Choosing Wood for Spoon Carving: What Makes a Good Spoon Wood?
One of the nice things about spoon carving is that the wood doesn't necessarily have to come from a lumberyard.
A fallen branch.
A tree removed from an orchard.
A storm-damaged maple.
Sometimes the best spoon is hiding in a piece of wood most people would throw into the firewood pile.
But before you start carving, there are a few things worth looking at.
What will the spoon be used for?
What is the grain doing?
Is the wood sound?
And maybe most importantly:
Does the piece of wood fit the spoon you want to carve?
Start with the Spoon's Purpose
Before choosing the wood, think about what you're making.
A decorative spoon gives you a lot of freedom.
You can choose wood because of unusual:
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Grain
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Color
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Figure
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Shape
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History
Years ago, I saw a beautiful spoon carved from an old Douglas fir barn joist.
The carver left some of the gray, weathered exterior as part of the spoon and carved through it to expose the fresh, lighter-colored wood underneath.
The contrast was beautiful.
That's a case where the wood became part of the design.
A spoon that's going into the kitchen every day has different requirements.
For a working spoon, I want sound wood, suitable strength, and grain that follows the shape of the utensil.
Good Woods for Kitchen Spoons
There isn't one "best" spoon wood.
A lot depends on what's growing around you.
Some traditional choices include:
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Birch
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Maple
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Apple
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Pear
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Cherry
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Beech
Fruitwoods can make particularly nice spoons because they're often dense, fine grained, and capable of taking a smooth finish.
But don't overlook less familiar local woods.
Part of the fun of spoon carving is experimenting.
Let the Grain Follow the Spoon
This is probably more important than the species.
Pay attention to grain direction.
If you're carving a straight spoon from straight-grained wood, that's fairly simple.
But if your spoon has a bend or sweep through the handle, straight grain may run out through that curve and create a weak spot.
Instead, look for wood where the grain naturally follows the shape you're trying to carve.
Branches.
Crotches.
Bent sections of a trunk.
Places where two trunks separate.
Those pieces can have complicated grain, but sometimes that complicated grain is exactly what you need.
Rather than forcing your spoon design onto the wood, let the wood help determine the spoon.
Green Wood Makes Spoon Carving Easier
Whenever possible, I like carving spoon blanks while the wood is green.
Fresh wood is generally much easier to cut than the same species after it has dried.
That's especially useful when you're:
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Roughing out the handle
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Shaping the back of the bowl
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Hollowing the bowl
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Removing a lot of material
You can rough-carve the spoon while the wood is green, allow it to dry, and then make your final cuts after it becomes more stable.
If you want more on that process, see Green Wood vs. Dry Wood for Carving in the Wood & Materials section.
Match the Wood to the Form
Look at the spoon you want to make before you start cutting.
A deep serving spoon or ladle needs a piece thick enough to contain that shape.
A thin spatula or butter paddle doesn't need to start with half a log.
This sounds obvious, but choosing a blank that's reasonably close to your finished dimensions saves a lot of work.
It also wastes less wood.
Check for Defects
Before investing a couple of hours in a spoon, take a good look at the wood.
Watch for:
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Rot
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Large cracks
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Deep checking
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Insect damage
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Loose or missing knots
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Weak areas
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Questionable discoloration
Not every defect makes the wood unusable.
Sometimes a defect can even become an interesting part of a decorative carving.
But there's a difference between a decorative feature and structural damage.
For a spoon that's going to be used in the kitchen, I prefer sound, solid wood.
What About Spalted Wood?
Spalting can create beautiful lines and colors.
It can also indicate fungal activity and varying stages of decay.
Some spalted wood remains firm.
Some has gone far enough that it's soft and structurally weak.
For decorative carving, sound spalted material can produce beautiful results.
For a working kitchen spoon, I would rather start with sound, solid wood without questionable soft or decayed areas.
There are plenty of beautiful woods available without wondering what's happening inside the spoon.
Look for Interesting Grain
Some of the best spoon wood comes from places where the tree wasn't growing perfectly straight.
The lower trunk.
A bend.
A branch junction.
Where multiple trunks separate.
Those areas can contain grain that curls and changes direction.
That can make the wood more challenging to carve, but it can also produce a beautiful spoon.
I particularly like carving those pieces green.
The knife moves through the wood more easily, and you can follow the changing grain as you shape the spoon.
Where Do You Find Spoon Wood?
Once you start looking at wood as potential spoons, you'll see it everywhere.
Some good sources include:
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Tree-trimming work
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Orchard pruning
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Storm-damaged trees
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Firewood
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Logging leftovers
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Your own property
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Friends and neighbors removing trees
If someone knows you carve spoons, pretty soon they'll start calling you when a tree comes down.
That's usually better than arriving after somebody has already turned it into firewood.
And if somebody saves you an especially nice piece?
Make them a spoon.
They'll probably call you again.
A Word About Pallets and Unknown Wood
My original article mentioned pallets as a possible source of maple.
Today, I'd be more cautious about that advice.
If you don't know where a pallet has been, what it carried, or whether the wood has been contaminated, I wouldn't use it for a spoon intended to contact food.
There is too much clean wood available to take the chance.
For kitchen utensils, I prefer wood whose history I know.
My Advice
Don't spend too much time searching for the perfect spoon wood.
Start with sound wood from a species that's known to carve reasonably well.
If you can get it green, even better.
Then pay attention to the grain.
That's the real lesson in spoon carving.
Instead of deciding exactly what the spoon will look like and forcing the wood to cooperate, look at the piece in your hand.
Where does the grain go?
Where does it bend?
Where is it strongest?
Sometimes the wood has already decided what kind of spoon it wants to become.
Your job is just to find it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best wood for spoon carving?
There isn't one best species. Birch, maple, apple, pear, cherry, and beech are all commonly used. Grain direction, soundness, and the intended use of the spoon are just as important as species.
Is green wood better for spoon carving?
Green wood is generally easier to carve because it contains more moisture. That's one reason many spoon carvers prefer starting with freshly cut wood.
Can I carve spoons from dry wood?
Yes. Dry wood can make excellent spoons, but it generally requires more effort to remove material than the same species when green.
Does grain direction matter in a wooden spoon?
Very much. Ideally, the grain should follow the shape of the spoon, particularly through the handle and any bends where strength is important.
Can I use any wood for a kitchen spoon?
I wouldn't. For a functional spoon, start with sound wood of a suitable species and avoid rotten, badly cracked, contaminated, or structurally questionable material.
Continue Reading
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