two days so there was time to relax and really think about what I was doing.
The evening meal was excellent as ever with fried pigeon and partridge breasts (prepared earlier by the students under Joe’s instruction), mashed potatoes flavoured with something or other (I’m no gourmet) and vegetables. As the darkness closed in people either sat around the campfire chatting or carried on with personal projects; I made a simple hand drill, a hoko knife and an atlatl and dart.
The next day started with a short walk to collect some nettles for cordage, some wild foods to supplement the evening meal and some spruce leaves to make spruce tea. We then prepared a salmon for ponassing for lunch.
After breakfast John demonstrating making a flint adze (it started as a handaxe but the flint decided otherwise) and we were free to either try to craft a primitive tool with what we made or practice some more knapping or flaking. John and Val drifted amongst us offering advice. As well as the nettles for cordage there was an ample supply of other materials such as strips of deer rawhide, antler, ready made rawhide cordage and birch tar which the instructors had made the day before. There was also a short excursion to cut some ash for making axe handles and hazel for arrow shafts.
As part of the teaching John had made a small biface which he was kind enough to give me so I made a knife. I had some hide glue which I’d brought along myself and used that to cover the binding.
Both John and Val were very generous with their knowledge throughout the course with John showing me how to make burins (I’d read about the technique in books but it never clicked until John showed me) and microliths. They weren’t strictly part of the course but because I asked I was shown and not in an off hand way either. It was all clearly demonstrated and explained. Val also showed me an interesting new (well to me certainly) cordage making technique which I’m looking forward to trying out. And not only were they generous with their knowledge; I was offered the use of John’s flint adze for a project (I refused as I was afraid I’d damage it but of course I regret saying so now) and John gave away various stone tools and blanks that he made.
Lunch was the ponassed salmon with rice flavoured with the various wild herbs we collected earlier. After lunch we carried on with our projects until the day ended at 3.30 pm. The early finishing time was not due to the instructors telling us our time was up but because we all had many hours journey home (I didn’t get home for another five hours) and we decided between us that it was probably the latest we could sensibly leave it.
Some of us hadn’t quite managed to fully complete our projects – we had been encouraged to use flint tools we had made ourselves which necessarily slowed things up. It wasn’t compulsory to do so but it fitted in with the feel of the weekend so whenever practical we all did. Joe kindly ensured we went away with materials to finish our project; I was given some boar hide to make a sheath for my knife as well as some antler as I’d expressed an interest in using the burins I’d made to carve some needles and other items.
So to sum up: great woods, great food, experienced, friendly and helpful instructors, the amazing John and Val Lord and a very fair price for it all. Definitely worth doing and as proof of that I’m doing the same course again next year so I can learn even more.
I arrived at Salisbury station late on Friday evening and was collected by Joe, the chief instructor. Arriving at the site it was a short walk through the woods to the campfire where I was given a brief outline of the site safety rules and Joe checked if I needed any extra kit for the weekend. Since I was coming straight from work I was laden down with my work clothes in my rucksack as well as various other work related stuff. I’d mentioned this to Joe before the course started so there was a basha already up for me which was one less thing to lug about.
There was also a bowl of venison stew waiting for me which was especially welcome as I’d not eaten for many hours. Aaah, the food. In a previous life Joe had experience in the catering business and it certainly showed – the food was invariably excellent with ample portions throughout the weekend. John and Val introduced themselves before retiring, then myself and the WSS team sat around chatting while we drank Joe’s beer before hitting the sack.
Saturday morning I got up especially early and went for a bimble in the woods. I’d been advised the night before that the woods, mainly overgrown hazel coppice, birch and oak were a bit of a jungle and it would be easy to become a little lost so I was particularly careful to check for natural features to signpost me back to camp. Thankfully the ‘jungle’ was simply the profusion of hazel which meant that whilst line of sight was fairly limited it was easygoing under foot. Anyway after my excursion to find some nettles for cordage it was a relatively simple matter to find my way back to the campfire where the kettle was boiling away and I was offered breakfast.
After breakfast we helped John bring over his stuff and then we waited for the other three students to arrive. It was all very relaxed though plenty got done. That was very much the motif of the weekend - relaxed but purposeful. All us students were encouraged and supported in doing things but if we wanted to take a break then that was fine. The instructors were attentive and made sure everyone was agreeably occupied but weren’t constantly harassing the students to complete tasks in line with some rigid timetable. There was plenty to do but none of it felt rushed.
