Which tools for spoons and bowls ?

[budgester]

I would like to give spoon and bowl carving a go.

What tools do you recommend.

1. Budget

2. Good

3. Don't get better than these.

What do I need ? 1 small knife and a crook knife ? Anything else.

 

[zagabul]

Hi Budgester and welcome!

You will need a small axe, a knife, a crooked knife and maybe some sandpaper depending on the finish you want.
I am using a SFA for the axe
Gransfors
One of Mr. Hill's or Garland's knives
and for the crooked knife
Djarv

I don't think there is a good or a bad tool as long as they are sharp!
Don't forget to search the forums, there are plenty of good tutorials.

Happy New Year!

Zag

 

[woof]

Hi, and welcome to the site. FYGT, who's a member on here makes excelent "spoon knives" at realistic prices, and as for roughing out use what ever you've got, and just enjoy doing it. My carving is crap !, but so what, i enjoy myself, especialy when out in the woods/sat round a camp fire.

Rob

 

[Sean Hellman]

You can use any tools from a cheap mora hook knife at about £16, they are Okay but not the best. There knives 120, 106, classic, and clippers are fantastic.
As has already been said, sharp tools are the most important thing. Sharpening is what I would put my time and money into, especially with the hook knives. Carve your wood green and keep it green until you need to do the finishing cuts or sanding, this way you have to use a lot less pressure on your tools and your hands will thank you for it.

 

[Mesquite]

If you're on a budget and don't have any cutting tools at all the I suggest the following

1 Mora Clipper, you can pick these up for around a tenner and are a good starting knife for all your bushcrafting

2 Frost spoon knife, again it's a basic tool and will do the job. Again you can pick these up for around a tenner or a bit more. DON'T get the double edged version until you're confident using a spoon knife.

As you're in Enfield you can pop along to Crews Hill and go visit The Bushcraft Store there for the clipper.

Once you've started down the road to spoon carving addiction you can look at the more expensive knifes from various makers on here such as FGYT, JoJo and Dave Budd.

 

[Whittler Kev]

If you're on a budget and don't have any cutting tools at all the I suggest the following

1 Mora Clipper, you can pick these up for around a tenner and are a good starting knife for all your bushcrafting

2 Frost spoon knife, again it's a basic tool and will do the job. Again you can pick these up for around a tenner or a bit more. DON'T get the double edged version until you're confident using a spoon knife.

As you're in Enfield you can pop along to Crews Hill and go visit The Bushcraft Store there for the clipper.

Once you've started down the road to spoon carving addiction you can look at the more expensive knifes from various makers on here such as FGYT, JoJo and Dave Budd.

:welcome1: Agree with all of this. Frosts are a good cheap knife and do the job. I got mine from Ronnie Sunshines (no affiliation) and if you can get to Watford shopping centre there is a deal on with Frosts (£2.49 and £7 for a crook)
have a look here
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51036
its in these shops
http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Product/Product.aspx?id=134843522

It's worth getting a dual blade folder (remember its illegal to carry a lock knife) for impromptu carving sessions. It will stay sharp only if you get a good blade.
Remember carving can Consume your free time as it can be done anywhere and at anytime

 

[budgester]

My holiday project this year was making a Greenland paddle.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/photo.php?pid=3698535&id=677791765

Which I really enjoyed doing, there is the whole process shown in that album.

And while browsing the internet I ended up watching this video of Ray Mears making a paddle, and he uses a crook knife.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHki1K677ls

Then doing a search on crook knifes lead me to this site, and with all the bowls and spoons, which look far more enjoyable to do than sitting around watching TV.

My main big project for next year will be a skin on frame greenland kayak.

And thanks for the welcome from everyone.




And I

 

[bhofmann]

If you don't mind "carving" by holding the tool and letting the wood come at it, you could look around for someone who has a lathe and try that. It's a great way of making bowls and plates.

Here's a simple bowl I made which shows the process using a chuck to hold the bowl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S_oni5dMrI.

Interesting thread, because I want to carve myself a spork and wondering what tools and what wood I should use.

 

[robin wood]

I would like to give spoon and bowl carving a go.

What tools do you recommend.

1. Budget

2. Good

3. Don't get better than these.

What do I need ? 1 small knife and a crook knife ? Anything else.

Axe Cheap axes are often good but you generally need to be able to regrind them., Gransfors axes are excellent and come ready ground and honed. The argos axe currently on sale at £2.99 is excellent once re ground

Straight knife Frosts 106 is my favourite knife for carving spoons and bowls, it is budget but they don't get any better, only prettier.

hook knife lots to choose from http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29840&highlight=hook+passaround
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29676&highlight=hook+passaround
Since we did those threads I would add Duncans knives FGYT here and Hans Karlsson available from woodland craft supplies is a very good knife.

adze I personally would only go as far as kuksas with a hook knife for bowls you really want an adze to shift the bulk of the wood and the best is the Karlsson.

The last thing you need is technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx-NTPBoLmU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIujxP21qd0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1TMhj9t2PY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbuNNKN6F0I&feature=fvw

 

[bhofmann]

After dinner earlier I decided to go out and finish some bowls I'd rough turned in 2007 and left to dry. For a change I decided to try turn them without touching abrasives. They are as they were finished with the gouge and then burnished with the shavings.

 

[budgester]

They are very nice. I have a way to go yet before I get to that quality.

By any chance are they made of apple and mango wood ?

 

[bhofmann]

Sorry, no they aren't; they're Ash and Macrocarpa. The Ash ones show the heartwood clearly on two sides of the bowl. Bowls are normally turned with the grain running across the bottom for strength and reduced moisture absorance.