Carving a wooden spoon from a simple piece of freshly cut tree branch is a deeply satisfying experience. Green wood is very yielding and all of your senses are stimulated, from the smell of fresh wood shavings being carved away to the texture and feel of the bowl and handle as they emerge from the spoon blank.

Using just three tools, an axe, a knife and a hook knife, we will spend the day carving our own spoons. We’ll start by cleaving a length of branch wood in two, deciding which piece would make the best spoon blank and then with axe and chopping block hewing the wood to define the bowl, stem and handle. We then move onto the use of the sloyd or craft knife to learn the basic knife holds and whittling cuts to further shape the spoon and use an elegantly curved hook knife to hollow the bowl.

There will also be informal sessions on the use of different wood species, how to sharpen your tools and finishing your spoon. There will be a range of carved spoons, books and tools on hand to inspire.

All tools and materials will be provided and tea, coffee and biscuits will be on tap throughout the day.

What to Bring

Please bring your own lunch and any green woodworking tools you may have

Your Tutor

Your tutor will be David Knight. David has been carving spoons for several decades alongside other green woodworking activities. He is fascinated in how creating a simple utensil such as a spoon can form the basis of fundamental questions of design, form and function and provide deep insights into the nature and properties of wood. He runs the website spooncarving.org.uk. When he is not playing with very sharp hand tools he works for the Open University. David is a member of Combe Mill Society and half of the fees raised by the course will be shared with the Society and the Wychwood Project to preserve the Mill for future generations and support the conservation and education work of the Project.