Once the other students had arrived and had sorted out their stuff there was a concise site and safety brief and then we sat down to learn something of flint knapping from John Lord. What can I say about the man that hasn’t been said elsewhere; an incredible craftsman, a brilliant teacher and also a very nice bloke. It was captivating to watch him at work – I was enthralled. First he showed us how to make a handaxe (or should I say he made a handaxe whilst explaining what he was doing and why – there was no way I was going to be able to make a handaxe on my first attempt) and then prepared a core and made a few blades. He next brought the core round to each of us and set us up to produce a few blades for ourselves which certainly boosted my confidence.
Then we set to work trying to make handaxes whilst John wandered among us offering advice and answering questions. What I liked about the whole experience was that at no time did I ever feel talked down to (as can happen sometimes when experts teach) and I felt comfortable in asking what might have been stupid questions. Under John’s guidance I might not have made a handaxe on my first attempt but I came close and when it did go wrong it was a flaw in the material and not my incompetence that caused the calamity.
After lunch John showed us how to pressure flake with both copper and antler and the students made projectile points. I’d had some previous experience with pressure flaking and so chose to concentrate more on making a handaxe. With some more guidance from John I was delighted to turn out a recognisable handaxe (though I’m sure a so-called primitive stone age man would have been disgusted with my handiwork). I think one of the things that significantly helped me to achieve this was that there was never any feeling that I had to get things done; I was able to chop and change between activities as I wanted and I knew I had two days so there was time to relax and really think about what I was doing.
The evening meal was excellent as ever with fried pigeon and partridge breasts (prepared earlier by the students under Joe’s instruction), mashed potatoes flavoured with something or other (I’m no gourmet) and vegetables. As the darkness closed in people either sat around the campfire chatting or carried on with personal projects; I made a simple hand drill, a hoko knife and an atlatl and dart.
The next day started with a short walk to collect some nettles for cordage, some wild foods to supplement the evening meal and some spruce leaves to make spruce tea. We then prepared a salmon for ponassing for lunch.
After breakfast John demonstrating making a flint adze (it started as a handaxe but the flint decided otherwise) and we were free to either try to craft a primitive tool with what we made or practice some more knapping or flaking. John and Val drifted amongst us offering advice. As well as the nettles for cordage there was an ample supply of other materials such as strips of deer rawhide, antler, ready made rawhide cordage and birch tar which the instructors had made the day before. There was also a short excursion to cut some ash for making axe handles and hazel for arrow shafts.
As part of the teaching John had made a small biface which he was kind enough to give me so I made a knife. I had some hide glue which I’d brought along myself and used that to cover the binding.
Both John and Val were very generous with their knowledge throughout the course with John showing me how to make burins (I’d read about the technique in books but it never clicked until John showed me) and microliths. They weren’t strictly part of the course but because I asked I was shown and not in an off hand way either. It was all clearly demonstrated and explained. Val also showed me an interesting new (well to me certainly) cordage making technique which I’m looking forward to trying out. And not only were they generous with their knowledge; I was offered the use of John’s flint adze for a project (I refused as I was afraid I’d damage it but of course I regret saying so now) and John gave away various stone tools and blanks that he made.
Lunch was the ponassed salmon with rice flavoured with the various wild herbs we collected earlier. After lunch we carried on with our projects until the day ended at 3.30 pm. The early finishing time was not due to the instructors telling us our time was up but because we all had many hours journey home (I didn’t get home for another five hours) and we decided between us that it was probably the latest we could sensibly leave it.
Some of us hadn’t quite managed to fully complete our projects – we had been encouraged to use flint tools we had made ourselves which necessarily slowed things up. It wasn’t compulsory to do so but it fitted in with the feel of the weekend so whenever practical we all did. Joe kindly ensured we went away with materials to finish our project; I was given some boar hide to make a sheath for my knife as well as some antler as I’d expressed an interest in using the burins I’d made to carve some needles and other items.
So to sum up: great woods, great food, experienced, friendly and helpful instructors, the amazing John and Val Lord and a very fair price for it all. Definitely worth doing and as proof of that I’m doing the same course again next year so I can learn even more.
