Hands & Tools

Hand-hewn knives made with flint, steel and bronze by Caroline Ross (from Issue 16)

The Dark Mountain manifesto declared an intention to write ‘with dirt under our fingernails’ and we’ve sought to ground the exploration of stories and ideas in the experience of working with our hands.

In this section, the practices of craft, making and growing cross paths with the questions about technology that run through many of the conversations around this project.

The Paradoxes of Creativity

Ava Osbiston
26th September, 2024
Third in this month's series on 'Hands and Tools', maker and core member of the Dark Mountain team Ava Osbiston discusses reworking castoff industrial materials to give them a new life, while recognizing how embedded we are in our modern age.
Hands & Tools

The Axe in Winter

Neale Inglenook
5th September, 2024
For our first offering in our 'Hands and Tools' series this month, editor Neale Inglenook discusses converting the axe from a tool of empire to one of connection and care.
Hands & Tools

Finding the Nock Point

Kim Schnuelle
11th May, 2022
'Archery can be seen as a slow paced ceremony ... each arrow let fly serves as a small ritual onto itself' – Kim Schnuelle weaves craft and storytelling in this personal essay exploring rituals to find peace in troubling times
Hands & Tools