Gear guide
Best Spoon Carving Kits: What Is in the Box and What Is Missing
Picked from Amazon listings, not hands-on tests. How we pick
A spoon carving kit has four jobs to cover: a straight knife, usually a sloyd knife, to shape the outside, a hook knife to hollow the bowl, a strop with polishing compound to keep both edges cutting, and wood to carve. Few boxes cover all four. Some spoon carving sets are two knives and nothing else, others add a strop and compound but no blank, and only a couple list a spoon blank. The hook knife in a kit is also made for one hand: where a listing says right-handed, a left-handed carver needs the left-hand version. This guide compares seven spoon carving kits by the tools included and by whether a blank, a strop and compound are listed, using only what each Amazon listing states. Where a listing does not mention an item, the table says not stated, and you should plan to buy it separately. The strop matters most, because routine upkeep of carving knives is the strop with compound, not the stone. Nothing here was tested.
Compare the picks
| Pick | Tools | Blank | Strop | Compound | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 BeaverCraft DIY04 spoon carving kit with blank | Sloyd knife, hook knife | Basswood spoon blank | Stropping leather | Polishing compound | - | Amazon |
 BeaverCraft S13 spoon carving set, right-handed | Sloyd, detail, hook knife | not stated | Leather strop | Polishing compound | - | Amazon |
 BeaverCraft S17 spoon carving tools kit, 3 knives | Hook, chip, sloyd knife | not stated | Leather strop | Polishing compound | - | Amazon |
 BeaverCraft S14x Deluxe spoon carving kit | Sloyd knife, hook, gouge | not stated | Leather strop | Polishing compound | - | Amazon |
 BeaverCraft S14 spoon carving kit with gouge | Whittling knife, hook, gouge | not stated | not stated | not stated | - | Amazon |
 Schaaf Tools 3-pc beginner carving kit with blank | 3 knives, types not named | Spoon blank + basswood | Leather strop | not stated | - | Amazon |
 BeaverCraft S01 spoon carving set, 2 knives | Sloyd knife, hook knife | not stated | not stated | not stated | - | Amazon |
Facts are taken from each Amazon listing. Prices are checked daily and shown with their date.
If you just want one
- Closest match for the jobBeaverCraft DIY04 spoon carving kit with blankThe listing names a wood carving knife, hook knife, stropping leather, polishing compound, safety tape, pattern, booklet, basswood spoon blank and sandpaper.
- Most for the money on paperBeaverCraft S17 spoon carving tools kit, 3 knivesThe listing names three knives: a hook knife, a chip carving knife and a sloyd knife.
- Most complete listingBeaverCraft S13 spoon carving set, right-handedThe listing names a sloyd whittling knife, detail knife, hook knife, leather strop, polishing compound, cut-resistant tape and a canvas roll-up case.
The picks in detail
Pick 1 · BeaverCraft
BeaverCraft DIY04 spoon carving kit with blank
See price on AmazonThe one BeaverCraft box here that lists a basswood spoon blank alongside the two knives, stropping leather and polishing compound, with a pattern and booklet for a love spoon. The closest to one box for a first spoon.
What the listing offers
- The listing names a wood carving knife, hook knife, stropping leather, polishing compound, safety tape, pattern, booklet, basswood spoon blank and sandpaper.
- A basswood spoon blank is in the box, so the first spoon needs no separate wood purchase.
- A booklet and video guide walk through carving a love spoon with a Celtic knot handle, step by step.
Limits to know
- The single blank is basswood, which carves easily but dents and wears: a practice or decorative spoon rather than a daily eating spoon.
- The listing does not state the blade steel or which hand the hook knife is made for.
Pick 2 · BeaverCraft
BeaverCraft S13 spoon carving set, right-handed
See price on AmazonThree knives (sloyd, detail and a right-handed hook knife) with a leather strop, polishing compound, cut-resistant tape and a canvas roll. Tools and upkeep are covered: only the wood is missing.
What the listing offers
- The listing names a sloyd whittling knife, detail knife, hook knife, leather strop, polishing compound, cut-resistant tape and a canvas roll-up case.
- Steel and handles are stated: 1066 high-carbon steel blades and ash wood handles.
- All knives are stated to come professionally sharpened and polished for use right out of the box.
Limits to know
- No spoon blank is listed, so wood has to be bought separately.
- This listing is the right-handed version: a left-handed carver needs the left-handed set instead.
Pick 3 · BeaverCraft
BeaverCraft S17 spoon carving tools kit, 3 knives
See price on AmazonA hook knife, a chip carving knife and a sloyd knife in a canvas pouch, with a leather strop and polishing compound. Covers spoon work plus a knife for decorating handles, but no wood.
