In spoon carving there are two main disciplines.
Carving with GREEN WOOD and carving with DRY WOOD.
Back when I was first getting into spoon carving I was confused about the differences between these two. It took me a while to figure out what they were, mainly because I didn’t know how to perform a google search. So, to make it easier for you guys, I compiled everything I have ever learned about these two types of carving right here.
What is GREEN WOOD carving?
Green wood carving is pretty much exactly what it says it is, carving with green wood. I bet your now wondering what the hell that is.
Well green wood is basically wood that was just recently chopped down. This means it still has all its sap and moisture locked inside. Another way you could think about it is that the wood is ALIVE.
Some examples of green wood are branches you just trimmed off of a tree, a tree that was just cut down, and wood that hasn’t dried out all the way yet.
The reason that almost every spoon carver recommends using green wood is that it is simply EASIER to carve with. That is a fact.
This is because the wood is softer than when it dries out. Softer wood makes it easier to make cuts, and it allows a sharp knife to make smooth cuts as well. This is perfect if you do not want to sand your spoon.
Another reason to carve with green wood is that you usually tend to have to split it. Splitting the wood is good since you can see the grain structure of your spoon blank. When carving with a knife and a hook knife you want to be LISTENING TO THE GRAIN of the wood.
You may think I’m some spoon carver gone crazy who’s trying to “listen” to a lump of wood. But this is in fact a thing that most green wood carvers do.
Try this quote from the founder of Woman’s Wood shop, Jess Hirsch.
“I do not try to force straight lines on the bend of the tree. I listen to the grain as it twists, and try to structure my spoon to follow those curves.”
See I’m not the only one. Listening to the grain only means that you look at the grain of your piece and try to get an idea of what kind of spoon is going to fit inside it. This will make your spoon stronger, as it follows the natural structure of the wood, and in most cases it will also make your spoon look better.
In the two spoons above you can see how each handle’s shape is decided by the knots that are in it. It was really hard to carve through the knots, so I just listened to what the spoon wanted and went around them.
What is DRY wood carving?
This form carving is the exact opposite of green wood carving. It uses wood that has been seasoned for a while. This means that the wood is dry and hard.
Since the wood is harder, dry wood carvers use different tools. Here are a few of those tools:
CHISELS. These allow for the bowl of the spoon to be carved pretty easily as you use them with a mallet, hitting the end.
Image Source: Here
SAWS. They cut through the dry wood quickly and allow for you to shape the handle as well as profile of the spoon. Most dry wood carvers will use a Band Saw, which is a powered saw great for cutting things out.
Image source: Here
SPOKESHAVES. This is a kind of tool that looks like a mix between a planer and a draw knife. This means that there is adjustable blade in between two handles.
Image source: Here
After shaping the spoon most people would then sand it. Sanding is the same process as the one I explained in How To Make A Wooden Spoon: 8 Easy Steps.
Green Wood Vs. Dry Wood
Green wood and Dry wood carving are two entirely different animals, but its time to compare them back to back. Hopefully this will help you understand the differences a bit better.
Lets start with the MENTALITY.
- With Green wood carving there is a notion of listening to the grain and trying to make a spoon based on the way the grain is going.
- When carving spoons out of dry wood there is a lot less listening to the grain. Instead of letting the wood speak for its self you are forcing a design into it. This is possible with the use of a saw since they go through anything, even knots.
Now onto TOOLS.
- Green wood carving uses pretty minimal tooling three quarters of which you probably already have laying around the house. These tools are easy to master and don’t pose many safety concerns either.
- Dry wood carving uses a lot more specific tooling all of which you are most likely going to need to BUY. These tools take up a lot of room and will require even more tools to use, like vises and clamps. Some of the tools are also pretty dangerous if you don’t know how to use them properly, mainly the bandsaw.
And finally WOOD.
- When carving with green wood you can basically go out into the woods and use anything you find, as long as it is alive.
- When carving with dry wood you have to go and BUY wood. You have to buy wood since it has to be properly seasoned.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about these two different types of carving, a reasonable question you are probably asking yourself is: Which one SHOULD YOU use?
Image source: Here
I think the answer to that question is pretty straight forward. As a person who is just starting out with spoon carving you should most definitely use GREEN WOOD carving. There are a multitude of reasons why.
- Its EASIER! You have less tools to master and the techniques are fairly simple as well.
- Its CHEAPER. This allows you to be less committed and just have fun giving spoon carving a shot.
- And finally it allows you to UNDERSTAND THE GRAIN, which will help you a lot later on if you decide to do other forms of woodworking.
That is what I recommend for everyone getting started with spoon carving. All you have to do now is get out there and try it!
If you’ve carved a spoon before, which method did you use? Is there anything I left out that you would like to share?