Even if you’ve never had the urge to make something with your hands, glancing through one of W. Ben Hunt’s beautifully illustrated tutorials will have you itching to chop down a tree and carve out a dugout canoe, tan a bear hide, make your own “mock” eagle feathers and so much more.
Hunt, born in 1888 was a largely self-taught graphic designer who developed a number of beautiful hand lettered alphabets (what we might call “fonts” today.) His attention soon turned to woodcraft and he parlayed his love for the outdoors into a full-time career writing and illustrating articles for Boy’s Life.
While his graphic style was exquisite and precise, Hunt’s instructional writing cut straight to the bone, highlighting only the most important details. You can instantly grasp how to sew leather, stamp leather or dance an Apache Devil Dance.
There’s more than a little anthropology mixed in with Ben Hunt’s crafts. Along the way you develop a solid appreciation and respect for native American culture. After all, who doesn’t want a grizzly bear claw necklace like the one below?
Most of W. Ben Hunt’s books are out of print but you can still find copies of his best books on Amazon.
