American Basswood Carving
a division of Hobbywoods.com

Fine Carving Wood for the Woodcarver

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It's not a fancy place -- just a room about 12 X 20 off the garage.  It seems to grow smaller everyday as I add more tools and treasured pieces of wood.  Most of the wood I gather is in raw logs and they need to be prepared for drying and set aside (some take three or four years to dry).

You can see from the picture of me in the shop that I am very careful to protect myself from the wood dust and chips.  That's because some of it is quite dangerous to inhale...others cause rashes and such.  If you are thinking of working with wood read the chart that appeared in American Woodturner, June, 1990.  From this source I have learned to be particularly careful when working with Beech, Hemlock, Oak, Quebracho, Redwood, and Sassafras.


 


Almost every kitchen has a wooden spoon or two these days.  But most are machine turned and certainly not like the grand spoons of yesteryear that were hand worked.   But cooks who take pride in their equipment often want the wide, deep bowls and fine woods in their wooden spoons.  They're not found in our shopping malls.



 

This Birds-eye Maple porringer (oatmeal bowl) used to be the above block of wood.  It's patterned after a pewter porringer circa 1750.
 
 
 
 
 

A hand carved wooden spoon costs a little more than those turned out by the millions.  But for the discerning cook it's worth every penny!

 

Rarity is a factor.  For example, it's very hard to get enough manzanita wood for a project because it naturally splits in every which direction when it dries. I had a 6 foot limb and had to cut that whole thing up in small pieces looking for enough "clean" pieces to make this dish and spoon.  (Manzanita is of the northern Alpine genus categorized with other bearberry plants that grow in the lower mountain chaparel).  Bottom line is there ain't a lot of Manzanita around for carvers and when ya do get some...it ain't gonna be a big piece!  So I guess the horseradish set is a bit rare for that reason.  That red streak running down through the dish and spoon is the heart wood of the manzanite.

Customizing Products

Recently a lady in South Carolina requested a spoon like her grandmother had used (her grandmother was from the old country and brought them with her to America).  It seems she had searched for nearly 25 years for a "Gramma" spoon.  She found it here.  Hope you find that special spoon too.  If you don't see what you are looking for...let me know, perhaps I can make it for you.

See more beautiful products by the Spoon Lady