Top Post-Collapse Barter Items And Trade Skills

[Renaissance]

Thanks Ennio for the helpful list ;)

Speaking of trade skills and post collapse items:

I recently purchased a homemade salve/dry hand ointment that is made with Beef tallow. The product is called Mother's Making Tallowed Touch it comes in a small tin about .5 ounces for around $8.00 it is available on etsy.com, I purchased it at a local farm and they had several different scented tallow products available.

The ingredients were very basic:

• 100% Grassfed beef tallow, infused with rose petals and vanilla beans
• Extra Virgin olive oil, palm arosa essential oil

Wondering if anyone has made such a product and if there is a recipe available?

This product is something that is really useful for dry chapped hands, callous and blisters from manual labor and excessive dishwashing

In addition I would imagine that these types of salves and hand remedies could also be made with excess pork fat from old bacon grease ;)

I agree that this area would be good for post collapse trade. In one of his youtube videos, Dimitry Orlov mentioned that luxury items are a staple in trade. Someone was also recently saying how their grandmother got through tough economic times by making such kinds of creams.

There's some discussion about lard and tallow being used for creams here:

http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,32551.msg446033.html#msg446033

 

[A Jay]

Thanks for the list Ennio! :D

 

[Erykah]

Thanks Renaissance for posting the thread regarding creams using tallow products and the importance of such items in post collapse times.
My feeling was there was a thread somewhere mentioning peoples experiences using said products, still learning how to navigate and find these topic threads ;) your help is much appreciated :)

 

[Tracy Anne]

Hi everyone Im enjoying reading this thread very much. Thanks to you all for the info.

Ive started darning socks and holes in clothing instead of throwing them out and buying new items. Also Im practicing repairing clothing and up cycling garments. Most of it is done by hand sewing as I dont have a machine. I have felt compelled to revive my sewing skills of late and its a very enjoyable and relaxing thing to do and Im sure these skills will be needed in the future. Im increasing my store of cottons and different types of needles. I would also love to teach others how to sew and mend. You can make a garment out of hand sewing alone. No machine necessary.....after all this is how couture garments are made!

I also make my own soap out of coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil and essential oils for fragrance (lavender, ylang ylang, sandalwoood). It takes 3 months to cure off to a nice hard white bar although it is usable within 5 weeks. My next step it to make soap from lard as this is more sustainable.

My recipe for home made deodarant is coconut oil 20g and half a teaspoon of baking soda. It really does work and goes along way. I keep it in a small glass jar and rub well into the armpits straight after shower. You can re apply during the day but I dont find it necessary. A rub of baking soda is an effective deodarant too but it can be caustic on the skin if used on its own. Adjust your amounts of baking soda if you find it doesnt work or you find it is too caustic on your skin.

 

[Nancy2feathers]

Hi everyone Im enjoying reading this thread very much. Thanks to you all for the info.

Ive started darning socks and holes in clothing instead of throwing them out and buying new items. Also Im practicing repairing clothing and up cycling garments. Most of it is done by hand sewing as I dont have a machine. I have felt compelled to revive my sewing skills of late and its a very enjoyable and relaxing thing to do and Im sure these skills will be needed in the future. Im increasing my store of cottons and different types of needles. I would also love to teach others how to sew and mend. You can make a garment out of hand sewing alone. No machine necessary.....after all this is how couture garments are made!

Thanks for this thread! I`m enjoying it also and would love to hear more from anyone who has info to add to bartering and trade skills. I do believe this is in our immediate future.
I too, have been doing some mending, altering and embroidery. I find it very relaxing to do in the early evening. It feels good to create or recreate a piece of clothing, say an apron for instance, to give as a gift for a friend, who I know will feel the love that went into it. I have a love for cotton and other textiles and save pieces of material from articles of clothing that would have been thrown away. I added ruffles to some of my favorite cotton pillow cases that give it a nice shabby chic (pronounced sheek) look. In the past, I had a leather business, hand sewing with handmade lace, leather bags,pouches, shirts, moccasins, and other things made out of deer leather with pheasant feathers and beads attached. The name of the business was "The Leather Feather". The business did quite well, but it was hard on my hands and getting enough inventory together to do a show took a while, sometimes months. I`d like to pass this craft on to others who might be interested as I think there will be a need for durable clothing in the future. :)

 

[Tracy Anne]

Hi everyone Im enjoying reading this thread very much. Thanks to you all for the info.

