27/09/2009 by Paul Carpenter.

This a project I did a few years ago after making a few just like it with peoples names on them instead of ‘Scotland’. This was the first as way of a sort of trial which to the trained eye is evident by the uneveness of the braids - turned out to be more differecult to try and keep 28 strings in-line at once. Got there in the end with the others as shown in the second photo but it is a shame that the patterns did’nt quite turn out as expected on the string one.

I could only find a photo of the top of the last one - apart from the pine cone carving, there was also some braiding below it.

Since doing these I have done a few others and are very enjoyable to make - unlike with making braided belts or whips or if using rawhide, I can take my time, need very little force and can leave them for weeks or finish quite easily in a day - plus with fid work they are so much easier to alter incase of mistakes, unlike knots.

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22/09/2009 by Paul Carpenter.

Set off again on another little stroll amongst the highest Scotland has to offer and despite the onset of dark clouds and constant winds, the day did’nt turn out too bad, that and the fact it had been over a year since I’d ascended these sort of amounts.

set off about from the usual spot at the ski centre car park and made my way up the ski runs then over the plateau and down into loch Avon - the steep path down to the loch is very slippery or it was the last time I used it in winter when it was covered in ice, but today even a few dry days had made it slightly more passable.

From there went onto Loch Etchachan - I had planned to walk upto Beinn Mheadhoin but changed my mind and continued to Ben Macdui. from there made my way to the equally steep path down into coire an Sneachda, the same path I used to on my last walk.

Eventually got back to the car park 5 hours after leaving, not feeling too bad at that time - not so the next day when the muscle’s around my knee’s just did’nt want to work.

The only bad thing maybe about the cairngorms on a bonny autunm day is the crowds that gather there; upon reaching the last steep path, it did seem like a shopping spree in piccadilly circus with reindeer added in for amusement - winter is best time here for me. When most visitors are just there for the crags and rock climbs, the slopes and hills are left virtually empty and on a clear snog free day, the sights are great.

For any body who also likes walking in scotland, and the rest of the UK I have found this site to be very useful; http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/

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19/09/2009 by Paul Carpenter.

After messing around with the cow and Buffalo horn in the making of the armor, I thought it would be great to try something more traditional - hence the drinking horn. The one shown can hold 1 1/2 pints of whisky (or any other beverage). After a day scraping and filing the outer layers off this great looking black streak revealed its self.

The two knots are a sort of heel knot with a 6 string strap attached, probably about as much viking as the western style concho I used to attach one end of the strap, but I,m not viking either!

Lastly I finally managed to one, get my son in the armour and two, have a nice warm day (a rare event indeed in Scotland this summer) to get a photo of the finished piece. I did enjoy making it but am also very glad that it is finished, I do plan at some point to write a tutorial about making it but it will be a biggy so will wait awhile until I have a few days free.

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07/09/2009 by Paul Carpenter.

I guess it must seem as if I’m having a quiver bing at the moment, but it’s probably just a spert of energy - or some may hope going by some of the idea’s I’ve had thus far. Unfortunatly the wierd and wonderful idea’s just keep coming, this new quiver being the lastest.

I have decided in my wisdom to call it the ‘Fanorientern’ mainly because their are eastern, western and fantasy elements or influences within it. In regard to the materials and design, the horn is from India, the leather from Italy and the design just poped out of some where! As for the carvings, well they are obvious, a chinese archer on pegasus figthing a dragon! could’nt be more unlikely a situation.

Also managed to finish the boots for the black armour, which prtetty well means that project is finally over and done with - After this mini monsoon we seem to be getting is over I might have a chance to get a photo with my son wearing it all - but for now here are the boots - Not totally perfect but they fit and did’nt work out to bad for my first attempt at boot making.

Paul

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