Figuring Out Stave Measurements & Bucket Diameter You know how teachers always said, “You’ll need this math one day”… and most of us thought, “Yeah, not likely.” Well… here I am, wishing I had paid a bit more attention. If I had a blue police box from Doctor Who, I’d probably go back and sitContinue reading “Stave Math”
Tag Archives: #canadian
Modern Barrel making
Most of this blog is dedicated to reproducing crafts from the Viking Age through to the Renaissance. Along the way, I’ve been digging into both historical sources and modern practices, and recently I came across a couple of excellent resources that show how barrels are made today. What’s fascinating is just how little the coreContinue reading “Modern Barrel making”
Resources
Want to Learn More About Coopering? Looking for more information on the history of coopering, tools of the trade, construction methods, archaeological finds, videos, books, and more? I’ve put together what I hope is a one-stop shop for all things coopering. This list is updated occasionally as I continue my own journey—so if you haveContinue reading “Resources”
Lesson 5
Buckets in the Wild – Pirate Festival Reflections Every year, I take part in the annual Pirate Festival in Guelph, Ontario, where I sell wooden and metal tankards. This year, I was especially excited to bring along some of the fruits of my labour… buckets. Alongside my wares, I set up my shave horse andContinue reading “Lesson 5”
Lesson 4
I recently headed out to an Society for Creative Anachronism event—Trillium War, held near Hastings, Ontario—for a weekend of camping and teaching the basics of stave bucket construction. Between running the lesson and coaching students on tool use, I took time to develop my own skills—particularly with a curved drawknife, a recent addition to myContinue reading “Lesson 4”
Lesson 2
Medieval Bucket Making Results from FOOL (Fruits of Our Labour) During the weekend of May 17, 2025, I partnered with a friend to teach a bucket-making class in the field at an Society for Creative Anachronism event: FOOL (Fruits of Our Labour). Over the course of two days, we worked with three students for aContinue reading “Lesson 2”
By Stave & Hoop 