Biting the spoon

[Bishop]

Despite being married some eight years now to a Barry Island lass and living in Wales for the last seven I have never bought her a traditional Welsh love spoon let alone made one. A fact she has been reminding me of repeatedly and bilingually in her native tongue using many words that Google refuses to translate since she saw the crude spoon I whittled up on my visit last month to Clynfyw.

So to make amends. I've raided the piggy-bank fund I was saving up for a new sleeping bag and bought my first ever set of proper woodcarving tools from off Ebay.
If anybody hears hysterical laughter coming from a graveyard that'll be my old school woodwork teacher.

They arrived this afternoon so me and the dog will both be off up the woods later looking for big sticks to drag home
Made by 'Gilles' in Lithuania and just under £40 for the set including postage, can't grumble at that price.

 

[Robson Valley]

More than half of the work is keeping your tools "carving sharp."
Being able to sustain useful bevel angles at better than razor blade sharp, day in and day out.
There must be half a dozen different methods with the same result.

Don't fall in love with what you carve and be prepared to kill off a bunch of them.
Looks like a useful variety for spoons & small bowls.

 

[crosslandkelly]

They look a useful set.

 

[Big G]

Nice set.. post some pics of your carving exploits

 

[Bishop]

Am no stranger to stropping my Opinel so I'll be fine with the straight blade, but getting the knack for quickly sharpening the crook & gouge I think is going to take me a little longer.