Interviews

One of the great things about taking a class somewhere is that you get to meet people. In March 2019, I went to North House Folk School for Wood Week and met Luke Jepson and his dad. Both guys were friendly and thoughtful in conversations, and both were clearly talented craftsmen. I kept in touch with Luke since then. He continues to impress and inspire me with his work, whether it’s spoon carving, knifemaking, or tree climbing. If I ever had reduce my tool kit to just one sloyd knife, I would pick the first knife I bought from Luke without a second thought.

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Luke Jepson. I am 27 years-old. I live outside a small town in northern Minnesota in a timber-framed tiny house/ cabin that I built. I work full time as an ISA certified arborist- a tree climber. I do some blacksmithing, woodworking, and leatherwork on the side. I love the outdoors and nature.

How long have you been making carving-related tools and how did you first get interested in it?

Well, I’ve been carving spoons regularly for about 4 years, I guess, and making spoon carving tools for almost as long. I have been very fortunate in having a lot of talented craftsmen in my life from a young age.

My father started me young, making things, and instilled in me a love for working with my hands and enjoying the outdoors. My neighbor Danny has also played a big role in my life. He is truly a jack of all trades that can make anything. I would go over to his shop when I was a kid, and he would always take time to help me with whatever little project I was working on. He still does! I had another friend, nicknamed Quill, who had a forge set up in a garage, and as a little kid, I would go over there and watch him forge tomahawks and swords and all manner of things. I would always leave and ask my dad when I would be old enough to blacksmith. When I was eight, he signed us up for a blacksmithing class, and I have been blacksmithing ever since.

I went to college for a couple years in Charleston, SC, at The American College of the Building Arts for architectural ironwork. It is a unique school focusing on creating educated artisans in traditional building trades- blacksmithing, timber framing, woodworking, plaster, and stone carving. I learned and grew a ton from my instructor Richard Guthrie, a great teacher, blacksmith, and friend. As a maker, I guess it just kind of flowed into spoon carving as well and, in turn, spoon carving tools.

You also carve spoons. How does carving inform your tool making and vice versa?

Well, I think all different forms of crafts or making things carry over into each other and kind of go hand in hand. I like being able to carve and make the tools- I mean, I love carving but carving with something I’ve made is just that much better. And while carving, I get to test out my knives right away and see what works and what doesn’t, what feels good in the hand, and how practical certain things are- at least for me.

In your opinion and practice, what do you look for in a well made spoon carving tool?

A tool should be a joy to use. For me, that joy comes from a combination of a few things. First and foremost is its performance. Like any tool, it needs to work. Form follows function, as the saying goes. Feels good in the hand over long periods of time. Edge holding capabilities. Correct edge geometry for its use. After all, the important stuff is aesthetics. Not fancy necessarily, but it should look good. Have a nice fit and finish and be clean- at least to start with. For me, there is nothing I like more than a well used and worn tool. That has a story. Not shiny and new sitting on a shelf. The best tool is a used tool.

Are there any particular toolmakers who inspire your work? How about inspiring spoon carvers?

Tom Latane- incredible blacksmith and woodworker that I’ve been fortunate to work under and get to know. Very skilled and passionate about his craft and a true master if I’ve ever seen one.

Richard Guthrie- my blacksmithing instructor in college. His forgings off the anvil were super clean and fast. A true blacksmith with a love of historical methods and design. He really pushed me as a blacksmith. And taught me so much of what I know. Much of my techniques and methods, and styles come from him.

My neighbor Danny Yochumone is of the most creative people I know and has been a mentor in my life who has always pushed me to be better.

Barn the spoon’s book really got me going into spoon carving and inspired me to carve.

Tons of people on Instagram that I follow. Continually being inspired on there.

Any suggestions for books or websites to learn about spoon carving and toolmaking?

Spoon by Barn the spoon really was a turning point for me in spoon carving. Otherwise, I would say Instagram. I pretty strictly only follow other makers on Instagram, whether they are spoon carvers, blacksmiths, woodworkers, leatherworkers, or whatever it may be, and get tons of ideas, tips, and inspiration on there.

