Forging tools as fast and hopefully as well as I can, but still not managing to keep up does get rather wearing, and I have been getting increasingly jaded with the situation. Despite the fact that I am producing tools in larger numbers than ever before they are still hard for people to come by due to the spiralling demand. We are still trying to work on a way to queue orders on the website in a fair manner, it is not as simple as it seemed. If I have to do this manually it will take valuable time that could be spent addressing the real issue in hand which is making tools. I actually did a sma ..read more

A few weeks back I invited a few friends over to carve some bowls from the large poplar that I currently have access to,  I had forged some tools that needed handling and then testing. We started with this log, it had the potential to give a bowl of 22″ across.   The first cut revealed some very interesting looking figuring.   This was then split and a circle drawn on; we made circular bowls, however on reflection I think one reason to carve rather than turn a bowl is the freedom to make a shape other than round.   We shaped the inside first, the weight of the blank ..read more

A little tongue in cheek photo story: An unhealthy snack tempts the unwary. Not a very good picture, but as most people know Potnoodles are better eaten after dark, the spoon is unused and you will have to take my word that although there is decoration in the bowl it is flat. Add hot water, stir, leave two minutes then stir again. better image in daylight.   Mouth feel is ruined, plus the spikes grip the ‘food’ , so eating is difficult and unpleasant- the perfect diet spoon! Actually this is a spoon carving technique I first saw applied to a carved toad, the characteristic warts were ..read more