Artisans of Dartmoor - Book - Page 149
THE TOOLMAKER
In a milking parlour overlooking over a forested valley, Jordan Harris
makes and restores bespoke tools for hedgelayers and woodsmen
D
artmoor is settling into its winter slumber.
Tree canopies, once filled with birdsong,
have fallen silent, their occupants now in warmer
climes. The lush pastures of summer lie barren,
and hibernating creatures have settled into their
burrows. With the tourism season over and the
weather closing in, moorland dwellers are also
hunkering down, stockpiling firewood for the long,
cold nights ahead. For Jordan Harris, life is about to
get very busy.
A woodworker who makes and restores bespoke
tools for hedgelayers and foresters, Jordan will be
inundated with commissions from November –
when the woodland management season begins – to
March, when it ends. What makes this period even
busier, is that Jordan is a devoted hedgelayer and
forester himself. So, before the nesting birds return
and hungry bees come in search of spring pollen,
he has to cram two jobs – and a year’s income – into
just four months.
Although it’s challenging, it’s a lifestyle Jordan
has embraced because, for him, nothing beats
the satisfaction of creating tools that make his
customers’ lives easier. Like a tailor-made suit,
Jordan says tools should fit the frame and character
of the user. Height, weight, physical strength, body
proportions, hand size and grip position must all be
taken into consideration, along, of course, with the
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