Uploaded September 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
4DB Website at: 4directionsbushcraft.com
In this video I start by reducing birch bark into birch bark oil. This takes about 1 1/2. I then further reduce it down into tar so it can be utilized as a glue for hafting. I use Black Walnut husk and separate them from their seeds with a replica Stone Age Plummet that I stone ground in the same way as the full groove axe head I am getting ready to haft in my next video. The Plummet is a very useful tool and would have been used in the Paleolithic, Neolithic Stone Age and by the Native Americans in much of the same way as I use it here. When removing the walnut husks they will stain your hands and arms if they splash up on your skin. I suggest wearing protective clothing that you don't mind getting stained. These will stain anything they come in contact with.
I then place a piece of White Tail Deer antler in a natural container made in the creek bottom by water run off. This is filled with rain water from the recent rains we received in my area. I place the walnut husks in along with the antler and hot stones that I placed in the fire. You must be careful with this step as they do explode if left in the fire to long. In this case I heat them up for about 20 minutes or so. This is long enough to get them hot but not make them explode. Most of the rocks I use are right from the creek and are wet. They do work for stone boiling but I do not recommend using them.
After about 1 1/2 hours rotating the rocks in and out of the water I pull the antler out to find it nicely stained brown by the walnut husks.
I then further reduce the Birch oil down into a thick tar by placing it over the fire and then cooling it in the water and repeating. Using this technique I can easily judge the rate in which the tar is reducing. If the tar reduces to quickly it can turn into a useless carbon. This step takes a lot of patients. When the oil it thick enough I poor it out onto a piece of Birch Bark and add ash to it. This allows it to bond, harden and not stick to other objects until I reheat it for use.
In my last video youtu.be/P86WocTyNxo
I make natural cordage out of White Willow bark in preparation to haft my full groove stone ground axe head.
As you can see hafting is a very long process and can take more time than making the actual tool itself. If done right it will have the strength to withstand chopping.
Stay tuned for my next video on the actual hafting of the axe head to the deer antler.
We thank you all very much for your views, comments and support.
Please subscribe, like and share and we will have plenty more videos like this one.
Be sure to look at our other social media links below and our website where we sell fantastic bushcraft, survival and prepping gear at low prices.
4DB Website at: 4directionsbushcraft.com
4DB Blog at: 4directionsbushcraft.com/blog
4DB News letter registration at: 4directionsbushcraft.us13.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=45c5a502686fc44211df4d689&id=431382b638
4DB Instagram at: instagram.com/4directionsbushcraft
4DB Facebook at: facebook.com/4directionsbushcraft
4DB Website at: 4directionsbushcraft.com
In this video I start by reducing birch bark into birch bark oil. This takes about 1 1/2. I then further reduce it down into tar so it can be utilized as a glue for hafting. I use Black Walnut husk and separate them from their seeds with a replica Stone Age Plummet that I stone ground in the same way as the full groove axe head I am getting ready to haft in my next video. The Plummet is a very useful tool and would have been used in the Paleolithic, Neolithic Stone Age and by the Native Americans in much of the same way as I use it here. When removing the walnut husks they will stain your hands and arms if they splash up on your skin. I suggest wearing protective clothing that you don't mind getting stained. These will stain anything they come in contact with.
I then place a piece of White Tail Deer antler in a natural container made in the creek bottom by water run off. This is filled with rain water from the recent rains we received in my area. I place the walnut husks in along with the antler and hot stones that I placed in the fire. You must be careful with this step as they do explode if left in the fire to long. In this case I heat them up for about 20 minutes or so. This is long enough to get them hot but not make them explode. Most of the rocks I use are right from the creek and are wet. They do work for stone boiling but I do not recommend using them.
After about 1 1/2 hours rotating the rocks in and out of the water I pull the antler out to find it nicely stained brown by the walnut husks.
I then further reduce the Birch oil down into a thick tar by placing it over the fire and then cooling it in the water and repeating. Using this technique I can easily judge the rate in which the tar is reducing. If the tar reduces to quickly it can turn into a useless carbon. This step takes a lot of patients. When the oil it thick enough I poor it out onto a piece of Birch Bark and add ash to it. This allows it to bond, harden and not stick to other objects until I reheat it for use.
In my last video youtu.be/P86WocTyNxo
I make natural cordage out of White Willow bark in preparation to haft my full groove stone ground axe head.
As you can see hafting is a very long process and can take more time than making the actual tool itself. If done right it will have the strength to withstand chopping.
Stay tuned for my next video on the actual hafting of the axe head to the deer antler.
We thank you all very much for your views, comments and support.
Please subscribe, like and share and we will have plenty more videos like this one.
Be sure to look at our other social media links below and our website where we sell fantastic bushcraft, survival and prepping gear at low prices.
4DB Website at: 4directionsbushcraft.com
4DB Blog at: 4directionsbushcraft.com/blog
4DB News letter registration at: 4directionsbushcraft.us13.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=45c5a502686fc44211df4d689&id=431382b638
4DB Instagram at: instagram.com/4directionsbushcraft
4DB Facebook at: facebook.com/4directionsbushcraft