How have your toolmaking techniques changed over time?

Like anything, the more you do something, the more efficient you become in your processes.

As your tools changed, how did it impact your carving?

I think, to some degree, you can only progress so far with a poor quality tool. When I started carving spoons, I was using a Mora hook, which was great to begin with. But I remember the first time I used a Woodspirit hook made by Reid Schwartz, and I was blown away, and I instantly saw an improvement in my carving.

Any tips for sharpening carving tools?

It’s easier to keep a tool sharp than it is to sharpen a tool. So don’t let your tool become so dull before taking it to a strop or stone. Take your time and do it right and pay close attention. Many people I know make some incredible stuff and pay close attention to details when carving, but when it comes to sharpening, they rush and do just enough to get by. Approach it with the same amount of care that you would anything else. It’s important. I use a lot of different sharpening tools. I do some sharpening on a KMG 2″ x72″ belt grinder. I also use a jig from Hewn and hone for sloyd knives so I can hollow grind them on the Tormek. Once hollow ground, I sharpen across the hollow on 1000 and 6000 grit water stones. Hooks and gouges I use either sandpaper or polishing compound on dowels and paddles, along with different sized strops.

What do craft, sloyd, or wood culture mean to you?

I think craft, in general, is kind of a lifestyle that encompasses a lot of things. Self-reliance to make things or fix things yourself. The joy of working with your hands and using tools. Learning from others and teaching others. Something tangible to show for your labor. A sense of accomplishment. Making things to last and seeing them well used. But more than that, I believe that we are created and made through intelligent design and crafted in His image. And I believe people are instilled with a similar desire or pull to create and make things.

If you had to pick a few songs to listen to your shop, what would they be?

I am all over the place with music. I have a very diverse playlist with just about every kind of music and keep it on shuffle. I spend a lot of time with Bluetooth earmuffs or just in the shop, and I can only listen to so much music. So depending on what I am working on, I probably listen to more audiobooks than anything. Some things it’s just too distracting, so I listen to music. But off the top of my head, some songs I like are:

Wayfaring stranger- by Hayde bluegrass orchestra
The way it goes by Gillian Welch
Dirty paws by Of Monsters and Men
The stable song by Gregory Allan Isakov
All my tears by Ane Brun
Civilian by Wye Oak

As far as audiobooks go, I would recommend:

Napoleon: a life by Andrew Roberts
Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas
Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman
Anything by Tolkien
Pillars of the earth by Ken Follet
Patrick o Brian’s Jack Aubrey series
Bernard Cornwell- historical fiction
George RR Martin’s a song of ice and fire- as long as you don’t mind waiting a decade for the next book.
Robinson Crusoe

Lastly, why do you make carving-related tools and carve spoons?

Well, I always have an urge to be making something, and the nice thing about spoon carving is that it’s something you can do for a short period of time (or a long time). And it doesn’t take long to make a spoon compared to many things. You can see something to completion in one go. It’s also relaxing and a great stress reliever. You don’t need a bunch of tools, and you can do it just about anywhere. And it’s clean. So if I have church clothes on and have some free time, I can carve on a spoon, whereas I wouldn’t want to switch on a grinder or fire up the forge. Spoons are so simple in essence, yet they are challenging, and there are unlimited forms and shapes and uses to play with. I started making carving tools because I got into carving. Nothing is more satisfying to me than using something I’ve made or seeing someone else use something I’ve made. So making the tools just adds that much more to the whole thing.

Thanks Luke! You can follow him and inquire about purchasing his spoons on Instagram at @lukejep21.

Tell us a little about yourself:

I am a retired mechanical engineer.  My wife, daughter, and I live in Beechwood Trails, Harrison Township, Ohio.  Better reference, is that we live about 18 miles East of the Columbus, Ohio city center.  We garden and put up vegetables, blue berries, and applesauce for winter use.

I carve spoons, trays, and bowls from seasoned wood.  I use seasoned wood because I could get scrap pieces of Poplar from my last employer.  I like Poplar because it carves well and has varying grain and color.

