For now, this is a small side project, where I've spent a few hours gather some of my favourite learning resources, and others I've come across to cover a few bases of what I'm calling traditional skills; something we as a society are fundamentally lacking.
Inspired by Permaculture, Doomer Optimism, Solarpunk, Retrosuburbia, this is a community resource built to support the learning and accessibility of important skills and crafts..
In the coming months, I will open-source the code, but for the time being, you can submit any useful resources or requests through this handy form.
Topics I'd like to eventually cover:
- Blacksmithing:
- Basic forging techniques
- Tool making
- Knife making
- Metal sculpture
- Canning and Food Preservation:
- Water bath canning
- Pressure canning
- Fermentation
- Drying and dehydrating
- Smoking and curing meats
- Natural Medicine and Herbalism:
- Plant identification
- Medicinal herb cultivation
- Herbal remedies and tinctures
- Wildcrafting and foraging
- Handwriting and Calligraphy:
- Cursive writing
- Hand lettering
- Calligraphy styles (e.g., italic, gothic, brush
lettering)
- Shoemaking and Leathercraft:
- Pattern making
- Leather cutting and stitching
- Shoe construction
- Leather tooling and carving
- Traditional Carpentry and Woodworking:
- Joinery techniques (e.g., dovetail, mortise and tenon)
- Woodturning
- Furniture making
- Wooden boat building
- Spinning and Weaving:
- Spindle spinning
- Wheel spinning
- Loom weaving
- Fiber preparation
- Tinsmithing and Metalwork:
- Tin punching
- Metal embossing
- Repoussé (metal shaping from the reverse side)
- Metal casting
- Basic Sewing and Mending:
- Hand sewing techniques
- Machine sewing
- Patching and darning
- Garment alterations
- Navigation and Orienteering:
- Map reading
- Compass use
- Land navigation
- Celestial navigation
- Traditional Cooking and Food Preparation:
- Food preservation (canning, pickling)
- Bread making
- Fermentation (sauerkraut, kimchi)
- Cooking with open flame (campfire cooking)
- Pottery and Ceramics:
- Handbuilding techniques (pinch, coil, slab)
- Wheel throwing
- Glazing and firing
- Kiln operation
- Beekeeping:
- Hive management
- Honey extraction
- Beeswax processing
- Pollinator-friendly gardening
- Fishing and Angling:
- Knot tying
- Bait making
- Fly tying
- Fish cleaning and preparation
- Rope Making and Knotting:
- Rope twisting and braiding
- Knot tying for various purposes (camping, boating,
climbing)
- Splicing techniques
- Traditional Music Instrument Crafting:
- String instrument making (guitar, violin)
- Woodwind instrument making (flute, whistle)
- Drum construction
- Music notation and composition
- Natural Building Techniques:
- Cob construction
- Wattle and daub
- Thatching
- Timber framing
- Hunting and Trapping:
- Archery
- Trapping techniques
- Tracking and stalking
- Butchering and game preparation
- Natural Fiber Crafts:
- Basket weaving
- Rope and twine making from natural fibers
- Macramé
- Spinning plant fibers (e.g., cotton, flax)
- Wood Carving:
- Relief carving
- Whittling
- Chip carving
- Carving functional items (utensils, bowls)
- Metal Engraving:
- Hand engraving techniques
- Tool and knife embellishment
- Metal inlay
- Repousse and chasing
- Quilting and Patchwork:
- Quilt block construction
- Appliqué
- Hand quilting
- Quilt binding techniques
- Traditional Clothing Construction:
- Sewing garments from scratch
- Historical costume making
- Tailoring and pattern drafting
- Embroidery and embellishment
- Broom Making:
- Broomcorn cultivation and processing
- Broom design and construction
- Decorative broom techniques
- Broom maintenance and care
If you want to talk about Cultural Economics or anything else, you can find me on Twitter @slimgoober.