What the listing offers
- The listing names three knives: a hook knife, a chip carving knife and a sloyd knife.
- A leather strop and a polishing compound are included, so upkeep is covered from the first day.
- A canvas pouch keeps the three knives together, and the listing states the set is made in Ukraine.
Limits to know
- No spoon blank is listed, so wood has to be bought separately.
- The listing does not state the blade steel or which hand the hook knife is made for.
Pick 4 · BeaverCraft
BeaverCraft S14x Deluxe spoon carving kit
See price on AmazonA sloyd knife, hook knife and gouge with walnut handles, a leather strop with polishing compound and a cowhide leather roll-up case. For a buyer who wants the gouge and the upkeep kit in one box.
What the listing offers
- The listing names a wood carving knife, hook knife, gouge, and a leather strop with a polishing compound.
- A gouge is included for bowls and deeper hollows, which the two-knife and three-knife sets here do not have.
- The handles are walnut and the tools store in a cowhide leather roll-up case.
Limits to know
- No spoon blank is listed, so wood has to be bought separately.
- This listing does not state the blade steel or which hand the hook knife is made for.
Pick 5 · BeaverCraft
BeaverCraft S14 spoon carving kit with gouge
See price on AmazonThree tools and nothing else: a spoon knife, a whittling knife and a long-bent bowl gouge in 1066 high carbon steel with oak handles. Suits a buyer who already owns a strop or will add one.
What the listing offers
- The listing names a spoon knife, a whittling knife and a long-bent bowl gouge for spoons, kuksas, bowls and cups.
- The steel is stated: blades made from 1066 high carbon steel.
- The handles are oak treated with linseed oil, and the tools are stated to be handcrafted in Ukraine.
Limits to know
- No strop or polishing compound is listed, so the upkeep kit has to be bought separately.
- No spoon blank is listed, and the listing does not say which hand the spoon knife is made for.
Pick 6 · Schaaf Wood Carving Tools
Schaaf Tools 3-pc beginner carving kit with blank
See price on AmazonThree knives with walnut handles, a leather strop, basswood blocks and a spoon blank, plus finger tape and a beginner eBook. Sold for whittling and spoon carving, but the listing does not name the knives.
What the listing offers
- The listing names 3 wood carving knives, a sharpening leather strop, basswood blocks and a spoon blank.
- Wood is included for more than one project: basswood blocks as well as the spoon blank.
- It comes with protective finger tape, safety instructions, a beginner eBook and a step-by-step sharpening video.
Limits to know
- The listing does not name the three knives, so it does not confirm that one of them is a hook knife for the bowl.
- No polishing compound is listed for the strop, and the blade steel is not stated.
Pick 7 · BeaverCraft
BeaverCraft S01 spoon carving set, 2 knives
See price on AmazonThe bare minimum for a spoon: a sloyd knife and a right-handed hook knife, with three eBooks on sharpening and rust. Suits a buyer who already has wood and a strop, or wants to pick those separately.
What the listing offers
- The listing names a sloyd knife and a hook knife, the straight knife and hollowing knife a spoon needs.
- Three eBooks are included: sharpening a hook knife, sharpening a wood carving knife, and preventing rust.
- The title states the set is right-handed, and the listing states the tools are made in Ukraine.
Limits to know
- No strop, polishing compound or spoon blank is listed: all three have to be bought separately.
- The blade steel is not stated, and this listing is the right-handed version only.
Read before you buy
- Best Wood for Spoon Carving: A Species-by-Species ChartSpoon carving wood chart: 15 species with Janka hardness, grain, how each carves green and what it suits, including the woods sources say to skip.
- How to Use a Hook Knife: Grips and Grain Direction for a Spoon BowlHow to use a hook knife: 3 grips as makers and guides describe them, cutting across the grain and downhill, bowl depth of 7 to 8 mm, and why it tears.
- How to Sharpen a Spoon Carving Hook Knife Step by StepSharpen a spoon carving hook knife with 400 to 1,500 grit wet-dry paper on a block and a dowel, then strop. Steps, grits and how to tell it is sharp.
- How to Dry Wood for Carving and How Long It TakesRule of thumb: one year per inch of thickness for hardwood, 2 to 3 days for a thin carved spoon. Steps to seal, stack and check wood so it dries without cracks.
- How to Carve a Spoon: Steps, Tools and How Long It TakesHow to carve a wooden spoon in 10 steps with 3 tools: axe, straight knife, hook knife. A first spoon takes 2 to 4 hours plus 2 to 3 days of drying.
More gear for the spoon carving stage
Carving Bench chooses every product independently from what its Amazon listing states. We may earn a commission from the links above. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.