Ive started darning socks and holes in clothing instead of throwing them out and buying new items. Also Im practicing repairing clothing and up cycling garments. Most of it is done by hand sewing as I dont have a machine. I have felt compelled to revive my sewing skills of late and its a very enjoyable and relaxing thing to do and Im sure these skills will be needed in the future. Im increasing my store of cottons and different types of needles. I would also love to teach others how to sew and mend. You can make a garment out of hand sewing alone. No machine necessary.....after all this is how couture garments are made!

Thanks for this thread! I`m enjoying it also and would love to hear more from anyone who has info to add to bartering and trade skills. I do believe this is in our immediate future.
I too, have been doing some mending, altering and embroidery. I find it very relaxing to do in the early evening. It feels good to create or recreate a piece of clothing, say an apron for instance, to give as a gift for a friend, who I know will feel the love that went into it. I have a love for cotton and other textiles and save pieces of material from articles of clothing that would have been thrown away. I added ruffles to some of my favorite cotton pillow cases that give it a nice shabby chic (pronounced sheek) look. In the past, I had a leather business, hand sewing with handmade lace, leather bags,pouches, shirts, moccasins, and other things made out of deer leather with pheasant feathers and beads attached. The name of the business was "The Leather Feather". The business did quite well, but it was hard on my hands and getting enough inventory together to do a show took a while, sometimes months. I`d like to pass this craft on to others who might be interested as I think there will be a need for durable clothing in the future. :)

Its lovely to meet another crafter and mender! I enjoyed reading your post Nancy2feathers.

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[Dirgni]

I share your opinion that knowledge of needlework and mending will be in demand. And teaching or using this knowledge is on my list of bartering possibilities. Younger people here seem not to learn needlework any more. I learned some embroidery, weaving, sewing, knitting and crocheting at school. And I was interested enough to continue doing it afterwards. Additionally I learned patchwork, quilting and some spinning and felting. I am also interested in simple clothes and garmet cuts. Needlework belong to my hobbies and I made quite a lot of things over the years. I made my own knitting needles for the experience. My latest useful project was knitting a couple of socks.

Besides sewing I found knitting and crocheting a useful possibility when you want to make something when travelling. Knitting is essentially making useful things with some smooth sticks and yarn. Very easy as soon as you have got the knack. The people in the Elizabethean (I) times knitted when walking. And knitting, sewing and patchworking was done when keeping watch over animals.

I mended trousers once when we had a house building project in the family, which was hard to any clothes. I found that after applying the patch the cloth just outside the patch will go thin next. So you have to apply a patch large enough to cover the thin parts and well beyond. I mended a lot of socks and clothes, too over the years. But I found I did not like the chore enough to continue to do it when working to earn the money for new ones does not take much longer than mending the old ones. But I still think it is a very useful knowledge for meager times.

In Japan there is a tradition to sew / quilt 2 and more layers of cloth together to make the garment stronger. Japanese firebrigades used those multi-layered cloth garments in the old times (they made it wet I assume). In the Middle Ages they used quilted garments for warmth and as protection under armour. Quilted clothes were still in use in Europe til the French Revolution.

You can do weaving and quilting using large looms / frames or smaller devices. For both techniques you are usually more stationary.

Embroidery was also used to make clothes stronger and also for decoration. Embroidery stitches were also used to "sew" two pieces of cloth together in the Mediterranean areas.

I enjoy meeting other riding the same hobbyhorse. And I enjoyed reading your posts French Marigold and Nancy2feathers. Thank you.

 

[Gwenllian]

Just a bit of info about lard that I found interesting. Will post it in the thread that Renaissance posted, too.

They started to experiment with other mediums (oils, petroleum jelly, etc) as well as different extraction methods. And what they found was that no matter what they used, the effectiveness of the salve was not as good as with lard as the medium. While they could optimize the extraction of the flowers, they could not find a more effective delivery medium. The reason lard is so effective is because it is very similar to human fat, allowing for more efficient absorption.

