# Spoon



## DSW (Feb 11, 2021)

Got a wild hair and carved a spoon while the snow continued to fall. 

It has went through a potato soup and chocolate ice cream so it is ready to go once spring gets here and I take it camping.


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## pioneerguy600 (Feb 13, 2021)

Looks useful. I carve utilitarian or useful spoons myself, its a time killer mostly but the recipients seem to like them a lot.


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## DSW (Feb 13, 2021)

I'm not gonna pretend that isn't the peak of my spoon carving skills as it most definitely is but I've always preferred things on the simple side.

Or maybe I'm just jealous of the fancy carvers out there. 

Go ahead and throw some pictures up. The more the merrier.


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## pioneerguy600 (Feb 14, 2021)

A few pics of one I made last summer starting with the rough stick of white birch, the chip out and the completed spoon/ladle,


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## pioneerguy600 (Feb 14, 2021)




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## DSW (Feb 14, 2021)

Good job. That birch has to be nice to work with. See a lot of guys using green birch for the mugs.


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## pioneerguy600 (Feb 14, 2021)

I have a few more if I can find the pics.


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## Goinwheelin (Feb 14, 2021)

Man that’s straight up **** Proenneke work right there.


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## pioneerguy600 (Feb 14, 2021)

Yeah, sure is, he was a good teacher.


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 17, 2021)

What kind of tools do you use to care something like that? And how do you keep them sharp?


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## Goinwheelin (Mar 17, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> What kind of tools do you use to care something like that? And how do you keep them sharp?


Woodcarving tools and sharpening tools.


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 17, 2021)

Goinwheelin said:


> Woodcarving tools and sharpening tools.


and to think... you actually took the time to type that...


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## Goinwheelin (Mar 17, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> and to think... you actually took the time to type that...


It’s not that difficult really.


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 17, 2021)

I was asking a serious question, I'll wait for a serious answer.

I'd like to try making a spoon and would like to know what kind of knife would be good for a beginner and how to keep it sharp.


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## Goinwheelin (Mar 17, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> I was asking a serious question, I'll wait for a serious answer.
> 
> I'd like to try making a spoon and would like to know what kind of knife would be good for a beginner and how to keep it sharp.


Morakniv.
I don’t do a lot of wood carving but I own several Moras for home and outdoor use.









Morakniv | Start Page


There’s a special bond between the hands making a Morakniv and the hands using it. A shared philosophy that is carefully handed over from the knife manufacturer to you. It took us 130 years to perfect the knives we sell today, and they’re all produced in the village of Mora, Sweden. Because we...




morakniv.se


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 17, 2021)




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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 17, 2021)




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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 17, 2021)

Made from spalted birch,


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 17, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> What kind of tools do you use to care something like that? And how do you keep them sharp?


 Our resident wood carver, Tom , has much better tools and does fancy carving. My spoons are just for actual household chores and were carved with basic tools, a jack knife and a carborundum whet stone to keep a decent edge on it. The spoons I carve only take me an hour or so to make, others will spend a day or more on elaborate carved beauties.


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 17, 2021)

pioneerguy600 said:


> Our resident wood carver, Tom , has much better tools and does fancy carving. My spoons are just for actual household chores and were carved with basic tools, a jack knife and a carborundum whet stone to keep a decent edge on it. The spoons I carve only take me an hour or so to make, others will spend a day or more on elaborate carved beauties.


So, I would need say the 106 and the hook knife?








Morakniv Woodcarving 106 (LC) - Natural | Morakniv


This is a real classic among experienced woodworkers worldwide. With a barrel-shaped oiled Scandinavian birch wood handle and an approximately 2.7 mm thick, tapered laminated carbon steel blade, you can take your creativity to new levels. The item is expected back in stock in 2022.




morakniv.se





What did you use to cut away the bulk of the half log?


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 17, 2021)

Is this any good?








