Post by: ridjrunr on March 30, 2009, 09:12:48 PM
Post by: melsdad on March 30, 2009, 10:17:53 PM
Post by: ridjrunr on March 30, 2009, 11:14:19 PM
Post by: Mike Ameling on March 31, 2009, 08:46:59 PM
But, as far as I have seen/heard, they do not have any historical documentation to back them up. They may be ... historically inspired ... but not based upon any original artifacts, paintings, or descriptions --- that I have seen or heard of so far.
The closest thing would be a Roasting Fork. They were designed to roast or warm up meat in your fireplace. They generally had two tines, a long handle, and two attached legs near the fork end - to hold it up when set next to the fire. The long handle balanced the meat on the other end, and rests on the ground or floor.
Separate individual roasting forks or skewers, yes. Just not a combination with a holder to stick in the ground. But they sure are handy.
So I personally seldom carry/use one. And it becomes a matter of personal choice if you wish to use one. Although, the have become ... accepted ... by many pretty strict groups and juried events. Accepted ...
Just my humble thoughts to share, and best used in conjunction with your own research.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
Post by: Gambia on April 01, 2009, 06:34:08 AM
Brian I have one ifn' ya' wants to see it. Let me know and I will bring it along to the next shoot....let me see now, where did I put that.....
(http://[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Griz5045/forked_cooker.jpg)[/img]
Post by: snake eyes on April 01, 2009, 08:18:31 AM
Don't look all that complex.....I would think about
any smithy could put one together for you. Check the
Links section...might help.
Also try http://www.blksmth.com (http://www.blksmth.com)
snake-eyes
Post by: ridjrunr on April 01, 2009, 12:41:23 PM
Post by: Three Hawks on April 01, 2009, 03:16:45 PM
Of course, it took me a long time to find 'em 'cause I was looking for a "Bird Fork" not a "Squirrel Incinerator"
And as for any 'smith making one, don't be so sure. A bird fork is one of those things that is incredibly simple while simultaneously and at the same time difficult to make so it actually works. I have two custom made bird fork/squirrel incinerators that are basically material for upcoming projects.
Anyhow, tell 'em at Turkeyfoot Trading that I sent you.
Three Hawks
Post by: melsdad on April 01, 2009, 04:50:37 PM
Post by: ridjrunr on April 01, 2009, 05:39:04 PM
ridjrunr
Post by: Three Hawks on April 01, 2009, 07:27:40 PM
Quote from: "ridjrunr"
Yes Three Hawks,I realize there is good and bad of these.Twas pointed out to me this past weekend at da voo.
I was surfing around Turkeyfoot's site and ended up ordering some stuff I had no idea I wanted and could no longer live without. Dang you anyway !
Back to the Squirrel Incinerator. PC or not, I love boudins and those little game hens cooked in front of a campfire on the dang thing. It's like a pre-1840 microwave oven. Set it and forget it.
I was reminded of the "olde fashyndde reflectynnge fyre" by a good friend who usually builds one to cook with his squirrel incinerator and heat his diamond fly at the same time. I (re)started building my fire the same way pointed into my 10x12 wall tent. I am always somewhat amazed and gratified at the amount of heat reflected into the tent.
Three Hawks
Post by: Three Hawks on April 01, 2009, 07:34:54 PM
Three Hawks
Post by: melsdad on April 01, 2009, 08:13:26 PM
Quote from: "griz"
They look like this,
Brian I have one ifn' ya' wants to see it. Let me know and I will bring it along to the next shoot....let me see now, where did I put that.....
(http://[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Griz5045/forked_cooker.jpg)[/img]
I would like to see it Tim, that may be something I can play around with when I get my forge set-up.
Post by: ridjrunr on April 01, 2009, 08:17:58 PM
Post by: BEAVERMAN on April 01, 2009, 08:26:31 PM
Post by: Uncle Russ on April 01, 2009, 08:58:04 PM
For some reason I simply can not imagine why I don't already have something like that.
I do like what Mikey had to say about the tool and, I can readily understand why there is much debate on the historical accuracy of it's time frame.
If I had not read what Mike had to say, I could easily be one of the first to......assume.....it's date was very early.
As for myself, I could easily imagine Robin Hood, and his Band of merry men, roasting prime cuts of the King's prized Stag on just such an implement.
Uncle Russ...
Post by: ridjrunr on April 01, 2009, 09:22:08 PM
ridjrunr
Post by: Gambia on April 02, 2009, 06:30:47 AM
Brian, It is a "SQUIRREL" cooker, not made for bats....what am I going to do with you , greenhorn....ain't you learnin' nothin' from us ....well, never mind
Post by: No Rod on April 02, 2009, 10:20:54 AM
I have no idea about the historical accuracy of the design but it sure work well. I would guess cutting a stick to cook on would be far more HC but I'm just too dang lazy.
Jon
Post by: Kermit on April 02, 2009, 11:44:06 AM
And peg lamps! Only problem with those is that they were not likely to be used with whale oil by common folk like me. I've been told that whale oil was priced at about $200.00 a gallon iin today's bucks!!!
Post by: Mitch on April 02, 2009, 12:06:52 PM
As far as "carrying it all on their back"-misconception!! Longhunters and Mtnmen both had horses and boats and were carrying way more "stuff" than most folks realize...however, if you are a "scout/spy", you wouldn't be taking anything to cook anyway...
