• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

How to make spoons

Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
696
I want to make a spoon for my next bushcrafting project but i dont know how there made can some one post pics helping me
 
A Gangsta Spoon?


I agree - I want to as well - tool recomendations would be excellent - and good buy on a curved knife for instance would be great.

TF
 
i just made a really crappy spoon. I dont have a bent knife but i used a small pocket torch to scorch the wood and scrape it out. im happy with results.
 
I would also like to carve a spoon but I had no idea of what type of wood to use.

This may be a silly question but, what type of wood would be best for spoon carving? Are there any types that we should stay away from?
 
I am a recent convert to the ways of spooning. I've done it with just a regular knife, but having a bent knife for the bowl is definitely easier. The tighter bend bent knife from Frosts on Ragnar's forge is what I have been using. It works very well, but I'm planning on getting a better one soon, probably from Pinewood Forge.

If you are planning on just using a regular knife, I found the score and pry method works best for carving out the bowl. Score or trace around the edge of the area you want to remove, then use the tip of the knife to work into the wood and slice little pieces out. The scoring will prevent any accidental chipping from going too far and messing up the walls of the bowl.

I carved this spoon just using my BHK Bushbaby.

I finished the inside of the bowl by scraping it with a rock. Then I immediately put it to use eating chili. :D
As you can see, once I got it home it finished up just fine:


I've carved a few other things, but spoons are by far my favorite.

Once you get the hang of it, spooning is a great way to pass the time and be productive!

Here's a few I made in the past couple weeks:


This one took me about an hour to carve (not counting sanding or finishing):


I'm so stuck I even carved another one last night while Iron Chef was on!

Spooning is rather addictive. :D
 
Simms65, Nice spoons! What's that little carving knife with the red liners? It looks really handy.


Oh, and to answer the OP question : I like to start with the bowl of the spoon first, as seen in this picture.
PIC-1247.jpg


Then, go ahead and start shaping the rest of the spoon.
PIC-1289.jpg
 
Last edited:
Mine are terrible... but my Dad carved alot of spoons in his time.

My advice to you would be to just start carvin'.... you know what a spoon looks like, just keep carving away everything that isnt a spoon.

Here a quick pic of two of my dads pieces.

IMG_2731.jpg
 
Mine are terrible... but my Dad carved alot of spoons in his time.

My advice to you would be to just start carvin'.... you know what a spoon looks like, just keep carving away everything that isnt a spoon.

Here a quick pic of two of my dads pieces.

IMG_2731.jpg

Those are amazing
 
selection of the stick you start out with is important, but the way we did it was whittle away with a camillus survival knife and burn out the bowl. Some turned out better than others.
 
Fruit woods make really nice spoons. apple pecan maple pear
Stay away from pines; gummy, alters flavors
Finding a branch that has a knot or bend is better than just using a straight piece; of course if it's survival vs. art just make sure it won't poison you.
 
Back
Top