HUTSULS Wood Carving Knives Set Tools Spoon Kit Whittling Carpenter Gifts | eBay


You found the best one! Hutsuls DIY wood carving kit is the ideal to getting started in whittling and detail carving. The best carpenter gift! We are here to help you with any wood carving issues.



www.ebay.com


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## Goinwheelin (Mar 17, 2021)

Morakniv | Woodcarving with children


It’s completely silent and concentration is total. All focus is on carving the stick, sliver by sliver, on carefully evening out the edges of the piece of wood. Is it going to be a bark boat? A barbecue stick? Or maybe even a butter knife? Working with a knife and a carving subject can give...




morakniv.se


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## Goinwheelin (Mar 17, 2021)

Affordable and for beginners


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 18, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> So, I would need say the 106 and the hook knife?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 I use the hatchet the roughed out spoon is resting on.


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 18, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> Is this any good?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 That set has a hooked or curved knife so that might make it easier to carve some spoons. The deeper ladle like spoons I have pics of on here may be too deep for a hooked knife. It would depend on the tightness of the curve diameter if the knife could reach to the bottom of the spoons bowl.


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 18, 2021)

pioneerguy600 said:


> I use the hatchet the roughed out spoon is resting on.


Funny, I didn't notice the hatchet until you pointed it out. I have one, somewhere.
I guess I need to do a youtube search of videos for blade sharpening ...


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 18, 2021)

pioneerguy600 said:


> That set has a hooked or curved knife so that might make it easier to carve some spoons. The deeper ladle like spoons I have pics of on here may be too deep for a hooked knife. It would depend on the tightness of the curve diameter if the knife could reach to the bottom of the spoons bowl.


That's what I was wondering last night... it probably wouldn't be useful for making a teaspoon, would it?


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 18, 2021)




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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 18, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> That's what I was wondering last night... it probably wouldn't be useful for making a teaspoon, would it?


 I would guess not , most hook knives I see online look to have a wide radius that would not be much use on a narrow spoon bowl.


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 18, 2021)

pioneerguy600 said:


> I would guess not , most hook knives I see online look to have a wide radius that would not be much use on a narrow spoon bowl.


Is this how you made your spoon?


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## lone wolf (Mar 18, 2021)

pioneerguy600 said:


> View attachment 889629
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That is a work of Art .


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 18, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> Is this how you made your spoon?



I use the axe to rough out the spoon like he does but I don`t have a hooked knife. My carving knife I made by grinding the tip somewhat rounded but its very sharp all along its cutting edge. That is the first time ever that I watched someone else carve a knife, my method differs some but it does not matter , a useful item is the end result. I carved my first spoons for my grandmother when I was 12 -13 years old. She asked if I could make her one, I ended up making her 14 different ones and 6 spatulas or flat paddle like stirring things, she absolutely loved them. Over the years I have made more than 50 spoons of different sizes and designs, they are nothing special, just utilitarian kitchen tools.


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 18, 2021)

lone wolf said:


> That is a work of Art .


 I would not call it so but thank you. They are just useful kitchen tools I make for my wife and daughters. When my grandmother and my mother were still living I made them all many of different designs.


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 18, 2021)

Looking at You Tube , I found this guy that makes spoons much like the ones I have made for kitchen duties,


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 18, 2021)

pioneerguy600 said:


> Looking at You Tube , I found this guy that makes spoons much like the ones I have made for kitchen duties,



Nice.
Ordered the carving knife last night... going to look for a hook knife and the wax now.

My dad had a big scar on his thigh from a gash he got when whittling when he was young....
I'll be using a piece of leather in my lap.


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 18, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> Nice.
> Ordered the carving knife last night... going to look for a hook knife and the wax now.
> 
> My dad had a big scar on his thigh from a gash he got when whittling when he was young....
> I'll be using a piece of leather in my lap.


