Simon Hill Green Wood Carving

My daughters first knife.

2012-01-30T09:51:00.000-08:00

My daughter is two years old and likes to watch and muck in when I'm carving, she likes to clean up the shavings and practices her technique with the bit and brace.

Whilst carving today I decided to make a wooden knife for her.

She really enjoyed using it!, I gave her a few tips on knife grips which she watched and seemed to take in.

It wont be long now until I'm making her a real knife for carving.

A few photos from work.

2012-01-27T03:31:00.000-08:00

Heres a few pics from a really nice pond area where we have been working recently.
The job was to remove 40% of the Sycamore trees.

A nice place to work and I got some wood from the job too.

Heres a few Fungus shots that I have seen on my travels.

Auricularia auricula-judae

coprinus micaceus

Rustic but functional.

2012-01-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to get a few jobs about the house done recently, little uns room done just ours to do!, I have also for ages been meaning to make a coat hook for the back of the door, mainly
because I just hang my work coats and fleeces over the top of the door.
So I set to work on this.

Its made from Apple wood with Ash hooks, I really like the grain in the Apple.

I really wanted to make something rustic rather than styled I think it works in its own way.

Spoon rack

2012-01-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

I made a spoon rack for my folks a while ago and I thought that I would show a pic of it installed in their kitchen.

Its made from Willow.

Its great to see the things you make being used and enjoyed, a gift that hopefully will be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Sugar spoons

2012-01-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

I have been making a few spoons of late and have made some more sugar spoons.

Heres some more pics of the new ones.

The longer one is from Birch and two of the smaller ones are Ash the other is Birch.
I love these small ones and use one every day, it lives in the sugar pot at home, here is a pic of the shape of the handle.

Painted Birch spoons

2011-12-31T10:01:00.001-08:00

I finished the Birch spoons today. Heres a few photos.

The red one I chip carved after it was painted which I'm not too sure if I like it, I might re paint over it, my wife likes it though so it could stay as it is.
The yellow one is my new soup spoon for work.

Well thats the first ones from 2012.

Carving with the knife.

2011-12-31T05:24:00.000-08:00

Well I have managed to carve a couple of the Birch blanks down with the knife, I'm quite happy with the shape at this point, just need to do some fine carving and some detail.
I might add some colour to them yet.

I'll post some pics when they are done.

Started carving again

2011-12-29T13:10:00.000-08:00

Well I started carving again today, I took some time off recently as I kind of lost faith with it, not sure why, so I thought that I would try and re kindle my passion.

I started roughing out some spoons blanks with the axe.
If I get time over the next day or so I will get some work done with the knife.

It was good to use the axe again and I am looking forward to getting the knife work done.

A week in the woods

2011-12-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

I have just spent a few days working in the woods, its been wet but fun!.
We have been felling some Larch and some Sycamore trees thinning the wood out.
Here are a few pictues of the woods and the tools we used.

I love this Husky, excellent saw!

Spot the climber!

I also got to try out the new Stihl 201t top handle saw out, I must admit I'm not struck on it compaired to the 200t, it doesn't seem to have the same power and just doesn't sound like the old Stihls.

A Christmas wreath

2011-12-04T05:09:00.000-08:00

Just to show some pics of our Christmas wreath this year, Getting in the Christmas mood early this year.
Its made from a frame of Willow collected from our garden and Holly from a job at work, we added Pine cones that me and my daughter collected on a walk all there is to do is add a little glitter, as Elizabeth wants glitter on them.

Happy Christmas everyone all the best.

Ash stool

2011-11-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

Well I managed to finish the little stool/chair for Elizabeth.
I weaved the top with some 4 ply Jute twine, it worked out very well and is very comfy.

The pattern is Rush style, something that I have never tried before. I will be ordering some paper rush for future chairs.

I think its turned out ok, a rustic style stool for my daughter, anyway she enjoys it and thats what really counts.

Beech Bench

2011-11-12T02:56:00.000-08:00

I was involved with a large job at work recently which involved removing a few large Beech trees that had quite alot of Ganoderma fungus.

Because of the extent of the fungus and their location next to a footpath they were a risk so were removed and left at 8m for monoliths encouraging wildlife.
One of the large pieces was to be made into a rustic bench, this is what I did.

Elizabeth seems to enjoy it. Hopefully it will still be there for years to come for her and everyone else who passes to enjoy.

Chair for Elizabeth

2011-11-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

A while ago I removed the bark and drilled some holes in some Ash, the idea was to make a simple rustic chair for Elizabeth my 2 year old daughter. This was drying for about 6 months before it was carved to fit and glued.
Today I have made a start on weaving the seat, I will post more pics when its finished. I plan on making a long slim needle of sorts to weave in and out of the seat.

Some recent photos

2011-10-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

I've not posted in a while as I have been busy and I have not been carving recently.
I have been working in a woodland last week and I have been taking a few photos on my phone as we have been having some wonderfull sunrises and sunsets, being on site early has given me the chance to capture a few.

Liriodendron tulipifera spoon (Tulip tree)

2011-09-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

We did some work on a couple of tulip trees last week and as I have never carved any before I gathered some bits to make some spoons.

Its very nice wood to carve, very much like Birch and slices well. Its wood has very little pattern but what you do get is strips of colour and also blue ink like marks. When it is cut it has a very fruity smell like citrus fruit.
As the wood was pretty pale I wanted to have a go at painting the spoon, I read a few ways of making homemade paint and ended up using one by Robin Wood. only I used Green tea with some Coffee to darken it up a bit for a green colour which is a little bit washy.
I also used some Tumeric to make a nice yellow colour, I wanted to get some colours that resembled to colours on the leaf.

I did some chip carving decoration and rubbed some Coffee into the pattern which highlights it from the paint.
I am looking at getting some ground earth pigments for a better colour but for what I had in the cupboard I think its worked quite well.

Spoon from Rhus typhina

2011-09-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

I managed to get a fair sized piece of Rhus typhina from work, it has fantastic colours so I have so far made a spoon from it but I might make a small Kuksa from it.

I also made a couple more sugar spoons from Apple.

Back from France

2011-08-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

Well I've been away for two weeks in the Loire Valley, Two weeks away from TV and the internet has been tough but not carving has been tougher!.
We had a great time with friends and family and really enjoyed the stunning countryside!.
I thought that I would share some photos from our time there.

The countryside was full of wildlife from Crickets and Praying mantis to Buzzards and Kestrels flying overhead, the lizzards and salamandas were too quick for me to photograph!.

Elizabeth out collecting Blackberries, which tasted so sweet she ate more than she collected.

There were Oak trees everywhere all of which had been heavily Pollarded many years ago, the Acorns were huge too!.

We went to a fantastic wine festival in Aubigné sur Layon

Its a stunning village and a very well put together festival.
The wine flowed well indeed.

Birch and Willow spoon rack

2011-08-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

I was asked to make a spoon rack for someone after they had seen the one I made myself for the kitchen.
Its made from Birch with a Willow handle and is styled on the one in the St Fagans folk life museum.

Its needed to hold spoons with quite thick handles so I needed to make sure that the Birch rack could fit them in.
The spoons in the picture are some of the ones that I make.
The Willow handle is secured by some Hawthorn thorns.

I hope they like it.

Birch Kuksa

2011-08-07T02:02:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would make myself a large Kuksa style bowl for use around the house, I had some nice Birch wood left over so thought that I might aswell use that, I think its turned out great and its a joy to use.

It has been finished with the knife to leave the tool marks.

Sunday walk

2011-08-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Me and the family went for a great walk in a park near by, the park is called Marie louise gardens Its a stunning park with some fantastic trees, me and Elizabeth went collecting pine cones and found a big Bhutan Pine the cones from this tree are pretty big compared to the other pines.

There is also a fantastc big Scots pine.

And some pretty big Sweet Chestnuts.

It was a great day in fantastic suroundings.

Willow Obelisks.

2011-07-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

A while ago I gathered some Willow for projects, some has been used and the rest was left to dry.
I decided to use the dry stuff for a couple of Obelisks.

I gathered some fresh Willow for the weaving part.

Some Willow works better than others, as some just snaps as soon as you bend it towards 90 degrees. This Willow worked fine and only a couple snapped.

Weaving is so relaxing when you get into it!.
Here are the two finished Obelisks, the one on the left is sold already and the small one is for my garden for a Clematis.

Found spoon.

2011-07-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

I found a spoon in a garden last week whilst I was stump grinding, I love the bowl shape so decided to make one in a similar shape. The style is like the spoons that were found on the Mary Rose.
The spoon that I found isn't worth anything, and the grinder took a few chunks out of it but I like the idea of making a spoon to resemble it in some way.

Its made frome some lovely Apple wood that I have. I think that its turned out ok.
This spoon is going to be gift for a family member I hope they like it and the story behind its making.

Sugar spoons.

2011-07-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a few small sugar spoons with some of the Apple wood that I had left over from the Kuksa that I made.
These are great to make as they take no time at all and can be as simple or decorative as you wish, I settled on a simple design.

This is one that I have kept for my sugar bowl, the others will be gifts or sold.

More flowers and a horse.

2011-07-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have had a few orders recently for gypsy flowers, I think there will be a few more from folks at work soon as I made some for a friend at works Mum.

These are made from Willow and Ash, Ash works ok but Willow is great.

I have also been on the look out for suitable materials for a shave horse for a while now, I recently decided on this piece of Oak, I have started to work on its shape with the axe, hewing it down to size. I have collected a range of other bits to make the other parts with, these will be Ash with Oak pegs.

This will be an on going project and may not be finished for a while, I can wait!.

Apple Kuksa.

2011-07-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

I recently cut down a big old dead Apple tree, Most of the wood was rotten including 50% of the trunk. I managed to find a couple of nice bits to save to make a Kuksa.

These bits are solid but have some really nice spalting.

This one has a tooled finish, I want to do a bit more work on the rim and a few more cuts on the handle.

Elizabeths spoon finished.

2011-06-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

I have managed to finish the new spoon for Elizabeth, shes is a very happy little girl and is looking forward to eating her breakfast with it in the morning.

For the growing hand

2011-06-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

My daughter is growing up fast! and the spoon that I made for her when she was a baby is too small now, so seeing as I hadn't made anything recently I thought that I would start with a new spoon for her.

Its made from Birch from a 25m tree that I thinned.

Its not finished yet as I plan to refine the shape a little, then add her name and the date to mark her first proper spoon.

A few pics from work.

2011-06-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't made much recently so I thought that I would show some pics that I have taken at work.

These were taken on my phone while I was out and about doing surveys.

Great Email

2011-06-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

I recieved a nice Email from Norman Stevens recently, he sent me a copy of a piece he wrote for his catalog he keeps on his spoon collection.

In early 2011, Sally Dodson of the Heritage Crafts Association sent me a list of a number of British spoon carvers and made the initial contact with a number of them, including Simon Hill, for me. Simon works as an arborist and the Laburnum spoon he created is made from one of two trees that formed an arch over the entrance to an old house. That tree had to be removed after it was hit by a delivery van. The owner indicated that the tree was 100 years old and Simon counted about 60 growth rings or more. The tree had some decay but some of the sound wood was saved for special projects. His unsigned spoon arrived in April 2011. Its traditional spoon pattern takes full advantage of the grain and color of the wood. Of special note is the way he managed to center all of a small circular section in the middle of the notch just above the handle and the patterns on the top of the back of the handle and on both sides of the bowl. In addition this is a spoon that not only fits the hand perfectly but also has a special feeling to it when handled and rubbed or stroked. It is one of the finest tactile spoons in the collection.

Norman Stevens

Lovely old Sweet Chestnut

2011-05-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

I have passed this tree many times and have always wanted to stop and get some photographs, well today I did. Its a lovely old Sweet Chestnut that is in decline but still fighting on.

Not too sure as to why its declining, it has one half of the tree that is dead wood, and some of the branches are scarred on the underside, could be fire damage some years ago?.

Either way I love this tree and I'm sure it has some storys to tell.

"Chuck Chucks"

2011-05-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Me and Elizabeth went to see my folks today.
My step mother loves her new egg basket she's over the moon with it.
Elizabeth couldn't wait to put it in use collecting the eggs and feed the hens, or "chuck chucks" as she calls them.

She loves the hens and enjoys feeding them.

Hens fed, eggs collected, Elizabeth taking the eggs back to the house.

The egg baskets new home, I hope my folks enjoy using it for years to come, I know when Elizabeth visits it will be the first thing she picks up as she heads out to the hens.

Egg basket

2011-05-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

After seeing my spoon rack my step mother liked the design so much that I thought that I would try and replicate the style into something for her. My father and step mother keep hens so after much thought I decided that I would make them an egg basket for collecting the eggs.

Its based on something I remember seeing years ago in an antique shop if I'm not mistaken.
I thought that it would be perfect for eggs with a rustic feel and a stable container for protection, plus I just love the simpleness of it.

Its made from Birch with a Willow handle, that is pinned in place by two large thorns from a Hawthorn tree. I wanted to keep the shape and finish rustic so its finished with a knife, the lid and outside of base are finished with the crook knife which gives a lovely rippled effect.
It holds 6 large eggs, I only had 3 in the house for the photos.

The lid pivots on the Willow handle on one side and the other side of the lid has a notch cut into it, it doesn't need any kind of latch as when its carried its in an upright position the lid doesn't swing open. Although one could be fitted, I'll see what my step mother says when she receives it.

I'll get some pics up when I go round to my folks house.

Pine cones and Willow

2011-05-16T01:18:00.000-07:00

I managed to do a bit ofWillow harvesting last week, I wanted some Willow for a fish trap project, not too sure when I'll find the time though at the minute. The Willow came from a prunning job.

We also had two Pine trees to do aswell so as my Brother in law has just got a log burner, I collected a big bag full for him.

I love Pine cones, their shape is very symbolic, I found an interesting piece on their symbolism here. They also make great fire lighters.

So my brother in law now has enough to keep him going for a few burns for now.

Tool projects.

2011-05-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have managed to get a few tools done that I have been meaning to do for a while. My mallet has started to look worse for wear recently, so as I have got some Ash from a few jobs I made a new one, I also made a carving mallet to use for lighter work and gouge carving.

It has a dried Ash head and handle with an Oak wedge.
My stash of Ash bits and bobs, for a few stick chairs and other small projects.

I plan on making a small stick stool for Elizabeth.

A new handle

2011-05-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

My Whitehouse Kent pattern axe handle came loose recently so I rehandled it the other day, the handle is out of Hickory with an Oak wedge, its a bought handle and for what it cost its not too bad at all.

Its a shame as the handle that was on it had a lovely patina, hopefully in years to come the new handle will take on a patina of its own.

I also knocked up a few Gypsy flowers for Elizabeth to put in the garden.

They were made from split Willow, Elizabeth wanted to have a bash at splitting which was funny as she could only just hold the mallet.

Still she gave it her best!.

Spoon rack

2011-04-25T05:20:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to get round to making a spoon rack for ages, so I finaly got round to making one over Easter. One reason that I have never made one is because I wanted to look into the different designs, There is alot of different styles over the years but one that I really liked was from a picture on Robin Woods blog of a spoon rack from St Fagans folk life museum.

I really liked how simple it was in design, and using found materials from my garden, Willow from my tree and an off cut of Willow from some fire wood creates such a functional but simple piece.

I used the bit and brace on the low bench and using some pins it stops the wood from spinning round as you drill.

I was totally amazed when after seeing me use the bit and brace, Elizabeth picked it up and started to use it perfectly! No bit in of course, I reckon she's a natural!.

I cut a shoot from my Willow tree to use as the handle for the rack and shaped the ends to fit the holes in the base.

I used a couple of thorns from the garden to secure the handle to the base of the rack by making a small hole for the thorn to go through.

And here is the finished rack.

I cut out slots rather than drill holes for the spoons to sit in as most of my spoons handles are quite wide.

I love this style of rack and with the spoons hung on it its design looks stunning yet so simple!.

Sheath for the Viking axe.

2011-04-25T04:40:00.000-07:00

I made a sheath for the Svante Djarv viking axe yesterday, like all of my tools I like them having a sheath and like the ones I made for my other axes and my adze I have used scrap leather that I had lying around. The scraps were bits of leather that I had experimented tooling on, so I used the back of the leather instead of the tooling side.

Its very rustic with the leather cord tie to keep the sheath in place but it will serve its purpose to protect the edge.

Plum spoon.

2011-04-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

My mother asked me if I could make her a spoon the other day, so as if by chance one of our jobs this week was to prune some trees and one was a prunus simonii, I thought that it would be fitting to use some of its wood to make her spoon.

Its very nice wood to carve. Hope you like it Mum.

Viking axe by Svante Djarv

2011-04-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

My new axe, its a hand forged viking axe by Svante Djarv, it's design is bassed on an actual Viking find, it weighs 1.5 kg, its Elm handle is 33 cm long and the bit length is 16 cm.

I have tried it out today and it certainly has some clout, the weight of the head is very good at removing the wood quickly, it also has a good slicing action due to the large sloping edge.

I found that the Viking axe is going to be a great axe for large bowls as it really removes the waste wood very well but also if held towards the head it has very good control for finer carving.

This is a quality tool indeed!. I think that I will enjoy using this axe for years to come, its very well made, its very sharp and holds an edge very well, its weight packs a serious punch but feels very good in the hand, very nicely balanced due to its handle shape and the service that Elsa and Svante provide are excellent!.

The woods at Middlewood

2011-04-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

The woodland at Middlewood, at the north east corner of the site, is located on the site of Worsley New Hall, built by the 1st Earl of Ellesmere in 1840-45, and the terraced gardens which were constructed in conjunction with the Hall and laid out by William Nesfield. Under the care of some very well respected head gardeners the gardens became well established, were regularly the subject of press articles, and were widely visited by the aristocracy and Queen Victoria. The Hall was abandoned after the second world war, subsequently demolished, and the gardens fell into decline.

This is a Larch plantation that was planted in 1955 after the slip road from the M60 was built, it was originaly intended for comercial production but was later canceled, I love this part of the wood, its perfectly straight line planting and this huge Beech which stands out from the Larch, evokes a very carming reaction from me.

This is the lake which was the lower part of the garden, its a stunning lake which has a very nice ice house.

During the winter, ice and snow would be taken into the ice house and packed with insulation, often straw or sawdust. It would remain frozen for many months, often until the following winter, and could be used as a source of ice during summer months.

There are some fantastic trees in the wood which is mainly broadleaf appart from the Larch plantation and the overgrown gardens. But this Sweet Chestnut really stands out, I'm not too sure of its age or history but I'm sure it could tell a few storys from over the years.
Next to it for scale is my friend Wayland.

There is also this fantastic Beech, which has grown in an odd way.

Its twisted branches and stunted height make it very story book like.

I couldnt help myself and had to have a climb on its twisted fussed branches.

I really like this woodland which does have some age and history which date back to the 1770s and camping there is always a memorable experience.

New spoon Laburnum

2011-04-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

Just thought that I'd show some pics of the finished spoon that I started over last weekend at Middlewood, its made from Laburnum. I am really liking carving from this wood at the moment, its stunning stuff, and flowing lines really suit it thanks to its figuring.

A weekend in the woods

2011-04-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

I've just got back from a weekend in the woods with the BCUK crowd, it was a great weekend and the the company just the weather was fantastic.

I took my Teepee and stove as its not had much use of late,I got there friday evening and by the time I got set up it was dark.

Its a good site and the woodland has some very nice trees.
I had pitched in an open area of the wood as the ground was right for the tent.

A shot of one section of the wood.

I took some more photos of the woodland and some of its big trees but I'll put them in another post.

I managed to get a bit of carving done and started a spoon from Laburnum.

I'll get some more pics up when its finished.

Theres nothing like getting out into the woods for a few nights.

Adze work on the low bench

2011-04-02T13:34:00.001-07:00

I've been trying out the new low bench today, I added a couple more holes for a Kuksa project.

I started by using the adze to see how it holds, I made 4 smaller pegs to hold the wood.

It holds well but a hand supporting the piece does help as the motion of the adze striking can tend to make the wood try to rise out of the hold, this is mainly because this piece of wood is light, larger pieces hold better because of their weight.

I also tried it out for gouge work.

I must say that again it works well and holds reasonable well even when the gouge is struck with the mallet.

I am thinking of adding a slot in the centre of the bench for a clamp or log dog to really hold the smaller pieces of wood in place.

The good thing about the low bench is you are able to move around the work, some other holding devices you have to move the work around, I suppose its just depends on personal preference, I dont mind moving the work around so I sometimes use a log that has been cut at angles so the work is on a slope, this is good for adze work, you can use pegs either side of the work to keep it from moving but really the pressure of you holding the work can be enough, also slight lips can be cut into the bottom slope cut to give grip stopping the work from moving.

There are many clever ways of holding the work in place and it is just down to personal preference and what works well for you, trial and error and practice.

Finished a couple of jobs

2011-03-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

I managed to get done a couple of things done that I have been meaning to get round to for a while now, first was to fit some new legs to my axe block, I have been using an Ash block for years now and it finaly gave up the ghost the other day.
So I fitted some cleaved wood legs to this block I have had knocking around for a bit. Its a good height and comfortable to use for axe work over long a period.

The other job I got round to was to make a low holding bench for bowl carving and adze work.
You kneel next to the bench on either side as you work or for two handed adze work you can stand over it with your legs either side.

The bench was from a piece of a Sycamore tree that we felled and then ripped in half with the 064 because it was running like a dream that day!.

At the moment I have only added 4 holes for the pegs to hold the work but as I go on I will add a few more for different sizes of work, also you can use different sized pegs, this piece is tall so large pegs are being used but if the piece is smaller smaller pegs can be used so that they dont get in the way of the adze.

Kuksa for a friend.

2011-03-30T15:19:00.001-07:00

I finished the kuksa that I showed in one of my past posts, there is a nice story behind it and now that the new owner has recieved it, I thought that I would share it with you.

A good friend of mine is being made reduntant from the company where I work, I will be sad to see him go as we pass each other every morning and have good chats about all sorts of subjects, one of his favourite subjects is handmade catapults and walking sticks, I have saved him wood in the past and he makes catapults from the forked bits of branches, he knows that I carve but has never seen any of my work so I thought that I would make him a Kuksa, its made from Birch and I have presented it in this box with dry wood chippings that are saved from the making of the Kuksa. I also cut a piece of the bark from the tree that the wood came from and hand written onto it some care instructions for the Kuksa.

I hope he enjoys using it for many years to come.
If your reading this fella good luck for the future and all the best to you and your family.

