#0038 – Phyre Phryday V/Blog 01/29/2021 – BAMBOO (PP) Phyre Plow: HOMESICK FOR JAPAN!

Color Codes:

RED = Materials,

BLUE = Link,

PURPLE = Method/Technique,

GREEN = Janka Hardness

Hello Global Tribe of PhyreKeepers (GTOP)!

01/29/2021 – Welcome to Phyre Dojo’s 38th Phyre Phryday Vlog. 

I am INCREDIBLY HOMESICK for Japan, but Japan, as well as a lot of the World, is not letting anyone from the US into their countries, and for legitimate and obvious reasons.

In this video, I am teaching with TAKU KAWAGUCHI of WILD AND NATIVE ( https://wildandnative.com/ ). These are Taku’s students at his bushcraft school where we went over and demonstrated EVERY METHOD IN THE WORLD.

On the 2nd day of the Workshop, we did (PP) PHYRE PLOW. And, (PP) Phyre PLOW‘s “claim to fame” is that in fact you could use only 2 pieces of a SOFTER DENSITY Wood(s) and just rub them together as makeshift “BLADE” on a “BASE”. The Method is a little intensive but quick when done ACCURATELY. The (PP) Phyre PLOW Set here would normally be made of SOTOL (Dasylirion Spp.), but BECAUSE I’M IN JAPAN, decided to demo with BAMBOO! Which is of course, NOT a wood, NOT a plant, BUT is a GRASS! When 1st learning, SOTOL (Dasylirion Spp.) is one of the BEST! ESPECIALLY for DEMONSTRATIONS! If you’re not familiar with SOTOL (Dasylirion Spp.), it’s like a giant YUCCA (Yucca Spp.).

APOLOGIES for the camera not being still at the end of the video for looking at the coal…

There are 2 MAIN TYPES of Wood Phryction PhyreKeeping Methods: 1) The Axis/Drill Types, and 2) The Linears. 

(PP) Phyre PLOW, (PS) Phyre SAW, and the (PT) Phyre Thong are the 3 LINEARS.

You haven’t lived until you’ve tried to make Phryction Phyre Sets with the Woods you’re trying to LITE! Can’t wait to make more!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotol

There are MANY variations of BAMBOO, and their JANKA HARDNESS RATINGS will vary from +/- 1,300-1,400.

IMPORTANT: I mention in the video that the BAMBOO that I’m using has been SOFTENED by weather and time! That means that it is within the proper MEAN of density/hardness in order to pull off (PP) Phyre PLOW!

BAMBOO is my MOST FAVORITE material in the UNIVERSE!

Since SOTOL (Dasylirion Spp.) is NOT a tree wood, but is a plant stalk, has NO Janka Hardness Rating. BUT, my best “guestimation” is that it’s about something between 350-700.

(For comparison, Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis Thoyoides) OR Western Red Cedar (Thuja Plicata) (i.e. “Your Cedar (BD) Bow Drill“) are ONLY Janka Hardness Rated: 350…)

Janka hardness test – Wikipedia

In January of 2020, at the the LES PRIMITIFS Tribe Workshop, we repeated that demonstration with the same materials.

PHOTO ON THE RIGHT: Photos of Mathieu Hebert of Les Primitifs and myself doing the SOTOL (Dasylirion Spp.) (PP) Phyre PLOW.

ENJOY!

*****

There is a Universe of many other Methods (Basics) waiting for you to Discover and Explore…

   Still VERY busy trying to update my PhyreDojo site and fulfilling Orders while making these VLOGS and Balancing Life in general…

Gambarimasho Yo! (Japanese for “Let’s Keep Going!)

“May everyone around you feel and be safer because you are there.”Joe Lau, RN