More mountain man crafts

[exMember]

One more step in the mountain man craft... Gourds! 2 gourd canteens & a gourd ladle.

The gourd on the right, I cut and cleaned out, then sealed it inside and out with beeswax so they all are waterproof.

 

[patocazador]

I tried growing different shaped gourds but the fruit never set.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Gourd canteens & ladles only last a season or two of use then will mildew and were trashed. The best part they were and are easily renewable in the day and today. Sublette wrote about trading for them in large numbers as well as their seeds to be grown in some of the trading posts.

 

[forrest-hunter1]

These items where still being used in the '60's by campesinos in Honduras - I used these items as a child and teenager while hunting in the mountains and jungles - a corn cob was used as a cork

 

[patocazador]

These items where still being used in the '60's by campesinos in Honduras - I used these items as a child and teenager while hunting in the mountains and jungles - a corn cob was used as a cork

I imagine they still are in the Gracias a Dios area by the Rio Coco ... along with a lot of coca. 

 

[Buck Conner1]

Gourds will be used in Third World countries a hundred years from now, why not they are free and easy to replace when they start to have issues. The longest lasting gourd bowl I have seen or read about is over 700 years old found in a kiva in the Cliff Dwellings in southwest Colorado (4 corners area). The experts claim it was underground, protected from the elements sitting on a sandstone slab where the owner left it. 

They also found in the same kiva "anasazi beans". Yes, the beans we use today with their seeds coming from the original site mentioned (probably why the cost is higher than others while sources continue to grow). The "Anasazi Bean" is named after the extinct Anasazi (disappeared over 700 years ago) or the Pueblo Indians seen today. This new, yet ancient bean has the most amazing history behind it. One story has it that in the 1950s, archeologists in one of the Anasazi digs found a sealed, clay pot with a few of these beans in it. Now available today at most food chains.

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" alt="More mountain man crafts Z" />​

 

[Two Feathers]

One more step in the mountain man craft... Gourds! 2 gourd canteens & a gourd ladle.

The gourd on the right, I cut and cleaned out, then sealed it inside and out with beeswax so they all are waterproof.

Frontier Gander
Just for kicks, have you ever tried growing gourds inside of clear glass or plastic bottles? The gourd will take on the shape of whatever container you grow it inside of. Gives a whole new aspect to growing a gourd in the shape of a water bottle. I've seen some really crazy shaped gourds when we go to Lancaster, PA. to get away for a few days. There's place there called Smucker's Gourd farm in Kinzer, PA. Right outside of Lancaster. Every summer they hold a Gourd festival. It brings in thousands of people and Gourd artists. You can't believe some of the art work using Gourds?
Stoney

 

[exMember]

No but that sounds like a pretty cool idea!

 

[Two Feathers]

No but that sounds like a pretty cool idea!

Frontier Gander
 Yup... when you plant your gourds next year, let the tendrals start and when you see a gourd begin to sprout, (a small one), place the gourd carefully into a bottle and gently lay it back down on the ground. Keep an eye on it. As it starts to grow it will fill the bottle and develop the exact same shape. When the gourd fills the bottle, cut it loose, and either break the glass carefully, or cut away the plastic carefully, depending on which type of container you use. Think about the natural look of the gourd your using. Certain shapes of gourds do better with similarly shaped containers. Try to use gourds that have a shape close to the container your using when they finish growing without the bottle. Crookneck gourds do better with soda, cylindrical, or water bottle shaped containers. Acorn squash shaped gourds work better with a round container.
I hope this idea is of use to someone out there? This was a big thing when I was a kid. You don't see much of it anymore.
Stoney

 

[strong eagle]

grow bird house gourds, they can be used of bird houses or mountain man stuff.

 

[Buck Conner1]

You go to Santa Fe in the fall and they have more gourds than you have ever seen in one place. They are made into anything the mind can think of and they are priced reasonable.

 

[Mofish]

When I was younger and could still rendezvous like I wanted, we used gourds pretty regularly. You sit around the fire at night and some old codger offers you a drink of pie out of his jug, and it's a wonder your gourd doesn't dissolve right on the spot. They could sure mix up some potent stuff !

 

[Buck Conner1]

When I was younger and could still rendezvous like I wanted, we used gourds pretty regularly. You sit around the fire at night and some old codger offers you a drink of pie out of his jug, and it's a wonder your gourd doesn't dissolve right on the spot. They could sure mix up some potent stuff !

The gourd was a better choice than just taking a drink directly from the jug. Have a few friends that were alway looking for a free drink, never thought about the jug and who drank out of it last. They got some pretty good colds, sores on their lips and so on, their doctors said probably gotten from someone they kissed or from that damn rendezvous jug.   :afro: