MY STORY
Woodcarver, Beekeeper, Musician, Photographer, Organic Gardener, and lover of all things handmade!  I love anything and everything made locally.  When I can, I buy directly from the people who make their products or grow their produce.  Carved Wooden Spoons is a new adventure brought about by a few good friends in my life who said I should sell my spoons online.

I'm a one man operations, so, I have to make the most out of my time.  I work on spoons in stages and never just one spoon at a time.  I may have one spoon with a carved design waiting to be polished and another spoon waiting to have the bowl carved out.  My studio time is always new and different from day-to-day.  Some of the woodcarving techniques I’ve learned come from master spoon carvers from across the nation and around the world, while others I've developed on my own.  I have my own style and techniques.  I like to balance the "modern" techniques with the more traditional hand carving techniques.  I feel that with this balance, I can produce a very attractive and functional spoon.   

I used organic walnut oil, flaxseed oil, and pure beeswax on all of my utensils.  I polish in this blend to keep the spoons smooth and durable.  This technique has been used in woodworking for centuries and keeps the  spoons durable while maintaining a lasting shine.

A TYPICAL DAY
My day begins from where I left off and never where I expect to begin.  As I walk out to my studio in the field, I hear the wind blow through the trees, the soft steps of my feet on the ground, and the smell of winter returning once again. The studio is only about 150 feet from my house.  It was a garden shed intended for gardening but is now converted to my "carving studio" or as my wife says…"man-shed."  This year (2013) is the first year my studio will be insulated and heated.  What a great joy to have heat on those very cold mornings.  

As I step into the studio, I turn on the lights and begin finding wood to work with from my drying racks.  I prefer to carve in maple, cherry, and walnut.  This time, my mind settles on a piece of walnut and I start to sketch out the spoon design.  I pause and look out the window and watch the wind blow through the tall grass.  My attention turns back to the wood and I think to myself that I might be able to get three spoons out of this one piece, but notice a knot on the right side of the wood and so only two spoons from this piece.  With my mind focused, the world fades, and I begin to carve.  My hands, heart, and soul begin to carve that time old classic kitchen tool known as the wooden spoon.

Follow me on Twitter
Like my fan page Facebook
Connect with me on Google+

Author Jason Weymouth

Product: Hand Carved Wooden Spoons - Price Range: $10 - $950

What town are your spoons made in?

My studio is located in Brunswick, Maine.  I have a home-based wood shop-It’s a shed-really, I built 4 years ago, and have converted it to my spoon carving studio.  My studio serves as a place to center my creativity and function as a daily retreat.

When did you get started making spoons?

I started about 3 years ago, although I didn’t start selling my hand carved spoons online until recently.  I watch a few video on spoon making and that got me interested in making spoons.


What got you interested in making spoons?


I have always been interested in working with my hands.  I guess this kind of woodworking gives me the most fulfillment and most challenge.  I started making spoons out of my interest for bush crafting and thought it would be cool to make a spoon while camping.  So, I did and haven't stopped sense.  

Where do you get the wood for your spoon making?

I use mostly local wood.  I prefer to use locally harvested wood and scrap wood.  I’ve used all kinds of wood from scrap wood to the exotic wood for special orders.  It’s important to me that I use wood that has come from a sustainable forest and I look for mills and retailers that practice sustainability.  I use woods that are known to be allergen free and safe to be used with food.

What types of wood do you like using when making your spoons?

I love carving any type of fruit tree wood.  Fruit trees make the best spoon carving wood.  I also love carving Eastern Maple, Poplar, Cherry, Apple, and Birch woods.  I prefer Cherry and Apple over other types of carving wood because the color, texture, and how the grain preforms when sanding.

How do you make your spoons?

The stages of my spoon making process start with: 1) Selecting the wood, 2) Sketching the spoon designs that I’ll be working on, 3) Marking the wood with the spoon sketching, 4) Rough cutting the timber to blanks, 5) Carving the spoon design and shape, 6) Further refining the shape of the spoon, 7) Gouging out the bowl of the spoon, 8) Rough sanding the spoon, 9) Fine hand sanding the spoon, 10) Applying a blend of walnut oil and beeswax to the spoon, and 11) Taking photos and writing the spoon’s story for upload to my Etsy Shop and website.  As you can see lots of time and effort go into creating a spoon.  I don’t have expensive machinery; every spoon is made individually.

What stage of making a spoon takes the most time?

Without a doubt the final stage of hand sanding the spoon takes the most time.

What do you enjoy the most about carving spoons?

I enjoy the creative process of making something useful with my hands.  I love when my mind and hand are united in this process of creating, and something wonderful is the result.  I like to call all of my kitchen utensils functional works of art because I want people to use my spoons and spatulas and showcase them on a shelf or hang them on a wall.  I’m an artisan and enjoy making beautiful spoons that will be cherished for a lifetime.

What advice would you give someone looking to start carving spoons?

Be patient, carving doesn’t happen overnight and carving spoons definitely takes a lot of practice...trial and error, and patience.  Then, I would say always keep your knives sharp, wear safety goggles, and ear protection, and have a first aid kit close by just in case. Then, find people in your area who also like carving and learn from them.  Watch...learn...listen...and most of all have fun.  This would be my best advice.

Follow me on Twitter

Like my fan page Facebook

Connect with me on Google+

When buying a handmade wooden spoon from me, you're buying more then just a spoon.  You are buying hundreds of hours of failure and experimentation.  You are buying days, weeks, and months of frustration and moments of incredible happiness.  You aren't just buying a "thing", you're buying a piece of heart, a part of my soul, and a moment of my life.  You're buying broken knuckles, split fingers, and muscle aches.  You're buying Handmade - MADE IN USA!  You're not buying a machine made spoon form China. Most importantly, you're buying me more time to do something I'm passionate about and I thank you for this.  

I don't mass produce my wooden spoons and I take great care in making each and everyone.  I learn about wood and wood carving everyday.  I have a lot invested in wood, tools, shop electricity, and shop heat.  I don't have a country subsidizing my materials or shop…it's just me and my passion to create unique wooden utensils.

Follow me on Twitter
Like my fan page Facebook
Connect with me on Google+