Tools

Folding Pack-trowel by U-Dig-It

• Quality. Stows small enough to be included in my basic everyday foraging kit (the "scout" kit). Has already been helpful in the harvesting of plant root for dye making. Recently used for home landscaping, and in landscaping for hire by neighbor. Come Fall i'll harvest some tubers for eating. A handy, weight and space efficient tool.

Silky Pruning Saws

• Likely the best handsaw manufacturers on planet. Highest Quality. i bought and have extensively since used, a PocketBoy^tm and BigBoy^tm. Both blades fold into handle for ease of packa'bility and protection of blade. The Pocketboy slips into a side-pocket of my workmans pants like a six shooter in holster of cowboy. Fast on the draw, and quick to stow. A tool of limited interruption. Future use will include the harvesting of a local noxious weed by the name of Scotchbroom, into undecorated wreaths to be sold along with other crafty things, to local craft supply shop. Value adding some of my own stuff to sell directly at craft fairs etc. And etc and more. With many species of woody plants, and lots of fallen branch and tree, these two saws provide various opportunity.
  

Leatherman Style-CS

• Pocket scissors, plus small knife, adequate tweezers, nail file, and bottle opener. Folding to 3 inches in size. Very light, extremely affective! Spring action, high quality scissors. i've cut paper, cardboard, heavy twine and plastic wrapping, plant stem and mushroom stalk. Will in future cut Salal Berries off their stalk. Also for the cutting of twine while tying fabric in traditional tie-dye way. etc and more. Good for a great many jobs these pocket scissors are. Spring-loaded!
  

The value model of a Woodburning Pen by Walnut Hollow

• Newly arrived yet to be used. Sourced for the burning of Text and Design into interesting pieces of wood and leather. First project is the burning of the word TUIT into a coin sized slice off an old Oak tree branch. TUIT on Round Coin as in "get Around To It!". On reverse side i might custom carve a local organizations message and/or contact info, etc. A business card of sorts, for specialized niches. And perhaps as a token for handout during a corporate motivational meeting (this was how i was first introduced to a Round-Tuit, a plastic cheapy one). There is more. Some initial craft to reap earnings for the next round of wood-carving tool investment. ++
  

Obenauf's Leather Preservative

• With all these miles walked and many more to come each following season, my boots are in need of immediate and regular care. And my feet need stay dry! This preservative also be useful for leather sheaths, and for heavy canvas (such as tarp and rainhat). i'll also use this for any leatherwork i might do. Made of plant based oils with Beeswax and Propolis, this natural product adds oils to preserve and restore leather, it repels water, and is naturally antibacterial and antifungal. No synthetic ingredient. Developed by Wildland Firefighters, this product works and how!
  

A pound of Alum (Aluminum Sulfate)

• A mordant for dyeing natural fibers using plant, fungus, mineral and bug dyes. It is cheaper to buy high quality cotton t-shirts by the dozen, then color them oneself. Even cheaper when a case-lot is purchased directly from manufacturer.

• i have a few dozen factory new white t-shirts awaiting color. i'm in need of more shirts. Will experiment with local dyes. Have thus far collected Black and English Walnut hulls, Wild Carrot and Oregon Grape root, Ivy leaves, Scotchbroom flowers, and more. There are some ready to harvest now. More to come through summer and fall. Eventually when i know i've got color-fast product, i intend to make limited seasonal runs of naturally dyed, hemp-fiber T-shirts for local consumption. Might upscale a few each season to export to a wealthy-greenies market. Ideally the shirts would be made locally from local grown Hemp, but the time for that is seemingly not quite yet now. But the freedom to earn money in crafty homespun way remains!