Spoon carving

[John.Howard]

How popular is spoon carving on your side of the pond? Here, there are enough spoon carvers that they hold an annual spoonfest. Some even make it a full time vocation. Back in the day, if a man owned anything at all, after the clothes on his back and a knife, it was a wooden bowl and spoon. Eating with a carved wooden spoon was something once so common, now seldom experienced. And it is a pleasure. It's not like the disposable rubbish you may have used, as a blade finish is smooth. No sanding is required. Anyone can do it. All you need is a carving axe, a sharp knife and a crook knife (curved knife for hollowing out the bowl-easy to make or buy). And some wood. Like with most woodwork, a razor sharp edge produces a cleaner and quicker finish. It's a great way to pass an evening. Not a problem at the moment, as it's not dark 'til 10:30pm. But if I have need to carve a spoon during the winter months, I had better wait 'til my Mrs is out, or I get in trouble. She doesn't understand the joy of spoon carving on the couch!

I've only made about 7. Wish I had more time for it. Here's my latest...




  

  

  

  

 


Give it a go, I strongly recommend it.

[Dave Shepard]

I've been following green woodworking for some time. I check Peter Follansbee's blog every day. At my woodworker's guild show last weekend there was a local green woodworker there. He had many spoons, bowls, and other things that he had chopped out of a billet of wood with an axe and a couple of knives. Very interesting stuff.

[Paul_H]

The wooden spoon was my Mum's weapon of choice to bring us in line,She was quite handy with it.
I've carved makeshift spoons at work although nothing as nice as the one you have done but the idea of a winter's night whittling is appealing.

[downsouth]

Wow! Nice spoons.
  I have seen Peter F. On tv carving spoons, very interesting stuff.
  It's on my "list" of things to do for sure.   
  What kind of wood are those made of? I guess fruit wood is the best? Nice job

[mad murdock]

I have been following some of the bodgers on YouTube. I particularly like Harry Rogers channel, as he has some cool vids posted on everything from bodgers ball to building your own pole lathe to even a little smithing and making your own hook knife or bowl turning hooks.  Nice spoon there! I recently started my first spoon, but I need to get me a spoon knife to properly finish it off.

[thecfarm]

Seem like Tom ate some peas on a sawing job with a spoon he carved out of wood.

[CHARLIE]

It were me eatin' peas out of can.  I was off-loading for brother Tom one hot summer day, it was the only way to get to visit with him.  At lunchtime he threw me a can of peas and he took a can of peaches.  He had a spoon. I asked if he had a spoon for me. He said, "No, you'll have to whittle one." and threw me his pocket knife.  There's more to that story but that is the gist of it.  I still have that spoon, thanks to brother Tom.

John Howard, I took a spoon carving class once at a Folk School. I have an almost finished spoon, several years old, in my dresser drawer. I really should finish it.    I just don't have the patience to carve.
 

[thecfarm]

Well,I was only one brother off.   :D

[Magicman]

Here is one that Dodgy Loner carved for me.


 
The pattern is amazingly similar to the OP's above. 

[CHARLIE]

Yup thecfarm !  Only one off and that ain't half bad.  8)  That story is on the forum somewhere.  I had left the spoon I whittled on the dash of Tom's big Mac Truck.  That Christmas, I received an old beat up shoebox in the mail.  Inside was a 5/4 chunk of Eastern Red Cedar with a slot chiseled out in the middle.  Stapled inside that slot was the spoon, still dirty from my hands.  Tom went to a lot of trouble to send me that spoon. I hung it in my office until I retired in 2002. Now it is hanging here at the house.

[thecfarm]

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,27755.msg2235/topicseen.html#msg2235

Relpy #28,but the whole thread is good too!

[barbender]

I carved one once, after reading about it somewhere. It came out pretty good, and I was going to a family potluck/bonfire later. I brought a hatchet, knife, and hand saw with and carved another one out of a piece of firewood while a bunch of teens watched, mesmerized :D That family still has my spoon sitting on display at their house. So, at the very least, it is a great party trick ;D

[Den Socling]

I'm very happy to say that John's beautiful apple wood spoon is sitting here beside me. Very cool! A treasured gift.