Wooden Spoons/Kitchen Utensils

[ve3rin]

At our seniors carving group last year one of the members brought in some patterns for Celtic love spoons. I think the intricacy of them made me want to carve them. For my Mothers 90th birthday I carved one for each of the ladies in the family and took them to Winnipeg to give them a gift to remember Mom's wonderful 90th.

When I got back home and back to the group get together, the same gentleman brought in a sketch for a tasting spoon. I immediately fell in love with it, and knowing my wife, I knew that it would be a welcome utensil for her kitchen.

I have since carved a few other spoons and salad forks. Some of the spoons patterns I carved may not necessarily be used in the kitchen, but i was hell bent to try some. I used some scraps of wood and I finished them the same way.

I had a bunch of branches from a bush/hedge that I had saved to use for walking sticks, but that wood tended to split the entire length of the branch, so it sat outside for the past 2 years until I discovered SPOONS. I was told that the wood was called Thorn Berry or perhaps it is Hawthorn. When you look at the crosscut of a branch you find that the center is red and the last number of year rings are a much lighter colored wood. The bark is some thing that I had not seen before. It had a thin bark and under that it appeared to be a tar type covering with almost fiber glass strand inbeded with in it. (boy was that a chore cleaning it up).

I searched out finishes that could be used for eating utensils.
An interesting article that I found was from Lee Valley's Technical bulletin issue 26, dated February 2008. you may be able to find the article at Lee Valley Tools - Woodworking Tools, Gardening Tools, Hardware
This article was very informative and detailed.

If you can't find it there, perhaps I can forward it to you if there is no way of posting it here .
Gary

[ve3rin]

These are also of the Thorn Berry or Hawthorn wood.
Gary

[Eddy-Smiles]

Gary... Real pretty work. What did you put on the wood to preserve it?

[ve3rin]

The product I used because of some allergies in the family was Circa 1850 Terra Nova Naturoil. I purchased it from Home Hardware.
It states that it naturally nourishes wood, Prevents drying.
can be used for cutting boards, salad bowls, butcher blocks, wood handles, toys.
Naturoil is a blend of pure oils that does not contain any dyes, perfumes or additives. Prevents cracking. Is FDA and Health Canada approved and certified Kosher. Contains no peanut oils.
Hope this helps.
Gary

[brian-bailey]

Nice work.

I've have some curly maple that I set aside to make some spoons out of one of these days.

I get a kick out of some of the wood finish product hype. Especially when they claim it nourishes the wood. Last I knew all the cells in the wood are dead, so just what gets nourished? Smile

[brian-bailey]

Gary,

I believe your wood is black cherry, the bark and your description on the pieces in your first photo identify it as cherry.

The wood color in your spoons sure look like cherry too.

[kitaye]

Beautiful spoons. I've used NaturOil on all my kitchen utensils. I like it quite a bit. I recently found a salad bowl finish at Home Depot that I want to try as well.

[Ron T]

Hi Gary,

Very nice utensils. The wood coloring is beautiful and the finish is great.

I was just thinking about making a tasting spoon for my wife. I'll get some wood and try.

[Keoma]

Very nice! I just love to look at wooden utensils I also think it's Cherry, a very nice specimen I am glad you posted this, I am a spooner too I always wondered about finishes and such. I have used olive oil. When I went back "home" I brought back wood from my Grandmothers old houses. Now when I carve a spoon, I can use it in her pasta sauce recipe, well, it brings tears to me eyes!Thank you for the links Keep up the gorgeous work!

[tnartist05]

Very nice work on theses spoons & utensils,such a beautifull finish. I dont think Cherry wood has that inter lining as the cut end of the branch that Gary posted,dont think,this wood is cherry but it a nice wood and once again Gary you did a great job with it. Forrest