Birch Ummik and Woodworking in Estonia

Making and using shrink pots for grain and food storage is an ancient practice. In one of the greatest woodworking books, Woodworking in Estonia, Ants Viires, dedicates several pages (89-95) to it. In various regions of Estonia, these containers were known as “ummik” or “umku, umpu.” He asserts that these containers made by hollowing out a log or branch predate coopered containers. He goes into welcome detail on methods. For example, Viires explains that often the hollowed log would be put into boiling water or soaked to expand further before the bottom was inserted. But he states, “We also have evidence of the insertion of the dry base into the green wood container without ‘boiling’ or soaking; this may be considered an older method.” I guess I’ve only made “old school” ummiks. More on Woodworking in Estonia later.

I made this grey birch pot (above) fifteen years ago and it has stored…