Dagger & Spoon

It's a scoop

Finished up this plum dry goods scoop today while carving with some of the crew 🙂. Probably be my last project until I get back from the UK....where this journey started.greenwoodworking

Swoopy...

Being a hardcore kinda guy....spent the evening working on this giant plum scoop. Worked on getting a nice transition from the handle to the base of the scoop and from the base down to the leading edge. Needs thinning a bit...but certainly more swoopy than before 😉. Slowly getting some mojo back!

Quack!

Had a surprise visit from a couple of ducks while I was carving after work 🦆🦆.

Managed to finish off a sturdy spatula from plum...off to dry before oiling and burnishing. Now to finish off the wooden pegs for my axe sheath.

Scoop

Refined the plum scoop a little while carving with a few of the crew. Lovely to reconnect after being away for a while. No matter how long your away your always welcomed back :).

Curves and Shadows

Ive been told I am obsessed with organic shapes...makes sense to me...but I am also delighted by the play betweeen curves and straight lines...nature vs man made. In this case a spatula carved from plum.

You can thank a recent visit to the for the black and white photos....reminded me of my love of photography....thanks to some very atmospheric shots by .

tools

Shape Update

Managed to shape the new wooden axe sheath a tad more....not sure what finish to go with....

Spoontown Dreaming

Sadly I am going to miss ....but I am determined to make it in 2024! Attending Spoontown was literally one of the best things I have ever done....so get a ticket if there are any left!

Few photos of my completed soup spoon (walnut oil and burnished) with one of two bowls I purchased at Spoontown from in 2022...love the story behind handmade objects....especially when they come from such talented lovely people. Looking forward to .

Low tech...

After I damaged the leather sheath for one of my axes I decided to use some of the left over timber from my axe block to make a wooden sheath. Unfortunately my tools are currently split across two states....so there was nothing for it but to make the most of what I have....two hook knives, a saw and an axe. Got as far as hollowing out the two halves. will need to drill a couple of holes for wooden pins, before shaping the outside of the sheath.

Love me a bit of recycling/repurposing.

Peppermint Axe Block

Axe block down under 1.0 complete....thanks to for the lovely bit of peppermint.....which I transported home in my uber (puzzled driver).

Process: stripped off the bark - marked leg locations - axed these areas flat - cut my legs to the appropriate angle - pre drilled legs and block - attached legs to block - cut legs to appropriate height - handsaw ledge.

Practical Abstraction

Excited to start making handles and sheaths for some new blades.....has me looking back at previous projects and preparing ideas and materials. Looking forward to using some Australian wood....each tool tells a story....blades from the UK, wood from Australia....ideas from...who knows? So many possibilities!

Pho Real

Lovely arvo in the sun finishing off this soup spoon that I started while carving with the Perth Carvers and co. First time carving olive....thanks to Neil...lovely dense wood...finished with walnut oil.

We ain't in Kansas anymore!

Some of you may be aware that four odd months ago I moved from the UK to Perth, Australia....and that it has been an age since I posted anything crafty! Today was the first day I have carved in many many MANY months..an ABSOLUTE delight to carve and meet other perth based carvers .nt.96. Crafty photos coming soon! Special thanks to Neil for his generosity.

Evolving

It's been a while since I posted - a direct reflection of how little time I have spent on carving etc in recent months. I am excited for 2023 - the opportunity to be the change I need and to improve myself in all the myriad ways that are needed.

The spoon shown here is a little eater I started carving from a piece of apricot wood from my parents property in Australia. After 5 years in the UK I found my way back home. Life is a bit like this roughed out spoon, a work in progress, each day is an opportunity to do better/be better.

I hope 2023 is an amazing year for you, with much love, joy, adventure and magic.

Luke

Complimentary

Experimenting with a couple of new bowl shapes (both in sweet chestnut). This one still requires a good deal of refinement. Plan on drilling some holes to install some lovely shaped legs.

Glorious Grain

Lovely day in the woods with at , showing some great people the joys of spoon carving. Sadly my spoon ended up on the fire...so I started a new bowl from sweet chestnut. Plenty of material still to be removed, and some legs to be made.

Delightfully Delicious

Lovely afternoon with the family at which is held in the grounds of . Caught up with and Phil Caira, chatted about and was gifted (by Phil Caira) a beautiful bowl turned from sweet chestnut....immediately put to good use!