How long have you been carving and how did you first get interested in it?

I have been whittling since I was very young.  Whittling sticks and crate boards into spears and swords.  I saw my Dad carving, and that is what spurred me on.  He carved animals, neckerchief slides, name plates for desks, buttons, and many other things.  He taught me how to sharpen my tools and how to use a knife safely.  Beyond that, I am mostly self taught.

Throughout my life I have carved off and on.  I have carved jewelry pins and necklaces.  I have also carved Christmas ornaments.  I wanted to carve something that would be useful that would bring other folks pleasure and satisfaction, something they would want to use.  In 2010, I started carving spoons from Black Walnut and Cherry boards that I got from my Dad’s stash of wood.  I have been carving spoons ever since then.

What are a few of your favorite spoon carving tools?

I have a Pfeil #12 knife and a Flexcut Sloyd knife that I like to use for carving the shape and  exterior surfaces of spoons and bowls.  I use Flexcut Pelican and Mini Pelican knives for detail carving and carving “fretted” designs in the handles and bowls of the spoons.  I like to used Pfeil and Flexcut palm gouges to carve the bowls of the spoons.  Using gouges gives me flexibility in the shape of the spoon bowls.

Any suggestions of books or websites to learn about spoon carving or woodwork?

For folks just starting out who aren’t much in axe work, there are a couple of books from Fox Chapel Publishing that might help.

The Art of Spoon Carving by Lora S. Irish is a good basic book talking about tools and techniques.  She also provides several useful patterns.

Carving Spoons 2nd ed. by Shirley Adler.  Again a good basic book on tools and techniques.  There are also chapters on the history of carved spoons and “love spoons”.  She also talks about the different types of wood and provides a handy table classifying the wood and its use.  There are several patterns as well.

Are there any particular spoon carvers who inspire you in your work?

Patrick Diette’s journey through wood working and into spoon carving for a living is very inspiring.  He has his children as appreciates.  He is a good teacher because it is almost impossible to tell which spoons were done by the master and which came from an apprentice’s hands.  He has a minimal kit, and can make his workshop anywhere he happens to be.

Giles Newman is another carver whose work I admire.  I find his carvings to be intriguing.  The execution and detail are stunning.  Made even more so by the sparseness of his kit.

David Western is one of the most prolific love spoon carvers in North America.  While a love spoon is quite delicate and not really a usable spoon, I think it is fun to incorporate some of the love spoon devices in an everyday kitchen spoon.

How have your spoon carving techniques changed over time?

When I first started carving spoons, I would cut a rectangular blank from a board and carve the spoon free hand.  Now I will scribe landmarks on the blank to encompass the bowl, or layout the bowl and handle on the rectangular blank.  But I still carve out the spoon by hand with a straight knife.

Since I use seasoned wood, I found that the grain would rise and become prominent when the wood was wetted in use.  Now, I will sand the spoons five times with progressively finer grit paper finishing up with 400 grit.  I wet the spoons between each time they are sanded.  This stabilizes the grain so it doesn’t rise when the spoons are used and washed.

My finish changes over time.  I started out using extra virgin olive oil.  It will turn gummy and rancid over time.  Next I tried walnut oil and grape seed oil, both work well.  Currently I am trying a food safe beeswax paste with mineral oil.  I think this finish gives the best results.  For trays to be used as pencil caddies, I like to use straight beeswax applied the hard way.  It gives a tough and durable finish.

What are your thoughts on popular decorative techniques like milk paint, kolrosing, or chip carving?

Each has its place in the art of spoon carving.  Milk paint doesn’t seem to be appropriate for working kitchen spoons.  The wood that I like to use doesn’t take detail like kolrosing or chip carving very well.  I like to carve fretted designs in the handles of the spoons near the ends to give a place from which to hang the spoon.  I also like to carve decorative slots into the bowls of the spoons.

What do craft, sloyd, or wood culture mean to you?

When I think of a craft, I think of the production of things that will be used by someone everyday from natural materials by hand using hand tools.  A lot of what we currently bill as crafts tend toward decorations or works of art.  Spoon, bowl, and cup making from wood using edged hand tools meet my definition of a craft.

