Cleaning a kuska

[hoppinmad]

Hi All,
I have a burch burl kuska i bought over the internet from Finland [still not allowed to play with knves till I learn how to use a spork :ashamed:]
Well on my last outing I was using said kuska to drink red wine:) which was left in overnight and now has stained the inside of the Kuska:o
In the care instructions it says not to use very hot water or washing up liquid, but to scour with sand or dirt to clean
I have tried to scour but with no success.. does any one have any ideas on how to clean this kuksa
Thanks in advance
regards
stu

[Martin]

Hi Stu,

Whilst I totally understand your desire to get your kuksa nice and clean, I don't think you'll get much sympathy on here for cleaning your kit. I get roundly jeered at whenever I turn up with my freshly cleaned billies.

In all seriousness, it's stained not dirty isn't it? The only thing you could try may be to bleach but that would probably leave a taint to the taste. Why not leave it as it is and call it patina?? Failing that, you would have to remove material until you got down past the stained layer of timber but that sounds a bit drastic to me.

Hope this helps, although I doubt it. ;)

Martin

[hoppinmad]

Hi Martin,
I think your right..call it patina and live with it, i would not like to get to drastic for fear of ruining the surface further!
thanks
stu

[Ashley Cawley]

That's a good question Stu, I've got a similar Kuksa, this is mine when it was relatively new, so the inside isn't stained there:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dzoenG8Svds/SZgHIDD4ozI/AAAAAAAAMwY/1ae86Ns6e18/s400/DSCF1987.JPG

Now it has been used a lot more the inside is a lovely, dark/deep red and I love it! :D I know it's stained with everything I've had in there; from tea, coffee, whiskey, cider, meade, port everything under the sun :) and it adds character in my opinion.

When I'm done at the end of the day I wash it clean of any residue, just using cold water (no soap or abrasives). I really like the colours/look on the outside & the inside, my only minor complaint is that it's not a little bigger. :p

At home on rare occasions I will wash the whole thing inside and out again with just cold-water, rubbing with hands and then after it has dried naturally (use cloth and leave it to dry, don't heat on a heater or airing-cupboard!) I might give it a gentle wipe with a bit of linseed oil on the outside of the cup.

[hoppinmad]

Hi Ash,
Thats a really nice looking kuska, I like the carving [pyrograph] of the owl..did you do that yourself or did it come like that?
I think the stain on my kuska is slowly growing on me...its just that it is the first kuska i have owned...and i thought that I may have ruined it..but if you and martin have staines then it must common to all kuska's
When I first saw kuska's I thought that they were a bit expensive for what in effect is a wooden cup...but having used it a few times camping etc i really appriciate and enjoy drinking out of it..and it makes a good talking point when sharing a wee dram with friends
Stu

[Ashley Cawley]

I didn't do the owl myself no, it came like that :) Mine was a Christmas present from the Mrs, I think she got it off ebay. Stains are perfectly normal :)

[MikeWilkinson]

If you can't live with the stains, make yourself a new one!

google Jons Bushcraft and look at his articles, has a great tutorial on there on how to do it.

or even better, here is the link straight to it


http://www.jonsbushcraft.com/Kuksa%20tutorial.htm (http://www.jonsbushcraft.com/Kuksa%20tutorial.htm)

I've not tried it yet, need to get myself a crook knife and find a nice birch round, but will be giving it a go after xmas.

[hoppinmad]

Hi Mike,
That is a really good tutorial!!..my carving skill are not up to that standard yet, but i might give it a go at the next moot
Stu

[MikeWilkinson]

My skills are no way near that good either, but hey i'm of the ilk to give it a go anyway, even if the finished article is a little rough round the edges or a bit wonky, you made it, its yours, and there won't be one like it anywhere else... ... In saying that though, I'm using the same principles in the tutorial to carve spoons, just made my first and starting on a second - without a crook knife I might add - once I get fairly good at them I'll have a go at a kuska, with a crook knife maybe, or I might just burn the bowl out, dunno yet?!

I like his dish/bowl tutorial as well, quite a talented young chap!

