Northwest Coast Elbow Adze

The gutter blade was purchased from Kestrel Tools in northwest Washington. They provide excellent instructions on how to make your own handle and fasten the blade with tarred seine fishing twine.

I made my handle from an 8/4 rift sawn hickory board. The head was reinforced with an epoxied hard wood dowel. I found shaping the handle was easiest using a spokeshave and Auriou file. Put one coat of shellac on it. I am thinking of putting baseball bat pitch wax on the handle for better grip, a David Fisher trick. Some people rough it up with carved divots but I hear they can really rough up your hand.

I plan on using it to hollow green wood bowls and large spoons. I am also going to give some of the Northwest traditional aboriginal crafts ago such as the ladle, canoe bowls and bent wood boxes. The kestrel tool site has great free videos of Gregg making these crafts.

-- Jamie, Red Deer