When I see the words “wood culture” they are usually preceded by the word green.  I suppose the idea is that a great many of the things in a home can be produced from the surrounding forest.  But that concept should not be limited to things made from green wood that you harvest yourself.  Many folks don’t have a ready access to green wood, but still enjoy making wooden objects by hand from seasoned wood.  Wood is a very versatile material for kitchen, serving, and eating utensils regardless of whether the wood used to make them was green or seasoned.

If you had to pick a few songs to listen to while carving, what would they be?

I like Celtic music.  I like to listen to the Chieftains from Ireland and Le Vent du Nord from Quebec, Canada.

Lastly, why do you carve spoons?

I want to carve things that will be useful and that folks will enjoy using.  Spoons fill this requirement nicely.  Also I wanted my craft to be one that required no power tools or a fixed location in our house.  I wanted to be able to ply my craft wherever I might be sitting.

Carving a spoon from a block of wood by hand is a mindful exercise.  Spoon carving provided a time where I could let go of the stress and cares of the day.  A carved spoon can be a sensual (meaning a pleasure to the senses) work of art, both to the eye and to the touch.  A well executed spoon feels balanced in the hand, has a shape that is attractive and useful, and is a pleasure to use.  I have several people who have bought my spoons at craft shows that tell me that they use them everyday, and want to buy another one.  This is more reward to me than the money.  It is a good feeling to know that something from my hand has brought pleasure to another.

Thanks Richard! You can inquire about purchasing his spoons by email at spoonguy {at symbol} icloud.com .

As I have said previously, my goals with this website are to learn more about spoon carving and connect with the great community of spoon carvers out there. I welcome carvers to contact me if you would like to be interviewed to share your thoughts on the craft of spoon carving.

Tell us a little about yourself:

I am Benoit and I live in Switzerland. I studied biology, in particular the relationship between soil and vegetation and the functioning of ecosystems.

I am currently doing a mandatory civil service in the maintenance of biotopes in the Swiss Alps. I do mainly tree cutting and mowing as well as work in bogs and lowlands

I work with green wood and carve spoons for around 5 years as a hobby. Creating a spoon both functional and beautiful from a tree is a real pleasure of green woodcarving. A spoon is basically a bowl and a handle that can have an infinity of different shapes. The materials I use are mostly gathered from the area surrounding the area of Biel/Bienne, in Switzerland. Everything I make is with a deep love for nature, forests, and trees.

How long have you been carving and how did you first get interested in it?

It’s been about 5 years since I started carving, I do not really remember. I have always loved tools such as knives and axes, and I think it is to use them that I started carving.

What are a few of your favorite spoon carving tools?

I really like tools and I probably have too many! I particularly like hand-forged tools that have their own character, and which allow you to appreciate the mastery of the craftsperson.

Here is a list of some great blacksmiths whose work I greatly appreciate; Nic Westermann, Hans Karlsson, Reid Schwartz, Svante Djärv, Kay Embretsen and Julia Kalthoff

And there are many more that I have not yet tested.

Any suggestions of books or websites to learn about spoon carving or woodwork?

I truly like the videos on spoonclub.co.uk, there are a lot of videos and they are really very high quality and cover a lot of different subjects

There are videos on YouTube, the videos of Spoon carving with Tom (Tom Scandian) and Woodsman Finest (Maximilian Neukäufler) are full of resource and of high quality.

And I also really like the book Spon (by Barn The Spoon) and Slöjd in Wood (by Jögge Sundqvist)

Are there any particular spoon carvers who inspire you in your work?

There are many people who inspire me, I will not quote them because I will probably forget some.

Otherwise you can go see people I am following on Instagram.

I try to buy a spoon or an item of people who really inspire me when I can. I find it very inspiring to have the object in hand to appreciate the talent and the expertise of the craftsperson.

How have your spoon carving techniques changed over time?

I do not really know how my carving techniques changed over time. I think it’s when I decide to stop using sandpaper that my knife skills have increased a lot. I also think that over time I gained experience in my various carving skills.