To further support their findings they mention an independent study done in Switzerland in 1987 which found that the extraordinary healing properties of calendula ointment for skin problems are ONLY present if the FLOWER EXTRACT AND LARD ARE COMBINED - present at the same time! Using either the flower extract or the lard by itself is of little use. The calendula extract by itself has very little effect and without the lard cannot be absorbed well enough to heal as intended.
This ends my rough translation of their findings.
---------------------

Maria Treben the well known Austrian herbalist (and incidently a friend of the Theiss') now deceased, gives the following instructions which I have been following twice now - from the book "Health through God's Pharmacy" on page 8 (This book is in English and readily available in the US).

"Two heaped double handfuls of herbs are finely chopped. 500 gm. of lard are heated as if for frying schnitzel
[:p]. The herbs are stirred into this hot fat, allowed to crackle briefly, stirred around, the pan is removed from the hotplate, covered and cooled overnight. The next day the whole is warmed lightly, filtered through a linen cloth and the still warm ointment poured into previously prepared glass jars or ointment pots.

Barbara and Peter Theiss say Calendula ointment made with lard has a long tradition and was prepared by every farmer in Germany to be used for wounds and skin problems on man and animal alike.

They say that Lard plays a double role: 1) as an extraction medium (carotinoids present in calendula are fat soluble) and 2) as a basis to carry the medicinal properties of the herb to the cells.

_http://www.healingwiseforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=5043 (the site is down now)

 

[davey72]

I have saved quite a few books for this reason. Granted they are mostly horrors, and fiction, but regardless i tend to think reading materials of any kind may be useful.

 

[Erykah]

Thanks for sharing French Marigold, Nancy2feathers, Mariama and Dirgni

I also really enjoy sewing and hand made crafts. Lately the idea has been on my mind to start a school/teaching program on the "Lost Arts', such as sewing/mending, needle work/embroidery, crocheting, handwriting/cursive/ calligraphy in addition to soap/candle making, paper making, lard rendering, smoking meat etc...The list is long with many ideas popping into my head at once .

I, like others have shared, collect fabric and store it away for future projects, currently I am really involved in making patchwork items, blankets, pillow cases, aprons etc. As you shared Nancy2feathers, these items make great gifts and are original and cost little money. I have found that sewing is very relaxing and meditative, when I feel overwhelmed by the world and all the crazy events that transpire each moment of the day, creative acts help ground my energy and bring me back to the moment. It is also enjoyable to struggle through and finish more challenging projects, as an example I recently recovered my couch, at first I felt the task was too difficult, but I persevered, after about 12 hours total I had new couch covers and the only cost was my time ;) As I worked through the process I gained new insight and pushed passed those petty fears that I was incapable of such a feat. It was a real rewarding feeling when I was done, and now each time I sit on the couch I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment The next challenge that I will undertake is making car seat covers...should be an interesting adventure.

 

[herondancer]

In the past, I had a leather business, hand sewing with handmade lace, leather bags,pouches, shirts, moccasins, and other things made out of deer leather with pheasant feathers and beads attached. The name of the business was "The Leather Feather". The business did quite well, but it was hard on my hands and getting enough inventory together to do a show took a while, sometimes months. I`d like to pass this craft on to others who might be interested as I think there will be a need for durable clothing in the future. :)

I'd love to learn more about leather work. It's a gap in my craft knowledge that needs filling. Do you know anything about making shoes (as opposed to moccasins or mukluks)? Menrva and I are both interested in that too.

 

[Nancy2feathers]

In the past, I had a leather business, hand sewing with handmade lace, leather bags,pouches, shirts, moccasins, and other things made out of deer leather with pheasant feathers and beads attached. The name of the business was "The Leather Feather". The business did quite well, but it was hard on my hands and getting enough inventory together to do a show took a while, sometimes months. I`d like to pass this craft on to others who might be interested as I think there will be a need for durable clothing in the future. :)

I'd love to learn more about leather work. It's a gap in my craft knowledge that needs filling. Do you know anything about making shoes (as opposed to moccasins or mukluks)? Menrva and I are both interested in that too.

