Mother Nature is the best manufacturer we know……

There is something about the beauty of natural materials, from leather to wood to antler. Even fungus can…. its amazing to think you can use a raw material produced by mother nature to inspire beautifully crafted items, I guess that’s why we are in Bushcraft. You can take a Horse Hoof fungus and turn it into something very practical like Amadou Tinder - from a scraggy looking bit of  Fungus growing on a tree to producing a soft velvet leather like product that can be used for Fire Lighting. Amadou once it has been processed, produces the most amazing soft texture with a richness of colour and pattern, so luxurious to touch that its hard to think of it starting out as a  mushroom.

That’s why we at Beaver Bushcraft love using natural materials. We love making items out of 'natural' unprocessed  leather (blonde/russet) which allows the texture of the skin to show through. With age, with use and exposure to light, the character of the leather can change and take on a rich patina of its own. Even the stretch marks from the animal can add character and pattern to the leather. Wood and Antler can also over time take on a richness, the more they are handled the better they look. Modern mass produced materials often look flat and have very little individuality. Some with use over time become tatty whereas an old handmade wooden box or an old leather Belt, like a good wine, will age gracefully and some might say look better with age!!  

Antler is an amazing natural product, hard wearing, looks beautiful and used for so many practical things throughout the ages. From being used for Flint Knapping, to spoons, drinking horns (think Vikings) to jewellery, fastenings, to being made into these beautiful traditionally inspired Sami pots. Like I said, mother nature is the best manufacture of all, she gives us beautiful materials to work with and the best thing of all, she never makes the same pattern twice!