What are your thoughts on popular decorative techniques like milk paint, kolrosing, or chip carving?

I love it! It can really add beauty to a spoon. I love it especially when experienced carver uses it. 

I love to use milk paint. But I use less often chip carving and coloring because I am always a bit anxious to mess up the spoon.

What do craft, sloyd, or wood culture mean to you?

For me, craft is an activity involving skill in making things by hand. 

Sloyd means to me a way of creating with the satisfaction of making ingenious, clever, artful, and functional objects with simple tools.  And where the choice of material and work methods must be mastered to get strong and durable objects.

Wood culture is to create or to use wooden objects with the aim of supporting the craftspersons and to show that there are alterations to the industrialization.

If you had to pick a few songs to listen to while carving, what would they be?

When I am in the wild, I simply listen to the sounds of nature.

When I am in the workshop I listen to various types of music. The top 3 songs I listen recently are:

• Spirit bird by Xavier Rudd
• Urban by Kate Stone 
• Trøllabundin by Eivør Pálsdóttir

But I also enjoy listening to classical music, folk and traditional music. 

Lastly, why do you carve spoons?

Because I love it! It is a wonderful feeling to be able to make something both functional end beautiful from a tree.

Thanks Benoit ! You can follow him and inquire about purchasing his spoons on Instagram at @bjarkan.slojd.

As I have said previously, my goals with this website are to learn more about spoon carving and connect with the great community of spoon carvers out there. I welcome carvers to contact me if you would like to be interviewed to share your thoughts on the craft of spoon carving.

Tell us a little about yourself:

I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, though I am originally from outside Sydney, Australia. I settled in the Pacific Northwest 9 years ago after growing up playing music in Australia. I quickly formed a band after I moved to Vancouver, and have toured extensively across Canada and Australia ever since. I have always worked with my hands, I grew up on property and learned to feel comfortable around hand tools at an early age. I currently work in construction, arborculture, and hardscape in Vancouver, and still write and record as much as I can. Most importantly, every chance I get I carve spoons!

How long have you been carving and how did you first get interested in it?

I have actually only been hand carving since March of this year. I was married in October 2019, and one of my close friends organised a “spoon night” the week after the wedding before people started leaving Vancouver. I wasn’t quite sure what that meant at the time, but it turned out I had multiple family members who were all carvers! I spent the evening with family and friends, each forming a spoon on machines. I went home later that night and felt something click, but I knew that I wanted to explore the traditional form.

At the start of this year I bought the bare essentials (camp axe, mora 106, fixed radius spoon knife), and when my work was put on hold in February due to the current situation, I threw myself into carving. I watched every video I could find, upgraded some tools, sourced wood from work sites I had worked on (and council clearing wood piles), read everything I could, and began what I now know without a doubt to be a lifelong obsession. Already having years of experience working with wood gave me a foundation to work with, and I have been learning and refining every single day.

What are a few of your favorite spoon carving tools?

I have a relatively Spartan kit, so my favourites also cover most of my essentials. I recently upgraded my axe to a Gransfors Bruk large swedish carving axe, which has been a joy to use. I have a Wood Tools compound spoon knife that has also been a great tool to switch to for certain shallow bowl types. And while it might not seem too flashy, the Mora 106 is a favourite. I have a few makers in mind that I am looking forward to ordering a sloyd knife from, and when that happens I am sure I will have much more to add to this answer.

Any suggestions of books or websites to learn about spoon carving or woodwork?

The first video series that I watched obsessively to get a few basics was the Spoon Club UK videos, specifically the silent carving videos with Barn on YouTube. I currently have “Sloyd In Wood” by Jogge Sundqvist on order, which came highly recommended, so I feel quite safe forwarding that recommendation sight unseen. Also, the interviews on Zedd Outdoors with Adam Hawker, Will Priestly, and Owen Thomas are a great resource. 

Are there any particular spoon carvers who inspire you in your work?

