Saying Goodbye To an Old Friend

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Old brown chair, you were a good friend...

...but the time has come, to say goodbye.

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Spoon Season

Spoon season is in full swing. I've got a crop of 3 at the moment, one left over from last season.

What is spoon season? I create wooden utensil art, far removed from traditional spoon carving. If I carve inside, there's a mess to clean up. Outside, I can literally let the chips fall where they may. Spoon season covers those months where it's warm enough to carve outside.

Problem is, creative projects often get quite a grip on me, so it can be hard to quit when it gets dark or starts raining. As I type this, there are some wood chips under my chair...

The one left over from last season is fairly large, and of furniture-grade cherry. I knew it would take a long time. By the way? It wasn't always the case, but nowadays I carve these things completely by hand.

My main carving tool is a utility knife. This season I treated myself to some new steel -- a folding, one-hand action, quick-change Craftsman with Brazilian cherry (a hardwood from Brazil that merely resembles cherry, and is much harder -- many owners of this model knife likely mistake it for plastic).

I've carved Brazilian cherry before, but not by hand. I like a challenge, but...


The other two spoons I've got going right now are of wild cherry -- but get this: As unusual as you might think wild cherry is, this wood is special.

Let me tell you why:

One night last year I had a sudden urge to run out into the woods behind my house (I live in town, but near a steep ridge). I was in some sort of state of heightened awareness. Found a log and rushed back to the yard with it, stuck it in the shed.

Next day I brought it out to look at my prize. It was damp, had some white rot fungus on it. Peeling back some of the bark confirmed its species. Back in the shed it went, to dry...

The first I've started with this wood, I'm not sure of yet -- but the second? One of the best I've done, so far...


Images when available.



Phil Smith
June 1st, 2007


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