Simon.

Finished spoon commision.

2011-03-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

I finished the spoon that was commisioned by Norman Stevens for his collection of 9 inch tea spoons. Norman is a collector of handmade spoons from Artisans from around the world, so I was honoured to be asked to add to his growing collection.

The spoon is made from Laburnum, and came from a tree that we were called out to at work, it was one of two that formed an archway to an old house, the owner believed it to be 100 years old, there was some rot at the base so we could only count around 60 rings. The tree was struck by a delivery van and had snapped in two, I saved some of the sound wood for projects including this spoon.

It was a shame that the tree had to come down after all the years it stood there but its good to make things out of wood like this, so it can live on in another form for years to come.

My little girls Kuksa.

2011-03-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

I made a Kuksa for my little girl when she was 6 months old. She loves drinking water from it only she does tend to spill quite alot.
It is great making things and then seeing them being used around the house be it spoons, bowls, or even better Kuksas! I enjoy making them as gifts to give but seeing them being used for years to come is fantastic!.

A mornings work

2011-03-26T03:44:00.000-07:00

Managed to get started on another Kuksa this morning, its made from Birch and there is going to be a bit of a story with this one but I can't give it away just yet!, all I can say at the moment is that it is for a good friend, I dont want to spoil the suprise.

The Birch is from some that I split the other week.

Pictured with the Kuksa are one of my carving knives in its sheath that I made and my new helve for my kent pattern axe, I didn't get on with the last short helve so I made this one which is just that little bit longer, I am getting on with it well and enjoying using it.

New spoon.

2011-03-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

I thought that I'd get these pics up of a new spoon that I made from Alder, this one and another that I have just finished are for Norman stevens.
Who collects handmade spoons from artisans from around the world.
I'll get some pics up of the other one soon.

Birthday walk in my favourite woods.

2011-03-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

Well today is my Birthday, 35 years young!.
We all went for a walk this morning bright and early in my favourite woods in Chadkirk, Its a great wood with some really nice big old Beech trees and I love exploring around there, Elizabeth is 19 months old and has been on this walk a couple of times now and she loves it. So we packed a bag and set off for the wood.
The buds are ready to burst at the minute and in the glorious sun we had today they looked superb!.

Elizabeth off exploring.

The Ramsons are covering everywhere at the minute and on the breeze you can smell them.

Its a stunning woodland walk and so picturesque.

Full of wildlife and Fungi.

Trametes suaveolens.

I saw this lovely piece of wood on a tree stump.

We all had a great walk and the sun has been shining all day, it has been a Birthday to remember spent with my family. Time now for cake!

All the best.

Birch spoon.

2011-03-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

I finished another spoon last week made from Silver Birch, I've not been lucky enough to get any Birch for a while from work recently, so when a Birch job comes up I always grab some for spoons and if its a decent size trunk,I harvest some for Kuksa's.

I've carved the bowl quite thin on this one and when held up to the light it becomes translucent.

Cross commision so far.

2011-03-16T15:48:00.001-07:00

I was asked to make a simple cross recently for a deceased pet.
Its made from 3 and a half inch by an inch and a half hardwood using a half lap joint, it stands at 30 inches tall by 17 inches wide making it 1:3 ratio.
I still have to varnish it and when the plaque is finished by the engravers fit the plaque.

The joint is a nice tight fit which is then glued

It makes a change not to work greenwood.

I'll get some pics up when its finished.

A nice day for carving

2011-03-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a nice bright day so I got a bit more hewing done on the Poplar bowl, I was joined by my daughter who like me loves being outdoors. While she was playing in the garden I made a few more chips.

She had to wear her new wellys that she got the other day, she loves them and doesn't want to take off even for bed!.

I decided to take some time out from the bowl to split some Laburnum and some Birch for other projects.

The Birch will be for a spoon, a couple of Kuksas, and the Laburnum should make a few spoons.
I enjoyed my day and my daughter enjoyed exploring in the garden.

Poplar bowl update.

2011-03-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

Well I managed to get the inside carved to the depth I wanted before the light ran out, I used the gouge to then neaten it up. Now I will have to find some time to thin down and shape the outside of the bowl.

Two posts in one day well thats a first for me!.

Polar bowl so far

2011-03-12T04:57:00.000-08:00

I have started a large Polar bowl today, I think this one is going to take me some time to complete so I thought that I would get some progress photos done. I plan on spending the day on it all being well so hopefully by the end of the day the inside should be finished.

Hewing down to square the top and bottom.

Adzing the inside of the bowl.

Time for some coffee I think!

I might get some more pics done later on the progress if so I'll post them up.

An exciting spoon commision.

2011-03-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

I was recently contacted by Norman Stevens about a spoon commision, Norman is a collector and supporter of handmade wooden spoons from artisans from around the world.
He has exhibited his collection titled "A gathering of spoons".
http://www.galleryofwoodart.org/images/Spoons/Spoon%20Catalog66web.pdf
His collection is very impressive and he has spoons from makers such as Jogge and Wille Sundqvist and Del Stubbs, So I am honoured to be asked to contribute to his collection.

When the spoon is finished I will get some pictures up on here.

Poplar wood.

2011-03-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

Today we worked on a few Polar trees, mostly reductions but one was a fell so I thought that I would get a nice chunk or two for some dough bowls, All I need now is some time to get started hewing it to size and then work on the inside with the Adze.

A skeleton leaf shot.

Cut into logs and then cut in two with the saw.

I think this will be quite a nice piece of wood, I'm looking forward to working with it now!.
I also got some Birch for a few Kuksa's and a Ale Hen.

One very happy 6 year old.

2011-03-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

My nephew came round yesterday to collect his Kuksa and spoon, he was very happy indeed! he loves his Kuksa!,
I hope he enjoys using it for a few years to come.

