Quick Carve Spreader

Carve this useful utensil out of a branch using only a pocketknife

Most—if not all—of my carvings are done in green wood. That’s just my style and you can easily find it when camping, hiking, or even in your back yard. or this project, choose a straight, knot-free branch.

Basic Cutting Strokes
There are several ways to cut with a knife. The three particular strokes described here are for right-handed carvers. Left-handers, of course, will reverse the hands, following a mirror image of the descriptions.

Straightaway Cutting
- This cut is good for removing a lot of wood or bark quickly. Hold the wood in your left hand and, using long, firm strokes, cut away from yourself with your right hand. I find that when I use this stroke my right wrist is pretty well locked, not bending during the cutting stroke.

Drawcutting
- This technique involves placing the wood in your left hand and the knife in your right. Cut toward yourself (sort of like peeling an orange), with short strokes, using your right thumb as a brace against the wood. Be sure to keep some wood between the blade and your thumb. I find it helpful (and much safer!) to keep my right thumb braced on my left thumb, not on top of the wood itself. That way I don’t run the risk of the blade coming up into my right thumb on its follow through when it suddenly clears the end of the wood.

Thumbpushing
- This particular stroke is extremely practical for small cuts where precise control is needed and you don’t want to overcut. Hold the wood in the four fingers of your left hand, leaving your left thumb free. Grip the knife in your right hand, keeping your right thumb against the back of the blade. With your left thumb, push either the back of the blade or the back of your right thumb.

Step 1 Choose your blank. I’ve chosen a little maple branch. Then round off the butt of the handle. Use the draw cutting stroke.		Step 2 Cut a little V-shaped groove around the end of the handle. Use the thumb pushing stroke. Then cut another groove farther down the handle. Locate this groove just a bit above where you want the blade of the spreader to start. Again, use the thumb push stroke.
Step 3 Flatten the blade of the spreader from both sides. Use long straight strokes.		Step 4 Continue carving until the blade is centered on the handle. Then narrow the neck of the spreader. Use both pushing and drawing cuts—always cutting toward the center—to narrow the part between the handle and the actual blade.
Step 5 Slightly round the end of the blade. Continue shaping the blade until you’re satisfied.		Step 6 Make another little V-cut groove between the neck and the handle.
		A little creativity will provide infinite variations.
Materials and Tools
MATERIALS: 3/4"-diameter green branch, approximately 8"-long Fine-grit sandpaper Clear finish of choice (optional) TOOLS: Knife of choice

Step 7
Allow the spreader to dry a bit (if you used green wood). Then give it a final sanding. Apply a clear, food-safe finish of your choice (optional).