Spar making update: I’m getting better but the points still need work. Between two of us, we’ve got to make 4000 of them for a thatched roof though, so I’d better get on with it!!
The process involves taking one of the 28” hazel rods in the background of the photo (called ‘gads’) and, using a billhook or a splitting hook (the bigger and blunter of the two blades at the bottom of the photo), and splitting them first in half, and then into either quarters, sixths, or eighths, depending on the thickness of the rod to start with. Then with a pointing hook (smaller of the two blades) you put a three-faced point on each end. They’re kept from drying out and stored for a short while, and a thatcher then twists them into a pincer or staple shape to skewer and secure the thatch of a roof into place.
Spar making is on the Red List of Endangered Crafts so it’s an honour to be continuing this ancient ancient tradition with a few other people.