Wooden spoon for no reason but to learn

Who knows what inspires my brain when it comes to woodworking. Suffice to say that my mind is always spinning with new projects and ideas. I had never thought about carving a spoon until I decided to try it. And once my mind was made up, I couldn't let go of the thought until I tried it. It's an odd affliction, but ends with pretty cool results. This certainly will not be the last spoon I carve. Fairly inexpensive project as compared to some others. I did purchase a spoon carving kit from BeaverCraft, which should last me for years.

Great learning process, and allowed me to sit on the back porch and chat with the family while I worked.

Learning to carve with a spoon knife on seasoned/dry wood is a little tricky. Like all things, it takes practice.

After two evenings of carving on the back porch, the bowl of the spoon was in good shape. Next step was to cut the profile of the spoon face and handle. This was done on the bandsaw.

After consulting with my wife and daughter, they agreed that the final spoon should display all of the chunks and chips of the carving process. A smooth "manufactured" spoon wasn't going to cut it.

Final carving complete. Last step was to add a food-safe finish. How about some of that new Buddie's Board Butter?

A close up photo of the spoon bowl. Cherry is such an awesome wood. Darkens with age to a great patina.

Buddie's Board Butter

For years, people have asked me how to maintain cutting boards, bowls and other wood items they've purchased from me. Honestly there are as many right ways as there are wrong. In order to solve this conundrum, I decided to make and market my own Buddie's Board Butter. This blend of food-safe mineral oil and cosmetic-grade beeswax is a safe and simple solution to keeping those pieces in great condition for years to come.

After hand washing a cutting board or bowl with warm soapy water, pat dry with a paper towel or hand towel and lay it flat on a countertop. Give it time to dry. Be patient.

Once dry, apply a liberal amount of Buddie's Board Butter and rub it in. You can use a paper towel or simply use your hands. Remember, this is food-safe. No worries about harsh chemicals coming in contact with your skin. My suggestion is that you let this soak in over night or an hour or two to absorb into the wood grains. This process allows the dry wood to soak it all in and bask in the butter.

When you're ready, take a dry paper towel and buff it all off. You should immediately seen the shine and luster come back to the wood and it's ready for the next time you're entertaining guests.

Buddie's Board Butter - "Might wanna git you some butter on that board." Contains mineral oil, beeswax and love. But mostly love. Now available in 3oz. tins.

A test piece after applying Buddie's Board Butter to a walnut bowl. Buffs up nice and clean.