English walnut is the most unusual of the hardwoods I work with — mixed black and white grain streaked with grays, with a weight and density that gives every piece a sense of permanence. For a love spoon, that permanence is exactly right.
I select each walnut blank by hand, choosing pieces with exceptional figure and the density needed to hold fine carved detail over decades of display. The symbols — hearts, Celtic knots, a twisted stem — are carved with the same gouges and knives Welsh craftspeople have used for centuries. The finish is food-safe oil that deepens and enhances the natural colour of the wood without adding any synthetic coating.
English walnut is the most unusual of the hardwoods I work with — mixed black and white grain streaked with grays, with a weight and density that gives every piece a sense of permanence. For a love spoon, that permanence is exactly right.
I select each walnut blank by hand, choosing pieces with exceptional figure and the density needed to hold fine carved detail over decades of display. The symbols — hearts, Celtic knots, a twisted stem — are carved with the same gouges and knives Welsh craftspeople have used for centuries. The finish is food-safe oil that deepens and enhances the natural colour of the wood without adding any synthetic coating.