Post by: Mike Ameling on April 03, 2009, 12:25:25 PM
Quote from: "Three Hawks"
And as for any 'smith making one, don't be so sure. A bird fork is one of those things that is incredibly simple while simultaneously and at the same time difficult to make so it actually works.
Such a true statement. So many times the simplest looking things are the hardest to make ... and make right.
A note on the holder part: Some make the holder as a fairly tight wrap around the fork. That does make it a little tighter/sturdier. But then the end of the fork part needs to be small enough to slip through that tightly wrapped curl. A variation on that would to have the end be more in the shape of a 3-sided box - to the side, then up, the across, and with a little bend up. Then kink that squared up box end a little over 90 degrees from the shaft. The first bend to the side, and the last bend across support your fork. But doing it this way allows you to remove the fork without having to pull the whole support up out of the ground and away from the fire. Just place your fork over against the shaft below the first bend, and the swing/tilt your fork up and over that last bend. It rests on top of that last bend, and is held/locked in place by the first bend. With the tight wrapped curl holder, you have to thread it through.
Another little note: If you just point the end of your fork, you can then use it like a regular skewer - especially when roasting a trout over your fire. It's a little hard to poke a curled/bent end through a trout.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
p.s. Yes I said I do have some experience making/using them. I just can't document them.
Post by: ridjrunr on April 03, 2009, 12:43:35 PM
My friends had a square shank and it seemed that that helped it in you could turn it 90 deg. as yer food cooked.
Just one of them things that jumps out at (me) I guess.
Now it may not have been carried around while extended exploring, but I wonder (?) if they may have been used in a base camp or homestead? JMTC ridjrunr
Post by: melsdad on April 03, 2009, 04:09:50 PM
Quote from: "ridjrunr"
melsdad,do you have a blower for the forge yet? ridjrunr
No I do not have a blower yet. I have some steel set aside for the table, that is it so far.
Post by: ridjrunr on April 03, 2009, 06:45:44 PM
Post by: Mike Ameling on April 03, 2009, 08:54:03 PM
Quote from: "ridjrunr"
Thanx Mike,I was first exposed to it last weekend and I was very impressed at the practicality.HC,PC, or ABC I just cant say no.
My friends had a square shank and it seemed that that helped it in you could turn it 90 deg. as yer food cooked.
Just one of them things that jumps out at (me) I guess.
Now it may not have been carried around while extended exploring, but I wonder (?) if they may have been used in a base camp or homestead? JMTC ridjrunr
Yeah, they really do work well around the campfire. And once you have it there, you then find other uses for it as well - picking up pots out of the fire, moving coals about, heating up or toasting a roll or piece of bread, branding your buddy's mocs, etc.
And original cooking forks in a bunch of styles can be found. The questionable part is that holder. That's the part that I haven't found any documentation for - so far.
Yes, having a square rod for the fork does help when roasting things. You can turn it 90 degrees and it will generally stay there. When we use the to roast fresh trout over the fire, we poke the sharp pointed end back through the trout and out near the tail fin. Then we pull it into the trout far enough to then push the fork points back out by the gills/head. That holds the trout pretty firmly in place, and you can then still rotate it 90 degrees at a time.
I've never much cared for using the other end to hang a small pot from. I just set the pot right down amongst the coals. But some like that option.
A friend makes them up a little differently than most. He takes his square rod, and then arc-welds a round rod onto the end to form a T. Then he heats it up, hammers the weld to blend it in, points the two ends of the round rod, and forms the fork. This way his fork tines are full sized - instead of being half the thickness of his square rod - being split in two on the end to form the forks. He gets cleaner fork tines, and stronger ones that way. Plus it goes faster for him to make up a bunch that way. He sells them at regular rondyvoo's when he gets a chance to go.
Now if we could only find some %($*#&&% documenation for that holder part! Oh, well. I still carry and use mine at ... some ... events (but not all). And I'm usually roasting some sausage with mine - or a fresh caught trout.
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
Post by: ridjrunr on April 03, 2009, 09:42:09 PM
The one I saw,the top of the holder was flattened and then wound around so that the fork stem went through an elongated hole,maybe a 3/4" or so.and the square stock stem of the fork went through that and like you said,each 90 deg rotation would hold in place rather well. A guy could do steak,ribs,grouse,fish,brats,game hens,duck and oh yes squirrel!
ridjrunr
Post by: snake eyes on April 04, 2009, 01:49:49 AM
Thanks for the TurkeyFoot link. They are indeed very
resonable on their prices...
snake-eyes
Post by: No Rod on April 04, 2009, 09:43:20 AM
Quote from: "Mike Ameling"
Another little note: If you just point the end of your fork, you can then use it like a regular skewer - especially when roasting a trout over your fire. It's a little hard to poke a curled/bent end through a trout.
We had some made for our camp with the curved tines and I like mine with the straight tine much better. Food won't fall off when the tine are turned upside down. Mine also has a round shaft and I have better luck getting the food where I want it than with the square shaft. Might have something to do with how tight the holder is on the shaft... something for you experts to answer.
Post by: Mike Ameling on April 04, 2009, 10:03:09 AM
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
p.s. Now to just find some documentation for that holder and the fork/holder combo.