What’s it about?
Working bone is a skill that was fundamental in our journey towards making evermore effective and reliable tools. Not only that, but making bone tools allowed our hunter gatherer ancestors to share a deeper connection with, and understanding of, the animals that they were so dependent upon.
Bone is a versatile material that can be used to make all manner of tools and craft items ranging from simple designs to very intricate. The use of bone allowed us to create more effective clothing utilising tools such as needles and pins.
In a recent find, 500,000 year old bone tools were found in Britain, highlighting just how far back in time they stretch.
What will I do on this bone tools course?
During this one day course, led by Billy Souter, you will learn techniques on how to work bone using other natural materials such as flint and abrasive stones, as well as selecting specific bones to create different tools.
The day will start by discussing some of the points above and looking at a selection of bone tools such as:
- Needles,
- Awls,
- Harpoons,
- Spear tips and
- Arrow heads.
After that it will be time for you to warm up those fingers and start shaping some bone!
You could make a weekend of it and book onto our Primitive Fishing Kits course too!
Book now
You can view our full course schedule here.
Other information
Location: Westwell, Kent
Duration: 1 day
Start: 10am
End: 4pm
Course size: Maximum of 8
Catering: We’ll provide tea & coffee, you’ll need to bring a packed lunch
Note: There’s a short walk from the meeting point to the camp.
You might also find these Frequently Asked Questions useful.
What our customers say
Submit your review | |
Interesting and productive course delivered by a very knowledgeable tutor, as always the setting is a calming friendly place be (whatever the weather!)
Excellent, educational and entertaining workshop.
Myself and my wife attended this course in March 2022. Billy the tutor was very knowledgable and a great communicator, who has a clear joy in passing on his knowledge. The course is hands on, there was a large handling collection of bone objects to examine close up. A full range of flint, stone and antler implements where provided to work the bone into tools. People in the group made needles, awls, amulets, arrowheads, harpoons and even a crochet hook.
We came away with an appreciation of the skill required by our ancestors to make their own tools and a new understanding of bone as a material. It is not the grey, soft and sad material left on your plate after a meal but a tough, durable and flexible material that has many practical uses.
We would recommend this course if you are looking for something slightly different in Bushcraft knowledge or are curious about experimental archeology.
