Intro - getting started

Funny how life works, much to my surprise I find myself, a DIY numpty, carving things from green wood. 

It started when I had a heart attack (http://diaryofaheartattack.blogspot.com/) like many people this made me take a long look at life. I was working too many hours and needed some relax time, preferably out in the fresh air. 

I used to canoe a lot years ago and wanted to get back into it, so I scraped together the cost of a used canoe but could not afford a paddle, a trawl around the web led me to a book "Paddle making" by Graham Warren and much to my surprise I managed to make a paddle, even more suprising to me was that I enjoyed the process.

The internet canoeing forum Cwav got me back into the world of canoeing and introduced me to paddling buddies. During weekend paddling trips, around the campfire, I saw people using spoons and bowls that they had made themselves using very basic tools. I had to give this a try.

A hunt around the family sheds turned up an axe followed  by a trip to www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/ where £10 brought a good Mora bushcraft knife and I was ready to start.