How The War Spoons of Laos are Made | Back Roads & Hmong Villages E25
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ค. 2024
- Spoon Village. Ban Napia, Laos. Heavily bombed during the Vietnam war, this small village turns unexploded munitions into utensils.. This is how they do it.
How The War Spoons of Laos are Made | Back Roads & Hmong Villages E25
THE UNITED STATES NEVER FORMALLY declared war on Laos, but they still dropped more than 270 million cluster bombs on the country during the Vietnam War era. It is estimated that one-third of these did not explode. Nearly 50 years later, people in Laos are still killed or maimed when they encounter unexploded bombs or “ordnance” (UXO). These munitions also keep much of Laos in poverty because clearing land for agriculture or development is hazardous. Children are killed or injured when they mistake UXO for toys. Even the simple act of lighting a fire to cook a meal can set off a weapon buried underneath.
The northeastern province of Xieng-Khouang was one of the most heavily bombed areas of Laos, and it is littered with unexploded munitions. Some residents in the village of Ban Napia have turned this problem into a curious and hazardous occupation: They collect UXO, melt it down in a kiln, and fashion it into spoons and other household items using wooden molds.
Villagers in Ban Napia, also known as “Spoon Village,” have made the utensils across decades and generations. The work has not been without its hazards, though: People have been killed collecting and processing the UXO. But for many, the reward is worth the risk, as the trade brings much-needed income to the impoverished region.
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Sabaidee and welcome to my channel....Now in Lao!!
My name is Todd and i am an Australian currently living in Laos with my wife, Neenee.
This is a channel primarily dedicated to Laos and the people who live here, our daily lives and our travels within this amazing country. Thank you for watching and if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask, by either commenting or contacting me via Facebook.
Now in Lao .... Vlogging Laos !!
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the spoons with holes in the centre would be ideal for taking boiled eggs from a pan of hot water and letting the water drain away from the egg,
Clever people turn bomb shells in a spoon 🥄 good job ! 👍very interesting! The rejected spoon be good hanging on my kitchen in my kitchen wall 👍Todd
How awesome it is that you recovered your car.
That's brilliant. If they want to increase their sales as souvenirs, they might want to come up with a logo of some kind as part of the mould. That'd mark it as a genuine item. (Also, knives of that size wouldn't be a problem for overseas, so long as they're not double-edged. Kitchen knives are totally legal and I brought a hunting knife from Borneo home to Australia fine.)
Those spoons would be good for picking up poached eggs from the boiling water
My spoon and chop sticks live in my work-bag and get regular use.
Great stuff! 👍
Would be interesting to see an up close view of the molds. Looked like wood, but must have had some other material inside as the actual mold.
One of the first videos I saw of yours was when you found this lady making cloth with an old-fashioned loom. I really love these videos where you show local/native people employing their craft(s). It gives a much better perspective of how things are in the "real" Laos. Great videos...really enjoy them. I've been to many parts of SE Asia, but not Laos just yet...visiting it vicariously through you guys at the moment :)
I like you B&W photo's.
Thanks
I use my spoons daily always reminds me of the special time I had in Laos .. Great vid 🙏
that episode just flew by so quick 😀
Lol.. to be fair, it's a much shorter than I usually make 😉
Wabi Sabi is the Japanese term for aged and full of character. Another great episode!
Boy Todd,I was hoping to see the pretty woman that did that in a house close by....haha
You was at her shop in the previous video,but she wasn't anywhere around.
I make my own fishing jigs an lures using this process,but with a lil more modern tools. The clay/dirt in her molds works but if someone could mill her some out of steel plates it would take a lil longer to heat up,but once heated they would retain that heat and she'd have a lot less defective ones that she'd have to remelt....but maybe yinz fixed all that and opened a new market for her with your order of defective ones.....haha
Great video as usual 😊The people in SE Asia are generally very enterprising. Just a pity so many do not get the educational opportunities.
Fascinating. I just think that it is wonderful that a whole industry can be developed from something so unimaginably terrible. I think you could make a whole story about Mina and the fish 🙂 Great vlog as always. Much love and blessings to the three of you 😀❤🙏
We are looking for a really nice piece of wood to mount the spoons on. Will look great as wall art 🎨 👌 😅.
Aluminum could be going up in price. I hope they do well.
I always hit LIKE for your videos, always interesting things,thanks for taking us along 😀!
