This year’s edition of the NEPSG was yet another terrific event. This is my sixth or seventh year going, and each year is a bit different depending on who is presenting and teaching and the folks who show up and what they want to do.
Unfortunately, I was too busy to get out my camera at all, so forgive a lack of pictures on my part.
I arrived about 8 AM, and it had been raining since I had gotten up at 4AM in Western Massachusetts. The drive, which is a bit over 2 hours, was straight rain as well, and the site was damp and rainy as well. But, the rain stopped not long after I got there, and there was no more rain the rest of Saturday. It turned out to be cool and very pleasant, which is actually a nice change from past years, which were sometimes extremely hot and humid.
The club had a number of excellent, nicely cured, super clean and straight hickory staves to choose from for bow making, as well as (I think ash) boards for those who wanted to try a board bow. Bow making is one of the central skills at this event each year. The club also had available 3 shaving horses and a bunch of standard tools such as clamps, draw knives, hatchets, string making jig, and so on. Since I like using my own tools, I did bring my own stuff, but the extra tools came in handy for me as well.
Club members and visitors all pitched in teaching, and I got a chance to help some folks out as well as work on a replica of a Mesolithic Danish bow for myself. This is actually the first bow I have worked on in over year, and it felt good to get back to it. I have it at the early floor tillering stage, and hope to get it done and shooting this summer.
Outside was flint knapping, which was very busy and popular, and Andy Dobos from the Maine Primitive Skills School taught friction fire making. One of the club members had his portable forge going, and another Algonquin Archers member was teaching knot making. Someone else was teaching atlatl and dart making for kids.
Outside, the range was in use pretty much all day. I brought some atlatls and darts, and basically embarrassed myself from lack of practice, but had fun anyway. I didn’t shoot the 3D course, but saw a number of archers heading into the woods for that.
Fishfinder and his dad were there, and I saw some of Noel’s work. He is I think 17, and has a bright future in primitive archery judging from the work he is turning out now. I urged him to post more work on PA, and hope he does.
The club provided dinner, which was ground venison with bowtie pasta, and was well done. Not as spectacular as last year’s wild boar or venison steaks from other years, but filling. I contributed a traditional Moroccan dessert, and there was hotdogs and hamburgers all day from the club kitchen, as well as breakfast items in the morning and free coffee all day.
I can’t give numbers, but I am guessing there were 60 folks there that day, and I think more though did attend. It is a 2 day event, but I could only go the one day this year. I caught up with some great folks who also come each year, and it was great to see Jamie again. A few people I was hoping to see didn’t show up, which was a bummer, but overall, it was an event that anyone who can should get up to. Spending time among the trees with primitive-oriented folks is what real life should be.
Dane