So many! Liesl Chatman has been an enormous inspiration for me in my carving journey. Other carvers that have inspired me to keep working and focus on carving as a full spectrum pursuit include Emmet Van Driesche, Myron Unrau, Pat at Klipnocky Woods, Paul Oak, and my own mother, Andrea Phelan.  

How have your spoon carving techniques changed over time?

I think the main thing that has changed over the short time is the patience to make sure that each step is completed before moving on, while still thinking of the overall form of the spoon. I am much more methodical, I stay on the axe for longer. admittedly, I am still working through different sloyd grips for symmetry, but this all comes with time. In the way of process, I still change my order of operations (crank, profile, bowl) depending on the spoon. I’ll see an example of someone trying a method I have not tried, and dive into it to see what benefits it might have to my own carving process. I am always trying to stay open to changing my techniques for the better all the time.  

What are your thoughts on popular decorative techniques like milk paint, kolrosing, or chip carving?

I have only practiced kolrosing, and am far from an expert when it comes to carving decoration in any sense, so I would gladly defer to other artists in that area. I would only say that it is a liberating craft that offers so many secondary expressions. Once you have created the spoon itself, the opportunity to further imprint your personality on that piece of art in so many different ways is incredibly satisfying to me.

What do craft, sloyd, or wood culture mean to you?

Personally, I see it as the opportunity to understand that everyone has the ability to create, and to learn more about the world they live in. There is so much room for learning, and even the simple act of using your hands to change something tangible, regardless of the outcome, is a really meditative and powerful thing.

If you had to pick a few songs to listen to while carving, what would they be?

I tend to let albums play as I carve, so I will say that recently I have been listening to a lot of Daniel Romano (particularly his new live record “Okay Wow”), Pinegrove, Gillian Welch, and Hiss Golden Messenger. All highly recommended spoon carving soundtracks! 

Lastly, why do you carve spoons?

I carve to find peace. I truly believe it is one of the most peaceful personal forms of expression, in all of its weird and wonderful ways.

Thanks Andy! You can follow him and inquire about purchasing his spoons on Instagram at @andyspoons.

As I have said previously, my goals with this website are to learn more about spoon carving and connect with the great community of spoon carvers out there. I welcome carvers to contact me if you would like to be interviewed to share your thoughts on the craft of spoon carving.

Tell us a little about yourself:

I was born and raised in the Detroit, Michigan area and have lived in Metro Detroit my whole life. I’m married, for 25 years this year, and have 3 sons, one who still lives at home.
 I spent my formative years as a nerd, but in high school my dad decided to build a log cabin on our vacation property. this was my first real exposure to woodworking, and even though I hated it at the time it is one of my best memories from my teenage years. After I moved out and got a job I fell off the woodworking bandwagon and didn’t really think about building anything until after my kids were teenagers and I was looking for a hobby to occupy my newly found free time.

How long have you been carving and how did you first get interested in it?

 I starting doing some small woodworking projects 4 or 5 years ago and was digging around on YouTube for videos to watch about different types of woodworking. The algorithm recommended a spooncarving video to me. I had no idea that people carved spoons with knives and axes and was instantly fascinated and intrigued. I think the video was Lee Stoffer. I went to the local Woodcraft store and picked up a tiny right-handed Flexcut spoon knife and carved a terrible spoon from a walnut branch in my backyard. I am a lefty, which made it even harder, but I was totally addicted after just one terrible spoon.

What are a few of your favorite spoon carving tools?

I have a lot of hobbies and a short attention span, so I never have a ton to spend on spooncarving tools. I started with a Mora 106 and some budget wrong handed knives, again from the Woodcraft store because they were impulse buys. Last year I asked my wife to get me a Deepwoods Ventures large hook knife and this year she got me a straight sloyd from Paul as well and I love them both and they are by far my favorite.

Any suggestions of books or websites to learn about spoon carving or woodwork?

