What Tools does it take to be a Greenwood spoon Carver

by Tad W. Kepley 
​
Like many other things, you can start carving spoons with a lot of stuff or just a few hand tools. I would like to cover the tools that I use on a regular basis to give the beginner an idea of what he or she may need to get going.

What am I talking about when I say greenwood? When I say "greenwood" I am referring to fresh wood that has been recently cut and has not dried out. Greenwood carves much easier than dry wood. There are vendors who sell greenwood spoon blanks if you do not have a source where you live.  I live in an area where greenwood is plentiful and folks call me on a regular basis with trees that have come down in a storm.

Here is a list of the tools I use for Greenwood Spoon Carving as needed:

Chainsaw 
Maul
Wedges

Here is a list of tools used for Greenwood Spoon Carving almost daily:

Froe (I use a Drew Langster model)
Froe Mallet (Sam Bat out of Canada or make your own from dogwood limb)
Pruning saw ( Silky 210 or go to Lowes and pick one up for cheap)
An Axe (Hans Karlsson Sloyd Axe Carving Axe but other options out there)
Sloyd knife or Carving knife (I would go with a Mora 106 for about $25) 
Hook knife or spoon knife (for dishing out the bowl of the spoon)
Kevlar safety gloves for beginners until you are comfortable with your skills. (sold on the internet around $8 for a pair)

I encourage you to give Greenwood Spoon Carving a try and see what you think. There is something about going from tree to table in a couple hours that is very gratifying. It takes time to develop the axe skills but hang in there. Above all else be safe and have fun.