# Beginner advice please!



## Bcemail (Jan 3, 2017)

Hey all, been reading through LJ a lot for various projects I've had going on. Now, I would like some advice for carving. I've decided I want to carve some spoons and bowls. Not sure where that came from, but I'm in the kitchen a lot so that may have something to do with it.

I've been watching a lot of tutorials and trying to figure out what I need. As always, trying to keep prices down so that I don't get in trouble for starting another hobby. I'm thinking to start with a good carving knife, spoon knife, and maybe a gouge for the spoons. I know most people use a hatchet/axe for roughing as well. And for the bowls, an adze seems the popular choice.

Any recommendations on most affordable options? Are there certain tools I might not actually need? I'm fine with at first using some existing tools for roughing out the shapes (I know power tools aren't traditional, but I've got some, so…). I saw one combination hatchet/adze, but I was worried that it wouldn't do as good a job as either single tool.
If anyone has experience with this, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks in advance for any advice and recommendations!


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

You might start with just spoons, as they would require less work and fewer tools. You can even get spoon blanks already band sawn out. Pinewood Forge is a good source for knives and blanks, but there is a waiting list for their knives usually. I use a band saw to cut out my spoon blanks, but if you are set on doing it the bush craft/hand tool way, then an ax will get you there eventually. All you need for spoons is a knife and a hook knife for the inside of the bowl. Some people use a gouge instead of a hook knife. If you don't lose interest after several spoons, then you can give a bowl a try. An adze is useful for larger bowls where you can swing and chop with it, but not so much on smaller bowls.


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## ClaudeF (Sep 22, 2013)

I'm assuming you mean cooking spoons, as opposed to the Welsh love spoons with celtic knots, hearts, etc. You mention you have some power tools. If you have a bandsaw that's great; if not, and you have a sabresaw/jigsaw (example: https://www.zoro.com/makita-cordless-jigsaw-120v-t-shank-9-18-l-vj04z/i/G5233195/ ) that can be used as well to cut out the spoon outline - much faster then an axe/adze. If you also have a Dremel or other rotary tool, that will work great for hollowing out the inside of the spoon bowl. I use a 1/2 inch diameter ball burr in my Dremel. For the handle of the spoon, you can use a spokeshave, if you have one (I don't), or a knife, or the quickest: a rotary sanding drum with coarse/medium/fine papers.

Claude


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