In this post we will go trough the idea, process and result of the work i did creating my own backpack made out of wood.
As an eager experimental craftsman i could not resist the image of my self climbing up in the mountain with a backpack made completely out of wood. I love to hike in the forrest where i come from and the trees have always amazed me, which was my rot of inspiration when it came to build and design this backpack.
A big part of my concept was to only use materials made of wood, which means no glue, screws or nails. The second thing was to experiment with birch bark, which have been used for centuries to create baskets and to waterproof old traditional Norwegian log houses. The quality of this beautiful material is its resistant to water and its ability to be bendt.
As many craftsmen before me i have shosen not to use nails, but rather Japanese wood joinery. This time the traditional dovetail, which you can notice if you look at the corners of the backpack. It holds the plywood together with out using glue or nails. It does not only look really great, but are also good for the environment.
When it came to make the back i struggled for a long time to understand what kind of material and construction i could use without ending up with the result of an uncomfortable product. All i did now at the start was that it had to be soft and adaptable to my back. And as i said before birch bark is bendable and soft, but only manageable when cooked in boiling water. When the bark reach a high temperature the wood fiber gets soft and it can be bendt, when the temperature gets low again it hardens.
But the back is not only made out of birch bark but also a piece of wood which have been formed after my own back. The material of this is a tree called ash, which have the strength to be bendt a lot , which was necessary when i tighten the birch bark around it, but also for a everyday use being pressed against my back.
As an craftsman i have to say that this is one of my proudest works through the years as a student at Bergen school of architecture. With its beautiful design consisting of oak, birch, ash and plywood it is something which gives me the feel of the forrest where i grew up. When i today hike up the mountain carrying my backpack i often think about the great value of something crafted by yourself. The product are genuin, environmental friendly and something els then the result of todays mass consumption of things.
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Next post: Furniture and bending of pine wood
- woood
Fresh and creative design! where are the photos taken?
Thank mrperozi! The photos are from Bergen, Norway :) My home town #incredible landscapes
Creative idea!) Painstaking work.
Thanks! ooh yes ;)
Great clicks... Loved it
Thanks!
It's marvelous!
Thanks!
I like it! You should start a kickstarter campaign!
Or... wait.... is there a decentralized crowdfund platform to launch ideas like these? ... we should build one.
Where we can crowdfund you small business with Steem coins and get one backpack as pledge! ;)
Really nice work! :) From Bergen you say, same here :)
Thanks @kiimo ! yes, from Bergen #Byen er BERGEN og laget Brann og alt det der hehe :)
Veldig kult!
Is good rucksack. He will suit me for a hike. It will be very stylish and original. I will be in the spotlight;) lol
i like it :)
Wow, that is fantastic!
cool
Herlig håndtverk! liker at du ikke bruker spiker. Den kommer til å holde mye lengre å være mer slitesterk! Jeg har brukt treplugger på enkelte prosjekter, men det der var en artig variant. Lurer på hvordan den er å ha på ryggen, innbiller meg at den er en smule uergonomisk, men det ser ut som du har lagt inn en slags form for avdempning.
Sekken er veldig estetisk må jeg si! Bjørk er et fabelaktig trevirke.
Takk for det! :) Den ser litt uergonomisk ut, men sitter ganske bra på ryggen! Det eneste er at den er litt tung, men grei å ha med på en liten dagstur. Og ja helt enig.. Bjørk er et fabelaktig trevirke :)
Hvis du likte det håper jeg du sjekker ut det siste arbeidet mitt som skal lever og bygges ferdig på Voss nå til sommeren!
https://steemit.com/norway/@woood/design-of-circular-outdoor-furniture-woood-work
Stilig! sjekket det ut nå nettopp. Skulle tro du hadde drevet med båtbygging. Er veldig glad i trevirke selv. Har tidligere kledd en pc skjerm i tynn eikefiner. (Ga den vekk før jeg var ferdig, men var likevel fornøyd.)
Ser bra ut denne ja :)
Sekken ser meget kul ut. Hvordan er sekken på?
Jeg følger for å se mer kreativitet.