Galerie - Het Noeste Leven

(A few more workshops are coming up. The special c

(A few more workshops are coming up. The special closing event for the season is a pyxis-making workshop. Saturday, September 27 - Bowl turning Sunday, September 28 - Bowl turning Saturday, October 11 - Turning a cup from endgrain Sunday, October 12 - Bowl turning Saturday, October 25 - Season closing, pyxis making (for those who have already made a few cups on the pole lathe). It will set you back €95 for the entire day, including materials, coffee, tea, and soup. Registration is possible via the webshop at https://www.hetnoesteleven.nl/product-categorie/workshops (see link in bio) A pyxis is a small pot made by the Romans and also in the Middle Ages. The goal is to make a beautiful pot with a lid that is clamped on by friction. This means you have to work very precisely. During this workshop, I will teach you how to do this and the steps involved in achieving the final result. PLEASE NOTE: This is not a workshop for absolute beginners. To complete the whole thing in one day and get a perfect fit for the lid, it's important that you've already turned a few end-grain cups on a pole lathe

Lepelfeest 2025 was great. That's it. Not much mor

Lepelfeest 2025 was great. That's it. Not much more I could add... Thanks @vershout and @eemlepel for organising this wonderful event and thank you @van.groentje for the delicious food!

This week I've been making a few little lidded box

This week I've been making a few little lidded boxes on the pole lathe. Boxes like these can be found in the Roman age, the medieval period, and today. Made from sycamore and finished with linseed oil.

A glimpse inside my stall at a recent market. Beca

A glimpse inside my stall at a recent market. Because I've recently been busy moving, I haven't had much time to make new things, and my inventory has shrunk considerably. So, there won't be much on the table this coming weekend, but you can come and see me demonstrate my new bow lathe at the Roman Festival at the Gallo-Roman Museum Tongeren. Crafts, shows, music, food, workshops, and a lecture. It promises to be a great event in the Flemish town of Tongeren.

Lately, I've been practicing with a bow lathe. Tur

Lately, I've been practicing with a bow lathe. Turning a bit and then making minor adjustments where necessary. Slowly but surely, it's starting to work well. Or rather, I am starting to get it right, because it's not easy to operate the bow with one hand and carve with the other. I made this one for use in a Roman context. The problem, however, is that we don't actually know exactly what a Roman wood lathe looked like. It is certain that they existed. This is evident from the many finds of turned objects from that era, and also from texts from that period. From these texts, we also know that they had a bow lathe. There's also a very schematic illustration of a bow lathe for turning gemstones. I based this one on the bow lathes you can still see in North Africa today, and as they are also depicted in medieval drawings. It's a first example, primarily intended for practice and to demonstrate the simple (though not easy!) operation of a bow lathe. Pots from the Roman period have also been found, which would be much more difficult to make on this lathe, as well as turned bowls, which simply cannot be made on it. So there certainly were other models of lathes. But before I start working on those, I'm going to see how far I can get with this one.

Because of moving to a new place, I'm hopelessly b

Because of moving to a new place, I'm hopelessly behind on a few things. Well, not really hopelessly behind, but still I am a bit behind. For example, this issue of Sammy Street Magazine (June 2025) is probably no longer available, but I still wanted to share that it includes an article about me and how I came to my current profession. The author has captured my story well, and I'm proud that it's presented this way.

Since I have a few historical projects planned, I

Since I have a few historical projects planned, I needed a workbench. This one is based on a Roman version. It's a bench where you can clamp your workpiece by sitting on it or holding it with your foot. It also has two removable pins (or stops) to hold the wood steady while planing (see photo) and holes for a hold fast (see video). #woodworking #roman #workbench #holdfast #planing

Taking a rest at the end of a full day of turning

Taking a rest at the end of a full day of turning bowls, together with Pip, who works as a sheep dog during the day. Accumulating new energy for the next marktet, which will be next weekend August 23 and 24 at the @prehistorischdorp in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Medieval Fair 2025, with lots of crafts, demonstrations and traders. Want to be there? Get your tickets soon at the museum website as they are selling out fast. Photo: preHistorisch Dorp / @daveyrietmeijer #woodturning #polelathe #medieval #viking #woodworking

It has been quiet lately, as we have been busy mov

It has been quiet lately, as we have been busy moving to a new house and work location. But as to let you know I'm still around and thinking about woodworking, a photo of some of the things I've made and use at home on a daily basis. Photo by @baptist_arnhem for their magazine Noest.