I enjoyed making this Kuksa and knowing how happy it has made my nephew has brought a smile to my face, all in all a very good project!.

Finished Alder spoon and Kuksa

2011-03-04T00:49:00.000-08:00

I finaly finished the spoon and Kuksa that I made for my nephew so I thought that I would get some pics up of them. My nephew wasn't keen on the spoon that I made for him instead he wanted this one that I made a while ago, also from Alder, oh well the customer is always right!.

Here is the finished Kuksa, he hasn't seen this yet so I am really looking forward to seeing his reaction when he sees it for the first time.

I'm sure he will like it and enjoy using it.

Alder spoon and Kuksa so far.

2011-02-25T07:05:00.000-08:00

I got hold of some Alder yesterday, I love carving with Alder, its colour, how it carves and how it finishes make it one of my favourite. My Nephew who is 6 asked me last weekend if I could make him a spoon and a Kuksa after seeing the ones around the kitchen, so I thought I would make them out of the Alder.

Heres some pics from today

Adzing out the Kuksa.

Smoothing the inside with the gouge.

Next stage is to thin and shape the outside.

The spoon is almost done just to leave to dry and then finish with the knife.

Old Oaks

2011-02-23T21:33:00.000-08:00

We felled these two Oaks on Tuesday as they were becoming unsafe, they produced quite a haul of timber, sadly not all mine, the bulk of it was for a School so the children could sit on in a wildlife area so it was transported in lumps and ringed up on site, some went for firewood and I managed to keep a bit for myself. I am thinking of getting a chainsaw mill as it would have been perfect to plank into boards, very nice old timber, we counted over a hundred and sixty rings.
Had some tractor fun aswell loading the timber onto the truck :)

Last of the Silver Maple

2011-02-20T01:03:00.000-08:00

This spoon was made from the last of the Silver Maple that I had from a job, it has a tooled finish and I thought I would add some decoration by carving into the handle and adding a cross, I'm not sure where the inspiration came from on this one, I think it looks like a cathedral. I am pleased with the result.

New to the collection

2011-02-12T05:05:00.000-08:00

I got this very nice Elwell axe the other day, another to add to my ever growing axe collection.
Its a pleaching axe I think, its 4 lbs and in very good condition with a good handle made of Hickory, I love old axes and I always keep an eye out for them when out and about, this one will be getting used at work and kept in the truck.

The tools that I use.

2011-02-03T08:40:00.001-08:00

I have got quite alot of photos of myself working recently and have got some good ones of the tools that I use and of them in use so I decided to put some together on my blog.

This is my tool roll, from left to right, gouge chisel by Hans Karlsson, spoon knife by Svante Djarv,My polar whittler knife, a couple of scotch eyed augers, small carving knife by John Millington, guoge by Marples and a Frosts 106

The Adze I use is a small Adze by Hans Karlsson.
Here it is being used to carve out the inside of a bowl.

I love using this Adze it makes light work of carving bowls and Kuksa's.

I have quite a few Axes but the one that I use alot at the moment is my Gransfors Bruks large carving axe as it is very well made and carves skillfully, the steel holds an edge well and the Red Beech handle is perfectly shaped.

A couple of photos of my knives being used, first my Polar knife.

And my Svante Spoon knife.

I have been a bit busy recently but I have a couple of spoons on the go, I just need a bit of time to finish them and I will post them up on here.

Lime serving spoon

2011-01-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

I have just finished this serving spoon made from Lime, the wood came from a crown lift we did on a large old Lime tree the other day and I quite liked a piece that was about to be chipped, it had a nice curve so it was saved to create this spoon.
I haven't finished it with anything yet I will let it dry some more and then oil it with Flax seed oil

Silver Maple flour spoon

2011-01-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

I finished a flour spoon made in Silver Maple, its finished with the knife and oiled with Flax seed oil. I have a few more bits left from the Maple and plan on making a couple more spoons.

The Maple is lovely wood to work, carves and finishes well.

Maple spoon

2011-01-19T15:28:00.001-08:00

Heres some pictures of a spoon I finished yesterday, its made from silver Maple with a bit of Kolrosing and finished with Flax seed oil.

2011-01-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

I finished making a short film of how I carve a spoon.

Axe sheath

2011-01-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

I knocked up a sheath for my new axe yesterday, I only had scraps of leather left so I just made do, Its going to serve a purpose even if its not pretty.

Some nice Ash

2011-01-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

I managed to get some more Ash split today for some axe handles, the log I chose was about 15 inch thick and very straight, once split in half it has showed up some interesting brown wood.

There are a couple of knots but the grain is very staight and the growth rings aren't too far appart so it looks like I will get a few decent blanks from it.

New carving knife.

2011-01-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

I tried out my new axe handle yesterday and I'm very pleased with the result, I have had to make a few changes here and there to the handle shape, just little cuts to get rid of hot spots and now it feels very comfortable to use.

I was given a Polar whittler blade a while ago by a friend and I quite liked the look of it for a carving knife, I decided as I had some Ash left over that I would make a handle for it.

Not a massive project for the axe but a good start. The knife feels very good and it will make a great knife to add to my tool roll, I have a nice piece of silver Maple waiting to have a spoon made from it so I will give them both a good trial.

Short axe handle.

2011-01-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

I have been toying with the idea of making a shorter handle carving axe recently and today I got round to making one. I have found that when using axes for carving or roughing out I dont need a 13 or 14 inch handle, so today I made this Ash handle for this kent pattern head, its just under 9 inches long and I carved the handle to suit my grip. The head weighs just under 2 lbs so it has a good feel when being used with the 9 inch handle, I used a Oak wedge to secure the head, not done the best job with it but its nice and tight so it works fine.

I like the tool finish and because of the size of the handle it gives a good grip.

