Artisans of Dartmoor - Book - Page 153
needed to keep woods and hedgerows biodiverse
and full of wildlife. Jordan moved back to his
hometown of Ashburton in 2019, and, after a spell
working on a horse-logging venture with John
Williamson (see page 195), he set up his business,
Greenwood Handles.
Hewing handles mostly from scratch, Jordan uses
wood from local ash trees, felled locally to mitigate
the effects of ash dieback disease. The wood is
pliant yet robust, which Jordan says is perfect
for heavy-duty work, but adds that splitting and
carving it “requires a sensitive touch”.
“For a really strong handle, it’s important to
respect what the wood wants to do, rather than
battle against it. Ash needs a human eye to read it;
only then can the magic happen,” he says.
He finds inspiration for designs in historic
photos of field workers and books about rural
crafts, and also draws on designs from other parts of
the UK. “In the mining communities of south-west
Wales, axes were small and tightly curved to allow
miners to work in very tight spaces. I’ve borrowed
that design because it’s perfect for working in
a Dartmoor hedge bank, where space is also
very restricted.”
Blades (‘heads’) are always – always – vintage,
and purchased at antiques fairs, flea markets and
car boot sales. “Before mechanisation, tools had to
be sharpened by hand, so anything over 120 years
old is much easier to sharpen than modern steel,
LEFT: A billhook for hedgelaying and a small axe
for fine carving.
ABOVE: Morris, Jordan’s pet ferret, is named
after the 19th-century Dartmoor toolmakers,
Morris & Sons – and after Jordan’s love of
traditional morris dancing. Jordan’s handpainted
sign and a nod to his love for Cornish pasties.
NEXT PAGES: Jordan checks a newly made axe
is balanced. By blackening handles in flames, he
seals and preserves the timber.
The Toolmaker • Jordan Harris
153