Only a few more days and only a few tickets left f

Only a few more days and only a few tickets left for Draaifeest 2025, the pole lathe event in The Netherlands. To get your tickets, follow the link in my bio. See you next weekend!

Last week I had a demo at the wood fair of @molend

Last week I had a demo at the wood fair of @molendester in Utrecht (The Netherlands). A nice day with various woodworkers. Joost Kramer from Houtdraaierij Kramer was one of the other people showing his craft. A name I had come across many times before, but I had not yet met the man himself. A very pleasant introduction and I hope we will run into each other more often! A successful day at a beautiful location. If you ever go to Utrecht, I can recommend you to go and see this beautiful sawmill. Photos by André Jan (www.andre-jan.nl), cropped by me.

Lots of bowl ready to be tested with boiling water

Lots of bowl ready to be tested with boiling water. Working to create a stock for upcoming events.

On our way back from The Northern Bowl, where Piet

On our way back from The Northern Bowl, where Pieterjan (@houtbewaarder ) and I worked as volunteers to have a look behind the scenes at an event that mainly revolves around the pole lathe, but where some other crafts are also practiced, and to see some teachers and turner friends from the UK again and to meet new craftspeople, we passed Sheffield. And of course we couldn't just drive past without a visit to @robinwoodcraft from @woodtools . What a fantastic day we had there. Not only did we get to see the entire workshop of Wood Tools and the old grinding shop of Brian Alcock. We were able to talk for almost an entire day about all the ins and outs of turning on the pole lathe. Learned a lot from all the insights that Robin has gained in all his years as a woodturner and in his research into its history. Thanks for the wonderful day Robin!

Last week Pieterjan (@houtbewaarder ) and I visite

Last week Pieterjan (@houtbewaarder ) and I visited Peter Wood of @greenwooddays as part of our Master Apprentice Program. In addition to a nice talk, we had plenty of time to practice with the skew chisel to improve our spindle turning skills. A beautiful day and again learned a lot and gained inspiration.

In just over a month Draaifeest will be happening

In just over a month Draaifeest will be happening again. The number of available tickets is already decreasing considerably, so get yours while they still last! From Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, it is all pole lathe. Workshops, demos and friendly competitions. And of course lots of fun around the campfire and delicious food. For more information, visit https://www.hetnoesteleven.nl/draaifeest-2025/ (see link in bio)

In just over two weeks we (Pieterjan @houtbewaarde

In just over two weeks we (Pieterjan @houtbewaarder and I) will visit Robin Wood from @robinwoodcraft . He is one of the people who brought pole lathe turning back after this craft had disappeared for years in western countries. To get in the mood I have made a copy of a bowl from his book 'The Wooden Bowl'. In any case I am curious to hear his story. In the photos you can see the bowl and the steps from log to end product.

This is my waste. Beautiful waste.

This is my waste. Beautiful waste.

This is my replica of a viking drinking bowl from

This is my replica of a viking drinking bowl from Oseberg. One of the things with making replicas is that I always use wood that is a little bigger than the optimal size for the bowl or cup that I'm making. That's because one cannot 'cheat' by adjusting the shape a little when a tiny mistake is made while axing, inserting the mandrel or during the turning. In such case the entire bowl is going to have to be a little smaller. It also involves a lot of measuring before and during turning and comparing with the drawings or photo's that are available, as well as with information about the measurements of the original. All in all it takes much longer to make a replica with the same shape and dimensions as the original than just a bowl or cup that is inspired by a find and has roughly the same looks. I therefore usually only do the latter, but sometimes I try to be as exact as possible, but usually only upon request. It is very good voor pushing ones skills though. The original can be seen on the second photo. And then some photos of the process of making this bowl. #viking #vikingage #woodenbowl #replica #polelathe

The tools that are being used on the pole lathe ar

The tools that are being used on the pole lathe are not readily available (at least not here in the Netherlands). That is why I forge them myself, for my own use and for sale. Although I already have quite a few of the standard hook tools, because I also use them for the workshops, I sometimes want to turn something that cannot or hardly be done with the standard tools. That is why I regularly make something new for myself. For me it is still a wonderfully looking craft, not only the forging itself, but also, as here, the rough grinding after forging. After this, the steel is normalised, hardened and tempered to give it the right properties and finally ground by hand and oiled. #woodworking #forging #grindingsteel #craft

On request, two oak benches were made for the gard

On request, two oak benches were made for the garden, to sit by the pond and watch what is happening in and around it. #woodworking #bench

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