Where do I start? — Sylva Spoon
I rest my thumb on the tool to push it through the wood while I carve, and that isn’t possible with this knife. It would be very useful for larger projects, like bowls or even large serving spoons, where the carving motion comes from rotating the wrist rather than pushing with the thumb. For a small spoon, however, I found myself constantly shifting my grip on both the tool and project, trying to get the right leverage while avoiding the sharp bevels. However, I really liked the Single Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife. I could push it easily through the wood in my preferred grip.
Leather Modeling Tool for Carving, Medium Large Round Spoon, Realeather Crafts, Lth0077
Use them to stir sauces, dole out rice and beans, then forget about them. But like much in woodworking, the hand-carved spoon is in another sphere than its mass-produced substitute. “Sloyd” refers to an old Scandinavian concept wood carving spoon knife of handwork and an educational system intended to teach crafts holistically, as part of a well-rounded education. These days, the word calls to mind a simple, sturdy, multipurpose knife designed for carving or whittling.
Carving wooden spoons is a classic easy-to-do hobby, and one of the best ways to introduce beginners to woodcarving. With the spoon in my left hand, I hold the gouge in my right, way down on the tool’s shank. The heel of my right hand presses https://bestwoodcarvingtool.com/5-best-spoon-carving-tools/ against the edge of the spoon blank; my left thumb reaches across the spoon to brace my right hand. The action is a pivoting motion from the heel of my right hand. Both of the above cuts end in space; there is no stop for the knife.
I’ve already written about why you should carve a spoonand I won’t spend much time talking about the actual techniques involved in spoon carving. This article is more of a primer on what resources to gather if you want to start making spoons.
All knives are solid options, but if you get something like the Mora 162 with the double edge blade then you have to know how to use it, or at least learn. Whereas the other two are pretty straightforward on how to use. A detail knife is obviously going to be shorter and finer than a basic whittling knife, because it is used to fit into shallow or deep crevices to bring detail (duh) to your wooden piece. Walnut, mahogany, and butternut are also the best wood for carving spoons. Always, always go with basswood if you’re a beginner carver, hands down.
Spoon Carving Hook Knife Handforged
But if you get hooked on spoon carving, consider getting a hooked knife. Sometimes my off-hand applies pressure on the knife’s spine, helping to guide and drive the tool’s edge in cutting. The length of this cut is not great, but it is excellent for defining shapes of both the handle and the bowl. When using the hatchet, grip and posture are critical.
As an add on to these carving tools we suggest these innovative Finger Guards as a great way to protect your fingers from blisters https://bestwoodcarvingtool.com/ and abrasions. Comfortable and secure, they offer the kind of manual dexterity you can’t get while using work gloves.
- With practice you can get quite close to your final shape with just the axe.
- The knife cuts from butt to tip as I draw it toward me.
- I found that I used different areas of the curve depending on the part of the spoon I was carving.
- The action is a pivoting motion from the heel of my right hand.
- Carved spoons can be made from green wood and are perfect projects to utilize branch sized material from the yard & woods.
- Raise your shoulder up as high as it goes, and with the knife engaging the wood at the butt, make a downward thrust while slicing toward the knife’s tip.
For these items, please call the store where you purchased them or our customer service department at so we can assist you. The plastic sheaf for the straight blade is great for keeping the blade from being dinged when in storage. You can create spoons of utility & beauty, ranging in design from the simple to the sublime.
Hook knives make spoon carving a fast and easy task and can even make it more fun. The internet is supposed to do the same thing for shopping, but it doesn’t always live up to those expectations. We all know the pain of getting a product we don’t like, and misleading product descriptions written by advertising executives can make it hard to get a good feel for what we’re buying. The absolute best spoon carving knife for your money is the Mora 106. The thin tips lets you carve tight corners and the laminated steel holds its edge well.
Three new tools ensure that spoon carvers both at home and on the go are fully equipped for their art
This is about as straightforward as you can get with a spoon carving knife. Although the knife as a whole is pretty generic looking, it gets the job done well for under twenty bucks. As an amazon associate, Best Wood Carving Tools may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our site. I try to make the side view with something of an S-shape to it. Sometimes the wood helps guide you, other times you have to make it happen.
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I sketch the top view on the bark side, then make relief cuts where the handle meets the spoon’s bowl. Now I can chop down the handle’s outline without risk of hitting the end grain of the bowl and splitting it.
I appreciated the deep curve, which fit well into the smaller spoons I was carving. I found that I used different areas of the curve depending on the part of the spoon I was carving.
After carving them to their final shape I started to finish them with a card scraper. I was loving how that felt on the handles, so I decided to make a gooseneck card scraper to clean out the inside of the bowls. I’m still pretty new to spoon carving, so learning all the nuances with the grain direction is a super fun process. Making the stop cuts first prevents you from chiseling too far into the wood and ruining the shape of your handle.
When you work with straight-grained blanks, you have to compromise some to create the flowing shape of a graceful spoon. To hollow the spoon’s bowl, I use hook knives specifically made for carving spoons, but you can hollow your spoon with a carving gouge. The suggested retail for the Single Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife is $74.95, the Double Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife is $79.95, and the Spoon Carvin’ Jack is $124.95. Having the right spoon carving tools can make all the difference to your finished product.
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