The handles curve makes it very usable and the head balances forward to give a good cutting action.

Splitting wood

2010-12-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

I felled some trees today and couldn't pass up on the opportunity to use the old faithfull Elwell splitting wedges to cleave the wood for axe handles, I didn't have a mallet so knocked up a wooden on from one of the limbs, I used the a chainsaw to shape the handle of the mallet, it worked well and the wood split in no time at all.

I love using these wedges and find them very accurate at cleaving, the wood isn't the best for large axe handles but for small hatchets it will be fine as the growth rings are quite far appart.

Wonky Ash Wood Spirit Staff

2010-12-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

Well I've just finished another Wood Spirit staff made from Ash, this one is a bit wonky and I gave him a long
beard, I think I might be getting addicted to carving these!.
I fitted another Brass ferrule, I've yet to make a lanyard for it, although it looks ok without one.

A picture of the two wise old Spirits by my front door in the hall.

Druids wands were often made from Ash I found an interesting site which has a section on trees.
http://www.thegoddesstree.com/trees/Ash.htm

Finished Wood Spirit.

2010-12-18T05:03:00.000-08:00

I finished the Ash Wood Spirit staff last night so I thought I would get some pics this morning.
I added a leather lanyard with an antler toggle, gave it a few coats of beeswax and fitted an antique coloured Brass ferrule to the tip.

I started another from a slightly wonky piece of Ash, I think I might give him a long beard ,I'll get some pics when its done.

Ash Wood spirit staff

2010-12-12T06:50:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to have another go at another Wood spirit for a while now and seeing as the Ash staff drying was about ready, I set to it.
I have always found drawing hands and faces really difficult, and find carving them is tricky too!. The Ash is from a clearing job I did about a year an a half ago and is very straight, as soon as I saw it I knew it would make a sturdy staff, I left the bark on the staff as I like the just coppiced look it brings to the staff, very rustic!, with its few marks and a chainsaw scar on the back, makes it very rustic indeed.

I have another piece that I kept which will make another nice staff, I am thinking of making one more seeing as this one turned out ok.
This ones not quite finished yet, I have waxed it with bees wax and I'm thinking of adding some cordage for a wrist strap and also thought about a button compass sunk into the top of the staff, I'll get some more pics when its done.

Thanks.

Willow Kuksa

2010-12-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

A couple of pics of a Willow Kuksa I made for myself I use this cup alot at work for coffee and its also hanging on my pack when I go camping or on bimbles.

A small split in the front was filled with super glue and fine wood dust.

Pictured with some of my favourite pieces of kit
.

My Kuksa,Birch bark box, Curly Birch knife I made and my Bentwood box, I didn't make this it was a gift.

Few pics from the cold

2010-12-10T04:21:00.001-08:00

A couple of photos from the past week.

Logging in the snow recently its been -10 some nights with freezing fog its been excellent I dont really mind the cold.

The freezing fog has produced some stunning results!

called in at Middlewood

2010-10-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

I called in at Middlewood today to see some friends who were camping out, the meet was organised through Bushcraft UK. There was quite a good turn out, I couldn't stay as I am on call all week so it was a flying visit.
I went for a walk through the woods and managed to take a few photos.

This old Sweet Chestnut was very big at the base and very impressive.

A couple from one of the camps.

And a Birch Polypore growing on a fallen branch.

It was good to catch up with friends but a shame I couldn't stop longer.

A frosty morning walk

2010-10-24T06:02:00.000-07:00

I went for a lovely walk this morning, the air was fresh, the ground was frosty, and the wood was very still, the light cascaded through the trees to create a very atmospheric feel. The birds and rabbits were about and I could hear a Buzzard calling from above the trees.

A bimble in the woods.

2010-10-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

I managed to get out for a bimble in a very nice Beech wood near my house on Sunday, I took my camera with me as I'm enjoying finding nice fungi to photograph at the moment, the wood is a great place with some very big old Beech, Birch,Hazel and limes. I try to get out there as often as I can.
I set off early and the weather was fantastic!, bright early winter style morning sun, there is a lot of fallen wood. a perfect place to look for fungi in and amongst the leaf litter, I thought that I would post a few photos that I'm pleased with.

Fungi finds

2010-10-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

Its been a good couple of months recently for fungi finds, and seeing as I seem to find most of them when I'm at work I thought that I would start photographing them, so I thought that I would post them up here.

My new knife

2010-08-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

I ordered a friction folder from Joel Delorme after seeing another that he had made on his Blog. It arrived today and I am really pleased with it, I took it to work with me as it will be my everyday carry and at work I always use and need a knife for various tasks.

I asked Joel to use some Yew as I dont have any knives with Yew handles and he used a very nice piece indeed, the scales are matched on both sides and the line of the
heart wood follows the contours of the handle.
The spacers are made from blued mild steel with an insert of Brass, Joel did his etching using garlic pieces and vinegar on the blade made from 01 steel which gives it the effect of Damascus steel, Joel also did some very nice file work on the spine which sets the knife off perfectly.

All in all I am over the moon with the knife and Joels work is of a very high standard indeed, I would highly recommend his knives to anyone.

Close up of the blade

File work on the spine

http://www.joeldelormeknives.webs.com/

Birch Spatula

2010-07-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

I made this Birch Spatula from a very nice piece of wood from a reduction job at work, it was crying out to be turned into a Spatula as the curve of the branch was perfect. It ended up as a Spatula come spoon as it has a slight bowl which works well for serving or flipping food.
I like using the wood from the trees that I work on, as I know the tree and location of the tree, which gives me a good conection with the wood and the finished piece, also it makes a change from them ending up as wood chip.

A nice walk in the woods with the family

2010-05-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

We went for a walk in the woods at Capesthorne Hall today, there was a classic car show on which was good, after a picnic we went for a bimble. I managed to get a few photos of our walk.

