Cherry cup

[Robson Valley]

Fruitwoods seem notorious for cracking. For dead stuff, it moves.
But, it defines the material. Not cast from some faux wood grain plastic.
I do appreciate all the effort that it takes for that kind of carving.
The design of the junction between stem and bowl is elegant.

 

[falcon]

Beautifully done.....fantastic grain 👍

 

[Big Stu 12]

Nice one John, love it, I got my eye on doing another kuksa

 

[John Fenna]

Did you carve this or use a lathe?? It looks like you put a lot of effort time and skill into it which ever method you used. Good work.

All done with axe, saw, a spoon gouge, spoon knives (Frosts and Dave Budds), Mora knife and abrasives.
I want to learn how to use a lathe though - it has to save time!
I am working on a Cherry bowl using the same tools, and it is square - purely to avoid the lathe question
Just a quick edit to add - The bowl and cup are from the same log, from the opposite halves once it was split, the "waste" trimmed out to avoid the central rings and avoid the wood splitting (!) became 3 spatulas, 2 flat section Spurtles (a bit short - perhaps they are giant butter knives) and a serving spoon.
The shavings and short wasters from the carving are all going to be firewood.
Waste not, Want not!

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

John

That is impressive,

I tried a pole lathe in England but cannot do it here as I'd have to make chisels and I normally only have a crooked knife - which is a bit like a spoon knife I guess.

A square cup sounds good fun.

 

[John Fenna]

John

That is impressive,

I tried a pole lathe in England but cannot do it here as I'd have to make chisels and I normally only have a crooked knife - which is a bit like a spoon knife I guess.

A square cup sounds good fun.

Although I do have a square(ish) cup - made from Alder wood
- the Cherry bowl is big enough to be a decent eating bowl or plate
My spoon knives have various curves from almost circular to almost straight with a flicked up tip.

I owned a crooked knife that I had from another member of the site but it did not fit me well... the handle was too big and the blade was left handed... I only got it because I fell in love with the carving on the handle!
Eventually I traded it on...

 

[Whittler Kev]

My gammy hip and arthritis stops me using a pole lathe as I found when I was in the Pole Lathe Association but I can use my treadle one

 

[Robson Valley]

In the Pacific Northwest, all of those bent blades are called "crooked knives."
However, the PacNW style is surface-hafted, sometimes tilted a little (I do all at 10 degrees) and the handles are anything but round, often with a tapered end to the handle.
The Scandanavian style is center hafted with commonly a round handle.
It's OK to call them all "spoon knives" but that sort of denies their versatility for carving all sorts of things besides spoons.

The third sort of design is based upon the stone-age blades used in eastern North America. It, too, is called "crooked."
These people might be grouped together by their extensive use of birch trees fo many different constructions.
The blade has a sweep at the tip, the home-made ones are all different. The blade may be tilted a little and it may not be aligned with the axis of the handle.
The thumb notch and often additional carvings are characteristics, also.
I should finish one of these "Mocotaugan" style knives in a week or two.

 

[Monikieman]

Very nice cup indeed.

I sometimes get a little frightened when 'drying' so I have been oiling at the first finish stage.

I can go back and trim off and sand once things have settled down and any movement shows up.

If it's not quite finished all the oiled surface gets cut away. Worth a try?

 

[John Fenna]

That sounds like a good tip!
As I am a bit of a novice at green carving - this is only my second go at a cup and bowl from green wood (I did make a seasoned pine cup ages ago...) I need all the tips I can garner.
None of my spoons or ladles has ever split... just cups!

 

[British Red]

That John is the most aesthetically pleasing craft item I have seen from you yet, a real corker.

 

[John Fenna]

That John is the most aesthetically pleasing craft item I have seen from you yet, a real corker.

Thank you - that is high praise
The Cherry bowl is coming along nicely - I just gave it its 40 grit sanding - and I think it too will be pretty...if it does not split!

 

[John Fenna]

And now ... the entire collection
All made from the one log as described....

And no more splits!
Yet.
SAK for scale only - not made of Cherry...

 

[GGTBod]

very smart work John but ...........












Where's the spork?

 

[John Fenna]

very smart work John but ...........












Where's the spork?

You was being so nice - and then you go and spoil it all!

 

[GGTBod]

It is my worst personality trait, i'm working on eradicating it bit by bit everyday

 

[John Fenna]

It is my worst personality trait, i'm working on eradicating it bit by bit everyday

Choking it in beard hair?

 

[GGTBod]

I reckon by the time the last black hair is gone then so will the problem, the beard is taking on a life of it's own now the other day as i got out the shower i found a single random hair come loose from the thicket and it was down to my belly button, sadly as i straightened out it came out at the root, i reckon it had just been slowly curling away in the forest protected when all others of that age had been shed naturally, when June rolls around it will be my yeard :viking:

 

[treadlightly]

Lovely work John

 

[grey-array]

Looking superb John, will be looking forward to see it all in the flesh ^^

Yours sincerely Ruud