 Good idea, a leather welding apron works well. A hook knife will speed up most spoons if they aren`t a deep pocket type, most spoons only need to be between 1/4 and 3/8" deep, a ladle is considerably more.


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## motorhead99999 (Mar 18, 2021)

What ever happened to spoon carving with Tom. He use to post some cool spoons


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 18, 2021)

Building saws.


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 19, 2021)

motorhead99999 said:


> What ever happened to spoon carving with Tom. He use to post some cool spoons


Is this him?


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## farmguywithasaw (Mar 19, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> Is this him?



He changed his user name to Guadost or something


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 19, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> Is this him?



Yes, that is Tom. He is a professional carver and can really make carving tools sharp. He did have his site name changed on here to separate himself from his full time work, he is following AS mostly for assistance with his chainsaw building.


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## motorhead99999 (Mar 19, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> Is this him?



Yes


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## pioneerguy600 (Mar 19, 2021)

I see this thread has taken on some interest so I would like to add one tidbit of info about these hook knives for spoon and small bowl carving. Try to find the narrower width type of hook knife like the one shown in ,Tom`s video, a lot of the hook knives on the open market are very wide in the blade, they will work but they will be cumbersome/ clunky for carving small depressions. Happy carving.


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## DSW (Mar 29, 2021)

Mora makes an excellent knife. 

I use a hatchet to remove bulk. 

I use the Beavercraft hook knife for hollowing. Very happy with it. 

I strop my carving tools with leather and compound. Works really well if they're already sharp and you're just maintaining the edge which is the goal.


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## TNTreeHugger (Mar 29, 2021)

DSW said:


> Mora makes an excellent knife.
> 
> I use a hatchet to remove bulk.
> 
> ...


I bought the Mora. Very nice (although I haven't another to compare it to.  )
I'll look for the bevercraft hook knife - had to return the one I bought on ebay, the shank of the knife, near the handle had a dent and the edge of the blade felt weird, like it was rolled to one side.

I bought the yellow compound and used it on the suede side of the strop. I think I saw where the white one is used on the leather. What one do you use?


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## DSW (Apr 1, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> I bought the Mora. Very nice (although I haven't another to compare it to.  )
> I'll look for the bevercraft hook knife - had to return the one I bought on ebay, the shank of the knife, near the handle had a dent and the edge of the blade felt weird, like it was rolled to one side.
> 
> I bought the yellow compound and used it on the suede side of the strop. I think I saw where the white one is used on the leather. What one do you use?



I still use my Mora for detail stuff. They typically come sharp and they set a bevel on them that's carve ready, a pocket knife may come sharp but it will have a really tame bevel that isn't near as nice to carve with.

I don't think there's anything nicer on a budget. https://www.amazon.com/BeaverCraft-...d=1617285337&sprefix=beavercr,aps,203&sr=8-23 That's the one I have, a lot of other manufacturers, even Beavercraft has one with the super tight curve and they suck.

My strop is a piece of pine that I glued a strip of old belt to, the compound I use is green but I'm sure any will work. For sharpening the hook knife I bought a specific strop. You could take a dowel and rub compound onto it if you were trying to go ultra low budget.


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## TNTreeHugger (Apr 1, 2021)

A video I watched last night, the guy used a bent-handle gouge to hollow out the spoon bowl.
I'm thinking about getting one of those instead of the hook knife, just seems like the gouge would have more uses?


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## pioneerguy600 (Apr 1, 2021)

TNTreeHugger said:


> A video I watched last night, the guy used a bent-handle gouge to hollow out the spoon bowl.
> I'm thinking about getting one of those instead of the hook knife, just seems like the gouge would have more uses?


 It does but takes more caution when using it, any slip of the wood or the gouge could be serious so extreme care needs to be used.


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## Vintage Engine Repairs (Nov 6, 2021)

Some great advice and info shared here, I’m still here (spoon carving with Tom) but changed my name twice, Gaudaost (to seperate myself from carving & my business side of things) and now lVintage Engin Repairs”. Last change was to keep everything in keeping with my repair channel. I don’t spend much time here, as Jerry said, I’m here to learn about engine repair lol. 