Such a cool channel. I was so close to visiting Asia at one point myself. I had experience with modeling and in late 2015 I was in contact with Capcom about the facial likeness role of Leon for the Resident Evil 2 Remake. I failed to mention I also have a voice acting background, in the end I lost the part and I can't forgive myself for wasting such an opportunity to visit Asia. All the best on your travels!
Do they gather the ammunition themselves? Anyway-honest work, honest people. I am looking forward to come back to Laos.
To take a bad situation with the war into something that is at least positive says lot about the people of the Hmong Villages. To see you guys wide eyed look at the spoon lady with
wonder especially Mina was indeed a wonderful video screenshot. All the best my friend. 👍👍 Jim and Harriet
Todd...you mention the ....secret war...but never the combattons ..some of your viewers may not know ..particularly from one country ...without mentioning which country ..great channel..
They were in no particular order, the CIA, the king of Lao, the Pathet Lao, and the Vietmin. Some support roles from Australia also.
@@Lifeintheslowlane-wg3jd There were a whole slew of military personnel involved,not only in Laos but all of SEA during the Indochina- Vietnam War periods.
USSR,China,NVN,Pathet Lao,Khmer Rouge,North Korea. Also some from Western Block Countries like Czechoslovakia,East Germany,Bulgaria and even from across the Atlantic from Cuba.
USA,SVN,South Korea,Australia and New Zealand,Canadians that joined the US Military,Thailand,Royal Lao Army,Royal Cambodian Army.
There were other countries that would send non military personnel like Brazil,Spain,Philippines,Taiwan,and who knows exactly from the Western Block.
Poland did the legwork to set up the meetings an peace talks.
Any of the Western block could have been in Laos at that time,but NVN and the Pathet Lao were the main forces.
The Royal Lao Army and Thailand were the main fighting forces with US advisors until 1962 when the Geneva Accord was signed then in support from Thailand. US also ran SOG operations against the Ho Chi Minh trail in the south starting around 1964. There might have been any number of countries supplying aid then,one might even been Great Britain but they still keep anything an everything hush hush about it if there is anything.
What you say may or may not be correct in a number of cases, but you clearly did not read the question I answered. That was who where the people involeved in the Lao sectret war as opposed to the wider war against the falling dominose. I did mention the Pathet Lao, as well as the other main actors. Many of the nations listed may have had very small parts to play. Just for the record I was in south east asia for a short while in early 1973
@@Lifeintheslowlane-wg3jd How did I not answer? I sure as hell did read the question and answered it with a full accounting of who was and those who could very possibly been there at some point. It was a much more detailed answer than your widely known information. I just filled in what you left out,do not know about,and/or refuse to find out.
I included who fought throughout SEA which could have at any time seen action somewhere in Laos with exception to a few.
At the end I told you exactly not only who the main combatants were in Laos.
Aid doesn't only include supplies,it includes manpower (non-combatant) like Engineers,Medical,Human Services,etc. and there were many countries and entities supplying help to each side.
All records are not recorded or even released by communist countries and some like I mentioned Great Britain just won't say anything but there is some writings that at least a few things did go on.
Just because you were there in '73 doesn't mean you know or experienced everything or even anything that went on. Not one veteran (noticed you didn't say you served but just "was there"),even if they served side by side in the rear or in battle,they'll have different views of it. Some of their story will mesh but a lot will be what each individual viewed an experienced.
I wasn't there,I was only born in '71 in the US but for around 40 years the war in SEA has been my main interest and I have studied it,watched 1000's of videos on it,read 1000's of books,,after action reports,memoirs from both sides including many from those that were on the communist side of the it either being former NVA or VC or even some that were from some of those block countries. These were written after they either escaped from or defected from their home country in which many would have likely been shackled off to die in a prison or maybe even outright executed then and there.
Instead of thinking what I said "may or may not be correct in a number of cases" look it up,do a lil research,learn something instead of staying ignorant and telling anyone they're wrong/incorrect when you yourself only partially know the facts.
Todd's videos on bomb casings and such ....Laos being the most bombed country ever , in the world ,
Keeping in mind ..the size of Laos ....and the country that made all those crators ?
Not much difference from us making reef sinkers out of led back here in Ozz.
💯🔥💙👍
Hi Todd and Nee Nee.
Sabaidee. Good morning Todd and Nee nee. Nice video about the spoon village.
Cracking informative content buddy 👊🏽🙏🏽🇬🇧
🤗🙏🏼!
