Spoon carving

Spoon carving starts with the wood. Carvers use green wood, freshly cut and still wet, because it cuts far more easily than dry wood. Closed-grain hardwoods such as birch, cherry, maple and walnut are the usual choices for a spoon that will be used: the spoon wood chart goes species by species. Without fresh wood, a dry spoon blank works with more effort.

The order of work is rough to fine. Split or saw the blank, take off the waste with a small axe or a saw, shape the handle and the back of the bowl with a straight knife, then hollow the bowl with a hook knife, cutting across the grain from the rim toward the bottom. How to carve a spoon lists the steps and how to use a hook knife covers grips and grain.

Let the roughed-out spoon dry slowly, away from heat and sun. A thin spoon dries in a few days, a thick one can take a week or two, and a paper bag with shavings slows the drying and helps prevent cracks. The final thin cuts are made in the dry wood, which leaves a cleaner surface. Then the spoon gets a food-safe finish.

Ready to move on when: The bowl walls are even, the dry wood feels warm instead of cool to the touch, and the surface is clean knife cuts.