I bought Barn’s spoon book and enjoyed it, but I’m not much of a non-fiction reader. I read a ton of Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels, but that is and interview for another website! I subscribed to the first 3 or 4 issues of Spoonesaurus magazine and enjoyed them as well. Matt and Emmet make an awesome magazine and they are so full of knowledge that it leaks out and has to be mopped up occasionally.
I’ve become somewhat infamous as the spork guy on Instagram with separate account (@sporkesaurus) and two issues of my own fake newsletter magazine. It was enjoyed and praised by nearly 10’s of people on Instagram, so I guess I’m probably almost half as funny as I think I am.

Are there any particular spoon carvers who inspire you in your work?

Emmet Van Driesche was the first Instagram carver I followed and idolized. I’m also a huge fan of Pat Diette, and nearby carver Cale Stoker. It sounds cheesy but my biggest inspiration comes from the spoon nerds I carve with almost every day on the @riseupandcarve channel on Zoom. Infamous super-genius Chuck Trella had the idea last February to start on online carving group on zoom for all the folks who couldn’t meet face to face regularly. These folks keep me honest and laughing every morning, and I have carved 3-4 times as many spoons in the last year than I did the 3 years of carving before that, and they are better spoons.

How have your spoon carving techniques changed over time?

My biggest spoon-carving challenge is patience. I don’t have any. Short attention span coupled with a desire to learn and try any craft I encounter makes it hard for me to get genuinely good at any of the crafts I tinker with. I think I have changed most since the beginning by slowing down ad trying to focus on following the grain and finishing cuts. I don’t use templates and draw out each spoon only once after I axe in the crank. This means my spoons are often crooked and irregular, but I like them that way, and I wouldn’t enjoy the hobby as much if I changed my style to make cleaner and more regular spoons.

What are your thoughts on popular decorative techniques like milk paint, kolrosing, or chip carving?

I have used milk paint on a few spoons and I love the look. Kolrosing and chipcarving are beautiful and I love to see them, but I would not try them myself. I’m weirdly an imperfect perfectionist. I think if I tried these detailed techniques I would get mad at myself for not being very good at them, and it would spoil the experience for me a bit. Is that odd?

What do craft, sloyd, or wood culture mean to you?

I’m not a deep thinker. I live in the moment, bouncing from hobby to hobby and not spending a lot of time thinking and analyzing the craft. For me personally, I love the connection to history that it makes me feel, and I am fascinated by the fact that this ancient craft has made a comeback in a weird, modern, digital age. I am a computer nerd in my day job, and since I started spoon carving I barley touch my PC at night, spending most of my time watching and talking to other carvers. I think the connection to doing something with your hands is missing from a lot of people’s lives right now, and carving spoons gives you that outlet, and some cool sporks when you are done!

If you had to pick a few songs to listen to while carving, what would they be?

I’m a child of the 70’s and 80’s. I listen to a lot of classic rock and 80’s and 90’s alternative rock, but lately I have gotten into americana artists and old 70’s country music like Jerry Reed and Bobby Bare. If you have even a passing interest in country or americana check out the album by Bobby Bare Great American Saturday night. It was written with the goofy author Shel Silverstein and performed in front of a live audience back in 1978, but just released this year. It is funny, profane, (oh no, some swears!!!!) and touching.

Lastly, why do you carve spoons?

 I carve spoons because it is fun and relaxing. I have sold a few here and there, given away and traded a few more, and had so much fun doing both. The people are great, the tools are awesome, and I get to make people laugh on @riseupandcarve every morning with bad jokes and sporks.

Thanks Ron! You can follow him and inquire about purchasing his spoons on Instagram at @nerdron or on his website at nerdron.com.

As I have said previously, my goals with this website are to learn more about spoon carving and connect with the great community of spoon carvers out there. I welcome carvers to contact me if you would like to be interviewed to share your thoughts on the craft of spoon carving.

Tell us a little about yourself:

I am a 37 year old Californian relocated to Liverpool, UK. My wife and I have two lovely young girls – our house is an interesting mixture of american and scouse accents! We’ve been here for over 7 years, and before that we lived in Papua New Guinea so we haven’t actually been in the states for many years. My main employment is what has led me to these exotic (or not so exotic!) places: I am an entomologist and I currently manage large research programmes that aim to prevent the transmission of vector-borne diseases – those pathogens that are transmitted by the bites of insects. About 2 years ago, my wife and I became quite nostalgic about our childhoods in the states – we both have vivid memories of spending lots of time in the woods. Space is at a premium here in the UK, so we decided to buy a small woodland in North Wales to call our own. That purchase truly changed my life by introducing me to the abundance of UK woodland and the joys of green woodworking.

