I thought you might like to see how this spoon began taking shape and what it looks like after a few years of use.

This one began, as many do, being hewn with an axe from a billet of wood split from a Beech Log. The wood had spent over a year weathering in the yard at my workshop and had developed a Spalt running through the grain; lovely patterns caused by fungus penetrating the wood and forming hard dark barriers at their margins. If left too long in such damp conditions the wood becomes crumbly and brittle in places but fortunately I used this piece before that had happened.

Once the rough shape is formed with the axe I use whittling knives & curved spoon knives to refine it further before setting the piece aside for a while to allow any remaining moisture escape.

Once the wood is dry the knives are used to carve the final smooth surface and the piece is sealed with Flax seed oil to protect it.

Here are some images of this one after it has been used for a few years and begun to gain some real character.