(Matjaž Poštrak, 2.c)
Vrsta lesenih rokodelskih in obrtniških opravil, izdelovanje suhe robe. Suhorobarstvo je izrazit primer domače obrti, ki v novejšem času po tehnološki in organizacijski zasnovi prerašča v redno lesno galanterijsko obrt. Domovina suhorobarstva je ribniško-kočevsko območje.Cesar Frederik III. je 1492 izdal odlok, po katerem so lahko kmetje na kočevskem in ribniškem območju trgovali tudi z lesenimi izdelki lastne, domače izdelave.
Suha roba pa je skupen izraz za ročno, pozneje po večini strojno izdelano rokodelsko lesno z ribniško-kočevsekga območja. Izdelki suhe robe so od 15. stoletja predmet različnega trgovanja (krošnjarstvo). Suha roba obsega več skupin izdelkov, nastalih z žličarstvom in kuhalničarstvom, posodarstvom, obodarstvom, ročnim mizarstvom, orodjarsvom, strugarstvom, pletarstvom, rešetarstvom, sodarstvom, zobotrebčarstvom, izdelovanjem igrač, (turističnih) spominkov, daril in okrasnih predmetov iz lesa. Leta 2002 so v Ribnici zaščitili geografski izvir suhe robe in izdelali Pravilnik o označbi porekla blaga »Ribniška suha roba«. Območje ribniške suhe robe po tem pravilniku obsega občine Ribnica, Kočevje.
Na obisku smo bili pri Šef Ivanu, ki izdeluje predmete iz lesa. To je delal za hobi že v času, ko je bil še zaposlen v tovarni papirja Paloma, sedaj pa je v pokoju in ima za to še več časa. Izdeluje predvsem orodja, ki jih ljudje potrebujejo pri kmečkih opravilih. To so: grablje, vile, ročaje za kose, motike, vile, sekire… Za te predmete potrebuje različne vrste lesa. Grablje izdeluje iz leske, bukve in akacije, ročaje pa izdeluje iz gabrovega lesa. Za obdelavo lesa ima različne stroje. Stroj za izdelavo zob za grablje si je izdelal kar sam. To nam je tudi prikazal. Videli smo še, kako je na stružnici izdelal ročaj za koso. Zelo sem bil vesel, da sem lahko pomagal pri izdelavi grabelj. Videli smo tudi, kako se pomočjo ognja upogibajo konice pri lesenih vilah. Vsak je dobil tudi spominček za domov.
(Matjaž Poštrak, 2.c)
The hand-made production of woodenware - small and medium sized everyday kitchen and household utensils from wood - has a long tradition in Slovene lands. In the dark winter evenings of days gone by, peasant folk took a well-deserved break from toiling in the fields; this was the time when all the family members gathered together in a domestic production line to make woodenware. It was a craft that was particularly strong in the forested regions of Lower Carniola, and survives to this day in the areas around Ribnica and Kočevje in the Kočevski Rog district.
With regard to the articles made, this craft encompassed an enormous variety of products, from toothpicks, through spatulas, spoons and ladles, to rims and bases, sieves and bolters, as well as a whole host vessels and tools. Turned and lathed items were also produced, as were wickerwork ones. Although for the most part confined to useful everyday items for the home and farmstead, production also extended to children’s toys, decorative articles and souvenirs. Hundreds of traders from the Kočevje district once plied the Habsburg crown lands, and later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, selling these wares. In addition to beech - by far the most common material used in the production of such woodenware - spruce, fir, beech, maple, oak, ash and willow (wicker) were also employed, depending on the particular product, its purpose, and thus the properties that the construction materials needed to exhibit.
We visited Mr. Šef Ivan who makes products from wood. He was busy with this before, but just as his free-time activity, because he was working in the Paloma factory. Now he is retired and he has enough time for this activity. First of all, he makes tools which people need for farming. These are: rakes, forks, hoes, hatchets… For these products he needs a lot of different kind of wood. The rakes are made of hazel bush, beech and acacia. The hafts are made of white beech. For wood manufacturing he has different machines. One of the machines for making teeth for rakes he constructed himself. I was very happy that I could help Mr. Ivan by making the rakes. The most interesting thing was bending the nibs of wooden forks with the help of fire.
At the end of our visit each of us got the souvenir. I have to say that it was very educational spending of afternoon.