A great set of starter tools is the Morakniv 164 and 106.

I have had many knives sent to me by Morakniv for testing and can highly recommend them. The more 120 is a smaller version and may be better suited to women or men with small hands. The also offer a Mora 105 which is the 106 blade with a larger handle. You can also buy just the blade only to make your own handle. 

I have also had beaver craft send me tools to test, which are disappointing to say the least. 


The key is a good set of strops that don’t compress because you’ll be stropping every 15-20 mins to keep these knives sharp. Save me from repeating myself, have a look at my Instagram posts where I cover the issues of micro convexity. 

Just google search “Instagram Spoon_carving_with_tom”


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## buzz sawyer (Nov 30, 2021)

Just found this thread. Several years ago, I cut a slice with 3 bumps off a cherry log. When it dried, I carved this spoon.


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## Vintage Engine Repairs (Nov 30, 2021)

buzz sawyer said:


> Just found this thread. Several years ago, I cut a slice with 3 bumps off a cherry log. When it dried, I carved this spoon.


Gorgeous work, lovely detail and flow!


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## jamesmcsparron (Dec 3, 2021)

pioneerguy600 said:


> View attachment 889629
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A spoon that looks like it came right out of a fairy story. Did you tang oil it?


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## pioneerguy600 (Dec 3, 2021)

jamesmcsparron said:


> A spoon that looks like it came right out of a fairy story. Did you tang oil it?


 I just use bee`s wax to seal the wood as they will be used for food preparation. I am not a fancy carver by any means, just carve useful items but nothing to place up for display.


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## jamesmcsparron (Dec 4, 2021)

pioneerguy600 said:


> I just use bee`s wax to seal the wood as they will be used for food preparation. I am not a fancy carver by any means, just carve useful items but nothing to place up for display.


You underestimate yourself. That's a fancy spoon. So you are a fancy carver. . Tang oil is used for chopping boards so is good for spoons that will be used with edibles. It soaks into the wood very well and will last longer than bees wax. The wood will keep it's surface texture too, where bees wax adds a sheen. I suppose it's up to individual preference.
Another thing to think about is; your spoon has curves and lines that are the basic shapes of most carvings. You have created them with very good ratios. You should take a step into something more intricate. Nothing to lose. If it turns out badly, it's just a lesson learned for your next attempt.
I'm only starting off myself so I shouldn't be preaching but it's how I see it at the moment.


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## pioneerguy600 (Dec 4, 2021)

jamesmcsparron said:


> You underestimate yourself. That's a fancy spoon. So you are a fancy carver. . Tang oil is used for chopping boards so is good for spoons that will be used with edibles. It soaks into the wood very well and will last longer than bees wax. The wood will keep it's surface texture too, where bees wax adds a sheen. I suppose it's up to individual preference.
> Another thing to think about is; your spoon has curves and lines that are the basic shapes of most carvings. You have created them with very good ratios. You should take a step into something more intricate. Nothing to lose. If it turns out badly, it's just a lesson learned for your next attempt.
> I'm only starting off myself so I shouldn't be preaching but it's how I see it at the moment.


 Thank you sir. I have carved a few items that took me more time and pains but gave them away for presents, just simple things like fish, birds , reptiles lizards and a frog. I can carve any object at all if I see it just once so that helps, last winter it was hiking staff`s so if I find time this winter season something will likely be carved again.


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## jamesmcsparron (Dec 4, 2021)

pioneerguy600 said:


> Thank you sir. I have carved a few items that took me more time and pains but gave them away for presents, just simple things like fish, birds , reptiles lizards and a frog. I can carve any object at all if I see it just once so that helps, last winter it was hiking staff`s so if I find time this winter season something will likely be carved again.


Keep her lit.


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