squirrel cooker

[Uncle Russ]

Although being possibly the only one without a clue, I really like the looks, and seemingly practically of this cooking tool, PC or not.

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...

[ridjrunr]

Its the same concept as a stick and a couple rocks.That goes back quite aways.its definately goin in my kit.     ridjrunr

[Gambia]

I would imagine that "in the day" it probably would not be something that "they" would have carried around. Both parts are about 16" or a little longer and that would have been a real pain, literally to carry on your back all day, but that is just my .02 cents.

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

[No Rod]

I have the large one from turkey foot and it is just plain handy! I use it almost every time I cook in our camp.

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

[Kermit]

Three Hawks! Thanks for the TurkeyFoot link. They will be gettin' some of my money! Their hemp products alone are worth the link. Great prices on twine and rope.

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!!!  

[Mitch]

Whale oil(if you can find it) was going for $20 for 1 ounce...works out to $2560 for a gallon(if you can find it)...I still have about 12oz of Brownell's "Sperm Oil" in the original cans and I use it for my lock oil...a little bit goes a looooong way, I've oiled a lock with a Q-tip and had enough left on the swab to wipe down the barrel...
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...

[Mike Ameling]

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.

[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

[melsdad]

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.

[ridjrunr]

Brian,I sent ya a pm.  ridjrunr

[Mike Ameling]

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

[ridjrunr]

Thanx for the input Mike,I can see where it would be especially handy for a solo camp at voo,or for trekking.Light and easy,yet very effective.

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

[snake eyes]

Three Hawks,
Thanks for the TurkeyFoot link. They are indeed very
resonable on their prices...
snake-eyes

[No Rod]

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.

[Mike Ameling]

Yes, for that square shaft fork to "lock" in place to keep it from freely rotating, it does need a "flat" surface to rest against.  With a holder that is wrapped too tightly around the fork, it has too many spots touching to get ONE flat area to touch and "lock" it in place.  You usually don't have much problem with that - since you often don't have much on the fork/skewer for roasting.  It's when one side gets heavier than the other that you start to have problems rotating it to roast it on other sides.  The meat wants to swing/rotate down from it's weight.  

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.