Cool video, enjoyed it. Thank you. Those imperfect spoons look so cool, smart choice.
Take care.
thanks again for taking me along
Howdy Todd,,not to be a downer,,but I was concerned about you guys breathing that aluminum smoke. Super bad for you! Just an hour shouldn't hurt anything,,but I feel for those people working in that all the time. Aluminum smelting is one of the most regulated industries in the U.S. I have a friend that worked at a smelter for 35 yrs and since he retired his health is horrible and the doctors thinks it's related. And that's even with all the safety gear in place. Those people should at the very least wear eye protection,,serious stuff like goggles and respirators. I'm sure it would be hard for them to afford that stuff. Mina had a blast,,even there. She's interested in everything,,,her brilliance will continue to be nurtured if she stays that way.❤❤❤ stay safe,,Ttyl,,,Marlon
Soup spoons for people on a diet.
They might have to dry out the new moulds to take any water out of it which can make molten aluminium explode on contact?
Yeah,that is one of the reasons he's heating them up in front of the kiln, dry out and also preheat.
Preheating also helps the mold produce full casts,but clay molds can only retain so much heat as why she's getting about a 2/3 ratio.
You have to have dry molds and also the metal,if not the moisture instantly turns to gas and this expands very fast,this is what makes it look like the metal explodes. He's also drying the metal and preheating it by putting it in the opening of the kiln before it melts into the pool of melted aluminum,if he put directly in he'd risk it having moisture trapped and causing it to "explode" once it was exposed to those temperatures.
why dont you make your own mould now in lao spoons ????? and get them to make them for you ???
That's a really good idea 💡
These moments are rare in life
If you read this what side did Ne Ne fight on ? General Pao or the communists ? And do you know why the Hmong fought on both sides ? can’t understand why they killed each other mostly without even knowing what. they were fighting for other that for there land! so many Hmong died ,10s of thousands.I mean Ne Ne father fought not your wife. Of course.
Where is dis places Yo?
There's a map in the video
hey Todd could you please direct me to the episode when mina trys to explain what the number 4 in her book represents I seen it and wanted to show my partner but can't find it thank you
Whoa.. I can't recall that bit. Can you remember what else was in the video?
Aluminium is not a heavy metal so it is not so toxic, and because they're smelting refined aluminium metal and not bauxite ore the risks are much lower. The melting temperature of the pure metal scrap is lower so metal fume shouldn't be a health issue, however long term exposure Al2O3 inhalation and ingestion "could" lead to Alzheimers disease, it's a pity they haven't access to the proper ppe or training .
Thanks for the info Al 😉👍
They have no idea what temp their keeping it melted at,yeah it'll melt at 1220*F (660*C) but they have no thermostat and no way to really regulate how hot that fire gets. It's probably getting much much hotter (there's not a lot of smoke coming off the fire) inside that kiln with the open drafts acting like bellows.
A wood fired kiln can get up to 2400*F (1315*C) if not more as IDK the max it can get,not saying that will but it is much much hotter than the aluminum needs to melt.
That aluminum also isn't pure aluminum,sure most of it is an alloy and you don't know what the properties are of that aluminum.
@@rider660r Having spent over 40 years in chemical analysis and destructive testing in metallurgical industries. I am someone coming a vast background of experience and knowledge. So When I mentioned pure aluminium, "it's in general terms 90-95%" of course there are other compounds that applicable to the particular specification for aviation use such as 7075-T6, 2024-T3 grades Mg, Mn, Si, Zn, Ti, Zn, Cu etc for tensile strength and corrosion resistance. Yes they had a crude but effective low temperature draft furnace and yes Aluminium depending on it's composition type has a approximately melting temperatures between 580-640°C. And yes emissions from the furnace wouldn't be healthy, unfortunately we can't change all that's wrong in the world.
@@Arctic_Traveller Using the word You was meaning no one knows,as no one will know what properties the aluminum is without testing it.
Maybe people shouldn't try and fix all that's wrong in the world. When they do it leads to all sorts of other problems,the west should be the perfect example of that.
@@rider660r I agree, best leave the people's of Indo-China to develop at their own pace. "The collective west is in self destruct mode", there's no reverse gear with our current crop of corrupted leadership.
War stuff isn't . just old rooves and buildings. Don't get scammed with the aluminium bomb story
I'm pretty sure we all understand that they're not made from war refuse now, but instead marvel at how and why this type of enterprise came about 😉