[MikeWilkinson]

19 20 21

Well, seeing as I mentioned it, thought I'd have a go at making a small one. I haven't got a crook knife, so had to scrape and gouge out the inside with my knife, bloody hard work I can tell you. Think I need to invest in a crook knife for the next attempt.

It is not quite finished yet, needs a few touches here and there and a final sanding, considering I don't really do carving I'm pretty happy with it and thats all that counts I suppose.

Just hope it doesn't crack as it dries out!

I've put a my first spoon attempt in the photo too.

[Ashley Cawley]

That's absolutely superb Mike! Well done ;) You might want to keep us updated on that one in the Craft/Making area.

I've yet to try my hand at making a Kuksa.

Stu, I've just found a recent photo of my kuksa, I've cropped in a lot on it so apologies if the quality is poor, but see the difference in colour between the outside and the inside! It was the same colour at one point, click on the image below:
23

lol it's like a black-hole! And it's clean honest! :)

[hoppinmad]

hi
Mike thats a really nice kuska in the making..you said you are not using a spoon knife to carve the bowl..what have you been using?
Ash i see what you mean..and it does add a bit of character to a kuska!!

[Jon Mac]

Hi hi hoppinmad..Read with interest your question about stained Kuksa...After some time your Kuksa will end up looking beautiful, as the different beverages you drink take affect on the wood...Here is a photograph of an old Kuksa I carved many years ago...

79

I also pre stain some of the Kuksa I make...

80


And the end result...

81

Enjoy your wonderful cup...Jon Mac...http://spooncarvingfirststeps.blogspot.com/

[Ashley Cawley]

Some lovely Kuksas there Jon, thanks for sharing, looks like you've got an interesting blog there too, I'll add that to my reading.

[Jon Mac]

Thank you for replying Ashley. Glad you like the blog. Still finding my way round here, but I'm sure I'll make myself comfortable soon enough. All the best...J

[MikeWilkinson]

Hi hoppinmad,

I strongly advise not doing it without a crook knife. I Basically used the knife tip to slowly cut away the bowl, took ages, my hand cramped and the finish on the base isn't that great, functional but not pretty.

I've just started number 2 using a birch burl, won't do the bowl till I get myself ba crook knife.

[Jon Mac]

Get yourself a spoon knife. You wont be able to turn a crook knife in the bottom of the bowl due to the bevel being on the interior of the crooks radii. A spoon knife has a bevel on the exterior, allowing the cutting edge to disengage with the work when you need...Hope this helps...J

[Ashley Cawley]

...I strongly advise not doing it without a crook knife. I Basically used the knife tip to slowly cut away the bowl, took ages, my hand cramped and the finish on the base isn't that great, functional but not pretty..
I thought that would have been bloody hard work! :p

Great tip there Jon.

[MikeWilkinson]

Cheers Jon, I always thought they were one and the same, but now I see otherwise.

[MikeWilkinson]

Forgot to say, Jon, It was watching the videos with sean on your site that inspired me too finally have a go, that and Jon Ridgeons how to page. What is it about Jons and woodcraft?

[Jon Mac]

My pleasure...Glad to have been of assistance...ATB...J

[Swamprat]

Those are some really good examples of kuksas. I have really been wanting to make one myself, thanks for the links to the tutorials. Most of the ones I had turned up in my google searches were not in english. Anyway, I do have a question. I know that the traditional wood for making kuksas is birch, but would something like oak work as well? oak and pecan are the most common hardwoods around here.

[Jon Mac]

Hi Swamprat. I have just read you E mail. Thank you for getting in touch. Many years ago I made a cup from Oak but didn't think about the tannins that are present in the wood. One learns from ones mistakes...:-) The Pecan I'm not sure about as it is not a tree I have ever come across, however you mentioned that Sycamore was available to you...This is a most suitable wood,no taste to taint your drink, mildly antibacterial, a little hard, but carved green it will make a splendid Kuksa. Drop me a line if you need more advice...All the best...Jon Mac


http://spooncarvingfirststeps.blogspot.com

[Ashley Cawley]

... Drop me a line if you need more advice...All the best...Jon Mac
http://spooncarvingfirststeps.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing Jon, appreciate it.

[Jon Mac]

No worries Ashley...How is it in Cornwall ? Warmer I hope. All the best...J