Is that over by Melbourn? I haven’t been to that one. I have been to the one in Fort Walton Beach. I just got back from Apopka, FL this Monday so won’t be heading back this soon. The family was there for a surprise 95th birthday party for my Dad. We are planning on getting down to Ocala NF this spring so maybe we can paddle together. Perhaps you could show us somewhere I haven’t paddled down that way. I have paddled with KayakKen a few times He has a cabin in the forest.
Those are pretty neat, and the PVC version seems like it would be pretty easy. But alas, it would be irresponsible for me to take on anymore projects at the moment. I see light at the end of the tunnel though. Soon I’ll have more free time.
I understand time constraints. Although the PVC would take less than a day, and cost little. You might, of course, purchase one online from many of the makers selling them, but for less than $100 is hard to find.
Castoff, yes, it’s in Melbourne. It’s a lot larger gathering than Musical Echoes in Ft. Walton Beach. Someday you should join us! The amazing artistry of the flute makers is worth the trip alone!
Please give me a shout if you head back down this way, I do know some lesser paddled streams that are beautiful!
Thanks will do!
@tjalmy said:
Castoff, yes, it’s in Melbourne. It’s a lot larger gathering than Musical Echoes in Ft. Walton Beach. Someday you should join us! The amazing artistry of the flute makers is worth the trip alone!
Please give me a shout if you head back down this way, I do know some lesser paddled streams that are beautiful!
And you want to put Flotsam on them?
That is where it belongs… B)
Nice flutes you have made. Carving and shaping you know the wood and the instrument like no one else can. I’ve been making primitive/traditional bows and arrows for a few years now. Very therapeutic. I have been known to take a ukulele along on paddling trips, nice when there are good singers along on the trip. I did one trip in Mexico, where there was a woman paddler along who is a professor at San Diego State U., and a very good singer. Lots of fun when somebody is very musical. She also sang encouraging songs when we were in rough tide race during a crossing - one of my favorite kayaking moments.
@SeaDart said:
“I’ve been making primitive/traditional bows and arrows for a few years now. Very therapeutic. I have been known to take a ukulele along on paddling trips, nice when there are good singers along on the trip. I did one trip in Mexico, where there was a woman paddler along who is a professor at San Diego State U., and a very good singer. Lots of fun when somebody is very musical. She also sang encouraging songs when we were in rough tide race during a crossing - one of my favorite kayaking moments.”
Great story! I agree it is nice to have someone musical around a camp fire. Very cool to find out you like “primitive” archery too.
Archery and bowhunting have been passions long before I discovered flute making. I have made several primitive/wooden bows and many wood arrows. My favorite is a yew English longbow I made and won several tournaments with. I was at a TBOF championship in Ocala, FL competing in the primitive bow class when I heard someone playing the NAF. That led to me making and playing these flutes. Primitive has many connotations, but many things that are considered primitive are truly sophisticated. Take the Greenland kayak for instance.
I thought I would have built a sof kayak by now, but have so many pots on the fire that take up my time. Sailing and refinishing an old Wayfarer this summer among them. Then archery hunting when the season opened, and paddling/camping when I get the chance. Still a sof is a project I hope to take on. When I retired someone said what will you do with so much spare time…lol…what spare time?
The oldest known musical instrument was found in a German cave. It is a flute made from bone. They have been made from Mammoth ivory, vulture, and swan wing bones, and even the jaw bone of a Cave Bear. They go back as far as 43,000 years. I read that some of the caves that have the paintings also have good acoustics. They may have been primarily selected for this aspect for ceremonial reasons. There is some debate over whether the cave bear flute was made by Neanderthals or Cro-magnons.
This flute is made from the leg bone of a whitetail deer.
Castoff: Your flutes are wonderful! Especially like the bear and the spalted wood snake. Thanks for sharing them!
@castoff said:
@SeaDart said:
“I’ve been making primitive/traditional bows and arrows for a few years now. Very therapeutic. I have been known to take a ukulele along on paddling trips, nice when there are good singers along on the trip. I did one trip in Mexico, where there was a woman paddler along who is a professor at San Diego State U., and a very good singer. Lots of fun when somebody is very musical. She also sang encouraging songs when we were in rough tide race during a crossing - one of my favorite kayaking moments.”Great story! I agree it is nice to have someone musical around a camp fire. Very cool to find out you like “primitive” archery too.