The woods there are spectacular, its full of very old trees and a few really big Oaks and Sweet Chestnuts. Some info on their web site http://www.capesthorne.com/

Finished the Kuksa shaped bowl

2010-05-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

I finaly finished the Birch Kuksa shaped bowl today, I used flaxseed oil to bring out the stunning colour. The wood is from the same tree that I made the Kuksa from.

A photo of the Alder spoon with the bowl showing its size.

Alder spoon

2010-05-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

Managed to get some photos done of the Alder spoon that I made, I have been using it at work as my pasta spoon for about a month now.

New bowl

2010-05-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a Kuksa shapped bowl for a while now, just finding the time is hard but I have got some time off work now so I did a bit today. I can't wait to finish it really I'm looking forward to giving it its first coat of oil so I can see the beauty of the wood come through, The wood is Birch, the same as the Kuksa I made.

Its 9 inches x 6 1/2 wide x 2 1/4 inches deep It will make a decent sized breakfast or soup bowl.

Some spoons and a spatula

2010-05-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

I've been quite busy with work recently so I have not had much time to post.
The weather has been nice here today so when I got home I decided to take some photos of some spoons and a spatula that I have made.

This spoon was made from Ash.

This one was made from Cherry.

This is the spatula that I made, my wife decided that she wanted it for the kitchen so it gets used most days.

A spoon to match

2010-05-02T04:11:00.000-07:00

I made a spoon to match the Birch Kuksa, this spoon was made from some Cherry wood that was from a Japanese Flowering Cherry tree that was dying from Ganoderma applanatum.

I really like this wood the colours and Compartmentalization lines look great.

This was made from a branch piece that I saved from the chipper.

Finished Birch Kuksa

2010-05-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

I finished the Birch Kuksa last night, I'm really glad with the way it has turned out and the contrast between the two colours of the wood is very attractive and the Linseed oil really brings it out.

There is some nice signs of compartmentalization and the brown rot caused by the Piptoporus betulinus, the wood was partly green when felled but when carving it was brittle in places because of the fungus so getting a clean finish from the tools was difficult as it would try and cube so I had to rub it over with sand paper, not something I would normaly do but in this case it has given it a nice polish.

Piptoporus betulinus

2010-04-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

We felled a Birch tree that was dying from Piptoporus betulinus, the wood was still sound in parts of the stem some was really brittle and the crown was completely dead. I cut some of the stem in two and the wood was very interesting, there were signs of Compartmentalization and brown rot from the Piptoporus betulinus (birch polypore)

I started a Kuksa and a spoon from the wood which gave off a nice menthol smell when the wood was carved, the smell is probably to do with the degradation of cellulose and hemicelluloses by the brown rot fungus in its early stages in the pieces that I saved.

It should hopefully produce a good effect to the Kuksa with the comparison between the brown and white wood.

Alder spoon

2010-04-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

I started a spoon today made from Alder,Its great wood to carve and I love the colour it goes, I will leave this spoon to dry for a few days before finishing.

Finished the Chestnut bowl

2010-04-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the Horse Chestnut bowl I had been working on, it has been drying for about a week now and yesterday I made all the finishing cuts and oiled it with Linseed oil.

I had debated whether to sand the bowl but decided against it and instead used my bent gouge chisel to finish the inside and my knife to finish the outside, I think its turned out well and I'm really pleased with it.

Made a sheath for my adze

2010-04-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

I made a sheath for my adze yesterday, the dye is almost dry so I thought I would get some photos of it.
The sheath is made from some old scraps of leather that I had lying around, it was cut from a piece that I was experimenting with when doing some tooling.
Its 3mm thick veg tanned, wet formed around the adze and dyed dark brown, I used a sam brown stud for the fastener at the rear of the sheath, the pattern that was tooled into the leather was mostly removed when it was wet formed but some of it has survived, as it was made to protect the cutting edge it doesn't matter as it will do its job for now.

Horse Chestnut bowl

2010-04-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

With the glorious weather we have been having recently I have been getting in from work and have been working on a bowl made from Horse Chestnut, I started this bowl with my new adze and then rough shaped with the axe, knife and spoon knife. I really like the shape but in a bit of a dilemma whether to sand it or not, I like the tool marks but thought with the shape it might look good sanded.

Spoon for a work colleague

2010-04-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is a spoon that I made for a colleague at work, he had seen some of my spoons that I use everyday at work and asked if I could make one for him. We were re shaping a Birch tree and there was a couple of really good bits for spoons so I made him this spoon, he wanted a nice simple shape and I think it turned out ok.

Finished another Kuksa

2010-04-10T01:37:00.000-07:00

I finished this Kuksa this morning, it has been drying for a few days now, I gave it a few coats of Linseed oil to finish it.

Its made from Willow and I used the spoon knife to carve the inside, from now on I will be using the Hans Karlsson adze to remove the bulk of wood.

I also just recieved this Polar whittler blade in the post from a friend of mine.

I like the look of these blades as a carver and plan to handle it with this piece of Alder burr that I have had in the cupboard for a few years now.

2010-04-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

I managed to get some time when I got home from work today to have a go with my new Hans Karlsson adze, my first impression is good, it has alot of control but still has good weight and clout, the angle of the cutting edge is very good for hollowing out and very sharp, it removes alot of wood in no time at all, it will save me hollowing out with the spoon knife.

I have only just got started with this project which will be a bowl, I have hollowed out the inside of the bowl which is out of Horse Chestnut from a tree we felled today.

A bowl for the kitchen

2010-04-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

This is a bowl I made for the kitchen to keep eggs in, its made from Willow and was done with a spoon knife to carve the inside of the bowl, I shaped the outside with the axe and finished off with the knife.