For all those looking for this much sought-after handbook, the wait is over. Originally published in 1990 and out of print for almost 10 years, Swedish Carving Techniques by Wille Sundqvist has enjoyed cult status among carvers and craftsmen and is widely considered the bible of spoon carvers. Now a brand-new issue - just like the 1990 version - can be yours directly from The Taunton Press, the original publisher.
Sharpened axes and knives are the oldest hand tools known to man. As the author says, “I have come to recognize that there is an enormous lack of understanding and skill in using hand tools....This, along with a realization of the close relationship between hand tools and the keen sense of design that was our forefathers’, has prompted me to write this book.” Swedish Carving Techniques brings a new appreciation of this age-old craft and how working with knives and axes fits into todays high-tech world.
Lessons from a life-long carver who loves working with his hands. In honest, straightforward style, Wille Sundqvist shares his love for basic hand tools and the practical objects they can produce from branches, burls, and crooked pieces of wood. He brings this simple art to life by showing you:
The hand tools he works with and how to sharpen them
Carving techniques and different kinds of strokes
Tips for designing spoons for maximum strength
How to shape dough bowls, butter paddles, and ladles
Techniques for adding decorative detailing
Plus safety tips for enjoying this age-old craft
Re-discovering traditional handcrafts and “rewards not possible with machines.” Carving, as practiced by Wille Sundqvist, has great appeal in a complex world because it doesn’t require a huge commitment of time or a special shop. But it does improve dexterity, build strength, encourage creativity, reduce dependence on technology, and keep alive the rich cultural heritage of Swedish craftsmen.

When a tree is felled, the wood is green and is easy to cut, split, shave and shape. As it dries, the wood shrinks and hardens and it becomes vastly more difficult to work. In the old days, wood-workers relied on the ease with which green wood could be worked to make the parts they needed, and on the way wood shrinks to hold these parts together. These old ways have almost been lost, but are revived here for the modern woodworker. Make a Chair From a Tree is a lively and informative introduction to the old ways of splitting and shaping wood straight from the tree to make a light and beautiful, yet rugged, chair. Author John Alexander presents a complete guide to making this elegantly simple chair. He tells you how to fell a tree, split suitable pieces from it and shape those pieces into the parts of the chair, how to finish it, and how to weave a bark seat. Each step is carefully described and thoroughly illustrated with drawings and photographs.

'No one in Britain knows more about crafting a spoon from greenwood than Barn The Spoon.' Guardian'London's most famous and charismatic spoon whittler ... King of the whittlers.' Sunday Telegraph Barn The Spoon, as he’s affectionately known is a rare master craftsman in the art of spoon carving. In this book he generously shares his extraordinary skill, gentle philosophy and his life’s work – designing and carving beautiful spoons that are both a joy to use and hold.The simple, ordinary spoon is part of our everyday lives, intimately entwined with the acts of eating and socialising, from stirring our first cup of coffee to scraping the last bit of pudding from the bowl. And who doesn't like to spoon in bed? Barn’s spoons will take you on a journey into the new wood culture, from understanding the relationship between wood, the raw material and its majestic origins in our trees and woodland, to the workshop and the axe block, and into your own kitchen. Barn will show you how to use the axe and knife, from how they should feel in your hand to honing the perfect edge when carving your own spoons. Featuring sixteen unique designs in the four main categories of spoon – eating, serving, cooking and measuring spoons, Barn takes you through the nuances of their making, how each design is informed by its function at the table or in the kitchen, and the key skills you will learn – such as creating octagonal handles, manipulating grain patterns and mastering bent branches. Beautiful photography will inspire and act as a blue-print to help perfect your technique.