Axe block adventure

Spent the afternoon returning four axe blocks to their home in the woods, after they had an adventure volunteering at . I made them for the spoon carving classes and run for just out from . Reach out to any of us if you are interested in a spoon carving class held in beautiful location. Next class is being held on the 19th of September 2022.

Curls

Wood curls like mini vortexes, a storm of creativity.

Safety First

Demonstrating worlds best safety with a razor sharp knife! No nuts were damaged in this demonstration. 🥜🔪🦺😜

Sweet Chestnut Spatula

Finished off this handsome sweet chestnut spatula while away camping. Can't beat carving around an open fire with good coffee and great company.

Yummy!

Last couple of days of the summer holidays....gotta make the most of it.

Who remembers the joy of climbing a tree?

Roughing continued (update)

Sometimes it is great not to k ow exactly where your going with a project....going down a path that leads to unexpected outcomes....some good, some bad. Still feeling my way through the roughing out process.

OK just one one!

My last but not least pickup from at . Lovely lovely curves.

Rice paddle of demonslaying +3

Roughed out some more of this rice paddle today....bit of sketching with some potential ideas for shaping and decoration....maybr something inspired by Middle earth. Will probably be a tad deeper than a traditional rice paddle, but allowing for a curvier finish + hanging hook.

Best Serving Spoon

Picked up this lovely sycamore serving spoon from at . Absolutely beautiful form and finish!

Carving in the kitchen?

Quick little carving session in the kitchen, surrounded by dishes, eggs, kids chalk and kitchen waste.....living the dream people, living the dream! 😁

What's your favorite carving spot?

My Friday night....

Im a crazy man..enough said!

Local Craftsman

So great to be able to catch up with at and to buy one of his terrific spoons. An absolute age since we have carved together at spoon club! Love the elegant lines and beautiful kelrosing ❤️

Is it sharp?

Took my knew knife out for a test drive with un unfinished (dry and badly formed) spoon I found at the bottom of one my work boxes. The answer is yes blades are bloody sharp! Managed to correct most of the spoons form in this carving session, and got a feel for the new blade and handle. Looks like there might be a spoon here! Despite being 100mm long it's quite easy to choke up on, allowing relatively delicate cuts to be made. Love it! Hope the blood gods are happy!

#

Long Legs

Was lovely meeting at ....sadly missed out on the ladle class, but did swap a couple of hook knives for these two lovely long legged spoons.

Luscious Leather

The first class I did at was leatherworking with Aimee and Pete from .....resulting in a lovely green spoon holster, and red carving bib. The following day they also helped me make a sheath for my new knife, also made at . Aimee and Pete are fantastic teachers and even better craftspeople, and it was a blast getting to know them better.

Had my eye on you!

I remember seeing this spoon by when he posted it for the first time....I loved everything about it, but didn't dream I might own it one day. I was delighted to hear that Sean would be attending , giving us the opportunity to catch up in person, after chatting online with over the past two years off and on (in my case, often....off). On the last day of Sean put this spoon out for sale....the rest is history....I feel luck to have had to opportunity to buy/swap with such amazing people.

is

Hot!

Lovely day with at doing some forging. It's been a long time since I raised a hammer at the forge, so quite happy with my little hook! I feel like another craft addiction might be brewing!

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Delight

Another treasure! Scoop made from Hazel, with horn inlay and silver pins, by the one and only . I didn't get the chance to take a class with Martin.....so next time! However it was an absolute pleasure to meet Martin and I look forward to catching up again. Everytime I look at this scoop I think of Martins endless supply of stories, poems, and general wordplay.

Colour Coordination

Who doesn't like a bit of colour coordination? Makes it easy to identify tool makers etc. Finishing off last few Onsies for my larger handtools.

Symmetry

Picked up this absolutely beautiful spoon from at . Another tale from Spoontown.....made a bank transfer which didn't show up for some days after the festival...long story short Deborah trusted me to take two spoons back home with me....and the money did ultimately clear 😅

Snug as bugs in rugs!

No more axes clashing in the tool box....project Axe Onsie is complete! Axe Onsies available for order, DM if interested.

Looking for a spoon carving class set in some beautiful woodland just out of Faversham?