Archery and bowhunting have been passions long before I discovered flute making. I have made several primitive/wooden bows and many wood arrows. My favorite is a yew English longbow I made and won several tournaments with. I was at a TBOF championship in Ocala, FL competing in the primitive bow class when I heard someone playing the NAF. That led to me making and playing these flutes. Primitive has many connotations, but many things that are considered primitive are truly sophisticated. Take the Greenland kayak for instance.
I thought I would have built a sof kayak by now, but have so many pots on the fire that take up my time. Sailing and refinishing an old Wayfarer this summer among them. Then archery hunting when the season opened, and paddling/camping when I get the chance. Still a sof is a project I hope to take on. When I retired someone said what will you do with so much spare time…lol…what spare time?
Not bad for 15’.
Not to imply I can always shoot this well. These days I don’t practice as much and age is having it’s way with me, but…
Here is what I could do when I was in the zone. Shot this at an unknown distance and
when I paced it off it came to 32 yards. Useing a Robertson stykbow
20 yard practice with a Jefferys
recurve
20 yards with a modern R/D longbow
@castoff said:
Not to imply I can always shoot this well. These days I don’t practice as much and age is having it’s way with me, but…
Here is what I could do when I was in the zone. Shot this at an unknown distance and
when I paced it off it came to 32 yards. Useing a Robertson stykbow
20 yard practice with a Jefferys
recurve
20 yards with a modern R/D longbow
I was kidding!
@willowleaf said:
Castoff: Your flutes are wonderful! Especially like the bear and the spalted wood snake. Thanks for sharing them!
Thank you. I posted them hoping to get others interested in this wonderful instrument. To me the sound belongs outdoors. To hear it played in the distance across the water or through the woods just feels natural like it belongs. Like tjalmy said in the thread that lead to this post “It seems fitting in a sylvan environment. Lovely gentle wooden instrument, very organic.”
When hunting with a bow a completely different feeling than with a gun?
I have had the pleasure of listening to Castoff playing around a campfire and look forward to hearing it again (hint hint). The closest I have come to playing music is making windchimes. A tuned set of windchimes give off an amazing sound. Thinking of hanging a set on my canoe for solo paddling.
@Castoff said "I have made several primitive/wooden bows and many wood arrows. My favorite is a yew English longbow I made and won several tournaments with. "
I’ve made several English Longbows and warbows now, Mostly from hickory and bamboo. It’s tough getting decent yew. I make native american style bows from chokecherry, green ash and juniper I cut when I visit our farm in Utah. Bowwoods are pretty scarce in San Diego. It’s hard to dry the wood so it doesn’t crack, so these can be kind of frustrating. I just bought some hickory wood and have cut out 8 ELB staves from it. Just finishing #3 from that set. I’m probably going to sell most of them or trade them, and give the others away as gifts. A couple of years ago when I got into archery again, I made a recurved flat bow and took a meetup archery class; at the end of the year the teacher invited a bunch of us back for an archery tournament. I won the adult males group, but most of the other guys had only been shooting for several months. My wife was surprised when she came home and there was a “gold” medal sitting on the kitchen table. In that group there was a young woman who was an incredibly good shot using a fancy target bow with sites. I learned to shoot reading snap shooting hints from Fred Bear so I’m no expert. Last winter I got into making viking style bows, I used to live in Norway, and in the last year I’ve made friends with several traditional bow makers in Sweden, Norway and UK - hope to visit some in the next couple of years and also do some paddling with them.
@BlackCorsair said:
When hunting with a bow a completely different feeling than with a gun?
I agree. Hunting with a bow requires being able to have the animal in close. As a result you spend more time watching them than shooting. I like that because you learn so much more. When the kids were growing up we ate venison and rarely bought beef. We have a ten deer limit. I considered hunting with a rifle grocery shopping. Once the kids left home I hunted only with my bow. I have always felt a respondsably for the life I take so the skill to make the best shot I can is very important to me.
@SeaDart said:
Fantastic! I suspect you spend time on some of the primitive archery sites. I was active on the leatherwall years ago. I have only made 4 bows. I have a decent archery library with a couple of volumes on Native American bows. An internet friend sent me the yew stave from Oregon. I have always built my own matched set of arrows be they made of bamboo, cedar, aluminum, or carbon. The arrow correctly tuned to the bow is really important for consistent accuracy. It sounds like an amazing trip to travel to Scandinavia and paddle and learn about viking bows.