Journal

Introducing Helko Werk - Premium German Made Axes - Common Goods
Introducing Helko Werk - Premium German Made Axes
Founded in 1844 by the Helsper family and originally known as the ‘Helsper Werezeugfabrik’. Hello Werk quickly earned a reputation as a manufacturer of premium quality axes, hatchets and forestry... Read more...
Carving A Replacement Axe Handle - Common Goods
Carving A Replacement Axe Handle
Why carve an axe handle when you can easily pick up a cheap and decent axe handle from your local oversized hardware store? Well, carving your own is a very... Read more...
Knife Making in Barrytown - Common Goods
Knife Making in Barrytown
Thirty years ago, Robyn and Steven Martin chose Barrytown as their home and 15 years later they started offering workshops for people to make their own knives out of a... Read more...
How to Season a Forged Iron Pan - Common Goods
How to Season a Forged Iron Pan
Just like a cast iron pan or skillet, a forged iron pan must be seasoned before use. Seasoning an iron pan is absolutely essential, it prevents the pan from rusting... Read more...
Feuerhand Lanterns - The Story - Common Goods
Feuerhand Lanterns - The Story
The Feuerhand story begins in the 1870s in the Saxon Ore Mountains in Eastern Germany. Here, Hermann Nier, operating out of a small silverware workshop, made miners lamps and household... Read more...
Where we would rather be this long weekend - Common Goods
Where we would rather be this long weekend
New Zealand is officially two weeks into its nationwide lockdown and it’s exciting to see how well we’re flattening the infamous curve. Gratitude to Jacinda aside, we’re still a little... Read more...
The origins of the Rucksack - Common Goods
The origins of the Rucksack
Simple, durable, and steeped in heritage, the rucksack is more than a bag - it’s a symbol of adventure. Read more...
Vegetable Tanned Leather - and why we love it - Common Goods
Vegetable Tanned Leather - and why we love it
Vegetable tanned leather has been gaining awareness and popularity in recent years for a number of reasons. but the thing we love about it is the way that it changes... Read more...
How to Wax Canvas and Fabrics - Common Goods
How to Wax Canvas and Fabrics
Applying waterproofing wax to fabric is a fairly straight forward project. Not only does it protect and waterproof your fabric, it also helps develop a great vintage look that keeps... Read more...
Noteworthy tools for planning your next adventure - Common Goods
Noteworthy tools for planning your next adventure
There's a certain satisfaction in pouring over a worn old paper map, imagining yourself exploring valleys and crossing rivers. However, you can get a whole lot more information from a... Read more...
The Very Best DOC Campsites in the South Island - Common Goods
The Very Best DOC Campsites in the South Island
Living in New Zealand, we’re incredibly fortunate to have somewhere with such varied and spectacular landscapes to call home. However, the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) takes things further... Read more...
Choosing Better Campfire Cooking Sticks - Common Goods
Choosing Better Campfire Cooking Sticks
It’s no secret that we love campfire cooking and it's often the highlight of our adventure. However, it’s not just the deliciously crispy outer and smokey flavour of food cooked... Read more...