How long have you been carving and how did you first get interested in it?

I’ve been carving regularly for about a year and a half now. I try to carve every day. I first got interested by stumbling across a YouTube video of Barn silently carving a spoon. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall that evening. The expression on my face must have been priceless – wide-eyed, slightly drooling, and bathed in the icy blue glow of the screen! I remember feeling truly awestruck at how it is possible to extract such elegant forms from a log. I began looking at trees in a new way.

What are a few of your favorite spoon carving tools?

My absolute favourite tool at the moment is my Kalthoff carving axe. In fact, I find it hard to restrain myself from carving more blanks than I can handle at once. I find the balance and the wide bevel make for surprisingly accurate and empowering blows. I also enjoy my monadnock hook and sloyd knife from Matt White at Temple Mountain Woodcraft -these are my go to tools. However, my wood tools compound hook has such a tight curve that it allows me to accomplish some things that I can’t otherwise with the monadnock. 

Any suggestions of books or websites to learn about spoon carving or woodwork?

I find the videos on the spoonclub.co.uk website incredibly useful and informative. Definitely worth a subscription. The book Spon is also lovely and a great introduction to the spoon carving culture.

Are there any particular spoon carvers who inspire you in your work?

Too many to list! Maryanne McGinn, Pat Diette, Ty Thornock, Mikey Elefant, Reuben Goadby, Eamonn O’Sullivan, Anne Fergman, Adam Hawker, Dawson Moore, Emmet Van Driesche, and Barnaby Carder.

How have your spoon carving techniques changed over time?

My techniques have changed as you might expect after many hours of doing the same thing – I’ve not made any huge leaps, but rather minor tweaks to the process that build on one another. I’ve developed small modifications in methods (sometimes by accident and sometimes through ingenuity) that make the process more efficient or produce better quality products. One thing I have found is that I can develop these multiple, micro modifications much faster if I try to carve the same form over and over again. When I first started carving, I winced at the thought of doing the same spoon again, but now I seek out repetition as a way to improve my technique.

What are your thoughts on popular decorative techniques like milk paint, kolrosing, or chip carving?

I’m all for it. I use all these techniques in my work, and find joy in the diversity of pieces that can result. I am equally excited about the beauty of wood though, so I’m increasingly purposeful about when I use decorative techniques and when I don’t.

What do craft, sloyd, or wood culture mean to you?

To me, craft is a catalyst of connection: connection to myself through meditation and achievement of a state of flow; connection to the earth by making natural products from living materials that people bring into their homes; connection to our history through the study of ancient methods and production of timeless objects; connection to other people through the building of community.

If you had to pick a few songs to listen to while carving, what would they be?

I actually don’t pay attention too much to song titles cause I’ll just put on an album and go! I’ve recently listened to Nick Drake’s Pink Moon, John Vanderslice’s Pixel Revolt, and Joanna Newsom’s Divers – all complimented the carving nicely. 

Lastly, why do you carve spoons?

At it’s most basic, I suppose I carve spoons because the process ignites the pleasure centres of my brain – through that sense of energised focus and the reward of producing beautiful objects with my hands. I’ve always found joy in craft – I went through a phase about 15 years ago when I was crazed with origami – but until now I’ve not found something where I’ve said to myself “Yep, I’ll be doing this for the rest of my life.” I’m glad I’ve found that in carving.

Thanks Eddie ! You can follow him and inquire about purchasing his spoons on Instagram at @eddiethomsen or on his Etsy site northingspoons.etsy.com.

As I have said previously, my goals with this website are to learn more about spoon carving and connect with the great community of spoon carvers out there. I welcome carvers to contact me if you would like to be interviewed to share your thoughts on the craft of spoon carving.