how to carve a spoon

Step 1: First find a straight piece of wood that is about 3 inches in diameter. Your wood is easiest to work with when it is newly cut. Next you want to split the log down the center using a froe (seen in picture) or an ax. Once split, make sure the wood grain is going in the same direction, observing no knot holes. I also like to split off the bark so that the wood can lay flat on a table.

Step 3: Next clamp your wood to a sturdy table with two clamps. Having two clamps helps it to not move as easily. Carve out the bowl of your spoon. I use an old gouge and a mallet to begin carving and then I switch to my Swiss Made gouge to finish carving it out.

Step 4: Then using an ax or a band saw remove the majority of the material surrounding your spoon so you are left with a spoon-like shape.

Step 5: I then put the spoon blank into a vice and begin removing more of the waste material with a drawknife. It’s also nice at this point to sit quietly and carve away with just a knife.

Step 6: After removing most of the waste wood I move to my Morakniv to refine the spoon to its final shape. Again you could do all the carving with this knife if you would like.