Funny you mentioned shoe making. Ren and I went to an estate sale and picked up some primitive items as in an old glass tabletop butter churn, a tin taper candle mold, stone wheel that you peddle to sharpen blades and such and we found a cast iron form to make shoes!!!! I saw the Campbell school give workshops on shoe making, but I`m guessing there`s you-tube videos out there with the basics. I`m so excited you all are interested in making hand-made shoes. I`v only ever made moccasins, but I`m open to learning and I do have some leather working tools.
I have to tell you about a project I`m working on. At the same sale I found a copper slipper bath tub. Copper on the inside, some kind of metal/steel on the outside. I didn`t know it was copper til I started to remove the paint. The whole thing was painted YELLOW!. I went on line and found the same exact tub from the same maker in NY. I paid $100.00. The one on line sold for $2,500.00! Anyway, my thoughts were, it would make a great soaking tub in an outdoor room, made private of course. The tub is light, and can be moved easily. I saw one set up outside with a propane stove underneath to heat up the water. Of course one better would be to build a platform with a rocket stove underneath to heat the water to be more efficient. Also, I have a wrought iron gazebo where the tub can be set up and some kind of handmade curtains (maybe made from canvas) could be hung for privacy. The throw away water could be diverted to water the flower garden all around the gazebo!
Here are some pics of the slipper bath tub like mine and a drawing of how it could be heated with propane. The rocket stove would be more efficient and there could be some nice adobe structure around it.
The pic of the embroidery isn`t mine, but I have done work similar incorporating beads and such.
The last pic is kind of dark, but it`s a dresser that I shabby chic`d white with pink under tones and then sanded some of the paint off. This is what I like to do for extra cash. Buy something that looks like crap and give it a new life. I`m still thinking about that re-purpose shop! Wouldn`t it be great if we could all contribute our skills and crafts and work together making a cottage industry for FOTCM plus just sharing with each other and working on crafts together is so awesome to think about!

A note to Mods: I used TinyPic.com to upload pictures. If I`m taking up too much space, please delete. Thanks :)

 

[Kawika]

In the past, I had a leather business, hand sewing with handmade lace, leather bags,pouches, shirts, moccasins, and other things made out of deer leather with pheasant feathers and beads attached. The name of the business was "The Leather Feather". The business did quite well, but it was hard on my hands and getting enough inventory together to do a show took a while, sometimes months. I`d like to pass this craft on to others who might be interested as I think there will be a need for durable clothing in the future. :)

Hi Nancy2feathers,

That sounds really cool I'm also very interested in working with leather and would love to learn how to make moccasins, clothing and other items out of leather, I just recently bought my wife some moccasins here at the reservation (made in China) I was thinking how I'd like to make them myself. In high school I use to make western belts and wallets out of leather so last year I bought some leather crafting tools in hopes of picking it up again.

 

[davey72]

A rocket stove may be more efficient heat under that bathub.

 

[Magpie]

In the past, I had a leather business, hand sewing with handmade lace, leather bags,pouches, shirts, moccasins, and other things made out of deer leather with pheasant feathers and beads attached. The name of the business was "The Leather Feather". The business did quite well, but it was hard on my hands and getting enough inventory together to do a show took a while, sometimes months. I`d like to pass this craft on to others who might be interested as I think there will be a need for durable clothing in the future. :)

Hi Nancy2feathers,

That sounds really cool I'm also very interested in working with leather and would love to learn how to make moccasins, clothing and other items out of leather, I just recently bought my wife some moccasins here at the reservation (made in China) I was thinking how I'd like to make them myself. In high school I use to make western belts and wallets out of leather so last year I bought some leather crafting tools in hopes of picking it up again.

As a big Etsy enthusiast...I did find some really cool ideas for shoes and shoe making...Here is a neat blog about making shoes from up-cycling the leather you find in thrift stores:
_http://while-they-sleep.blogspot.com/2009/08/recycled-leather-shoes-tutorial.html

And keep in mind -Wool- makes great liners for boots and shoes and you can even felt very sturdy slippers from it and then have those slip into harder leather coverings or even a wooden slip on shoe...great for running out to collect eggs, etc...
Here's a picture of some pretty cool felted slippers:

and here:

Really with dyeing wool...the possibilities are endless. I'm looking at some books on natural dyes and how to grow and harvest them as well. I grew up with sheep and shearing and all the fiber fun that goes with it. So I'm thinking that in the sense of trading and items that would have trade value...people will want items that are hardy And beautiful. And it doesn't take much to make some really neat looking shoes. The images that I posted are just the tip of the iceberg in regards to what you can do with leather and wool.

...and don't get me started on hats