Tools
Could you build a useful toolkit using nothing more than stone, wood, cordage, and ingenuity? Throughout history, people created remarkable tools that allowed them to hunt, build structures, shape materials, and solve everyday problems using resources gathered from the natural world. In this section, discover the techniques behind river stone axes, slings, flint-tipped tools, bows, arrows, quivers, bow strings, and chisels. Through hands-on experiments and practical demonstrations, you'll uncover how simple materials can become powerful tools—and how those tools make larger projects and structures possible.
River Stone Axe
What separates an ordinary rock from a useful tool? In this video, we attempt to turn a sharpened river stone into a functional axe by fastening it securely to a wooden handle using nothing more than paracord and careful design. Discover the engineering behind strong lashings, explore the challenges of keeping the stone firmly attached during use, and see whether this simple combination of stone, wood, and cord can create a surprisingly effective cutting tool. Sometimes the most interesting inventions begin with the simplest materials.
Chisels
Could a simple piece of bone outperform antler as a woodworking tool? Many people assume denser materials automatically make better tools, but practical testing can sometimes produce surprising results. In this video, watch as deer bone and elk antler are shaped into chisels using natural abrasives and then tested on wood to compare their strength, sharpness, and effectiveness. Discover how traditional materials can be transformed into useful tools and learn which chisel proved most capable during this hands-on experiment.
Using tools to build Structures
As you explore the world of tools, it quickly becomes clear that a tool is only as useful as the structure it helps create. An axe can shape wood, a chisel can carve precise joints, and a bow can provide resources, but these skills reach their full potential when combined to build something larger. The ladders, rafts, swings, and other structures in the next section demonstrate how simple tools and materials can be transformed into practical projects through experimentation, problem-solving, and careful construction. Continue to the Structures section to discover how individual tools become part of larger creations that can help you navigate, explore, and interact with the natural world.