Traditional Skills, Bladesmithing, Bowyery, & Hands-On Education with Dan Olsen

In this episode Phoenix interviews master bladesmith, bowyer, and instructor of primitive skills, the amazing Daniel Olsen, for a fascinating interview. Dan talks about how he got into primitive skills work and how he created his Traditions School for children in the greater Boise, ID area. He talks about his grounded and practical education philosophy which enables children to experience complex laws of physics, math, and the sciences through direct hands on experiences, often tied into fun ballistic activities including ballistics, archery, and other primitive skills. Dan also shares about his journey into becoming a blacksmith/bladesmith and gets into some details around the craft, as well as his experience with making bows. For all you knife lovers, primitive skill lovers, and lovers of education, this podcast is for you. 

Daniel Olsen began his journey into traditional skills in the foothills of Central Utah with his grandmother as his guide. She grew up herding sheep in the mountains of Idaho and Foraging The Hills for most of the food that she and her family ate. She passed this knowledge on to her grandchildren through her example.

Daniel has lived in many different environments including the high deserts of Utah, Nevada, the Pacific Northwest in Washington, Idaho and Alaska, Upstate New York, the desert southwest and the tropical northeast coast of Australia. In all of these locations the desire to learn the knowledge and skills of the original inhabitants has remained strong. Daniel has been fortunate to find people in all of these locations who were eager to share their knowledge. In addition to teaching Daniel is a professional Bladesmithing and the owner of 4D Blades where he designs and makes functional works of art for outdoors men and women. He is also an accomplished public speaker and storyteller and is often sought out to make presentations to local groups on traditional skills and alternative education.

Daniel has always felt a strong connection to nature and has been exploring from his childhood inspired by the stories of his ancestors, the Native Americans, and the frontiers men and women of the past.

In his free time you can find Daniel roaming and foraging in the mountains and canyons of the mountain states researching and taking pictures for his book “the Bushcrafter’s Guide to Useful Plants of the Mountain States“.

To get in touch with Daniel Olsen please visit him on Social Media: 

@traditions.school on Facebook and Instagram 

@4dblades also on Facebook and Instagram

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