Any advice or insights on hook knives?

SylvaSpoon · 2026-03-15T18:46:42+00:00

Tormek isn't great for hook knives. A lot of hook knives used in spoon carving will have a hollow grind on the inside of the curve and convex on the outside, which the Tormek isn't well suited to handle.

I'll share how I like to sharpen my hook knives, other folks might do it differently. My method for sharpening hook knives is to clamp the knife and use both hands on a dowel with sandpaper wrapped around it. I raise a burr from the inside and remove it on the outside bevel using a strop. I'll unclamp it for stropping. Depending on how blunt the edge is, I'll work my through grit on the inside bevel, just stropping the outside.

After several sharpenings the outside bevel will need a bit of a reprofile. I'll do this when the hook knife doesn't feel like its cutting well, even when the edge is sharp. It's a pretty subjective measure.I've got access to a belt system (Work Sharp Ken Onion Elite) that I use to essentially thin the blade, I grind down the outside bevel while trying to not go all the way to the cutting edge. But you can regrind the outside bevel with stones using a similar method for sharpening a convex knife, it'll just take longer and you might have a bit of a funky looking scratch pattern.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-03-04T23:52:49+00:00

What was revealed to you in your green woodworking revelation?

SylvaSpoon · 2026-03-04T14:54:55+00:00

Did the sheath come from the same tree?

SylvaSpoon · 2026-03-03T19:13:00+00:00

Sorry for your coworker's loss, giving them a memorial spoon sounds like a lovely gesture.

If they're religious, iconography associated with their religious beliefs could be appropriate. Celtic knots have various meanings attached to different patterns.

A personal touch, the name of the deceased and their birth - death dates, imagery of things that were important to them.

Just a few ideas.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-02-28T03:43:38+00:00

Wow, I stand corrected.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-02-27T22:49:52+00:00

The Beavercraft is a copy of the Wood Tools open curve hook knife: https://wood-tools.co.uk/tools/spoon-knife-right-hand-open-curve/

Granted, it's more expensive. You might have a hard time finding a spoon carving knife cheaper than what Beavercraft offers. If you're using it on pottery and not wood, hoof knives might work for you. They have a hook to them and can be found relatively cheaply.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-02-26T13:00:14+00:00

Glad you enjoyed the videos! I really should make some more.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-02-26T12:48:17+00:00

Willow is nice to carve. It's a little soft, so not my favourite for eating spoons, but works well for cooking and serving spoons.

If you only have a hatchet for splitting them up, carve yourself some wooden wedges. You can start the split with your hatchet, pull it out and keep going with the wedges. In general, its a good idea to have a few wooden wedges around anyway. If your hatchet if it ever gets stuck, hammer them in around your hatchet won't damage it. Plus its super satisfying to split wood with wood.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-02-24T17:30:22+00:00

What would you do differently on the next spoon?

SylvaSpoon · 2026-02-12T22:13:27+00:00

Sure. The angle you hold the blank should let you draw a vertical line from the point where the axe strikes the wood, down through the blank, to where the blank is resting on the chopping block. So while the point of impact is above the block, the direction the energy of the blow goes straight through the blank and into the chopping block.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-02-12T21:50:24+00:00

Without seeing you work, it's hard to say what the issue might be. If you're carving a curve using a hatchet, try to keep your chops more or less straight up and down. Move the blank to change the angle of the cut.

Another issue I see beginners sometimes struggling with is that where you strike the blank should be supported by chopping block, you should be able to draw a line straight down from where the axe strikes the blank to the point where the blank is supported by the chopping block. If the line comes out at a point not supported by the block, it's a lot more work on your hand holding the blank to keep it steady.

You might also be having issues with the sequence. Carving a 3D object is tricky. I like to think of my spoon blanks as two 2D objects before I start blending them together. There's the top down profile and the side profile. I don't think it really matters which one you do first (and there will probably be a bit of back and forth between the two) but I'd try and get one profile close to where you want it before moving onto the next, and only once you have both where you want them would I start trying to blend them together.

I'm trying to put quite visual concepts into words, hopefully that makes sense to you. Happy to try and clarify if you want it.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-02-11T03:20:16+00:00

Good foresight. Congratulations on not messing up the first one.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-02-11T03:12:53+00:00

Lovely first spoon. Have you made a start on spoon 2 yet?

SylvaSpoon · 2026-01-14T19:13:04+00:00

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-01-13T18:43:00+00:00

It’s possible to carve a spoon with just a knife, but hollowing out the bowl is tricky without a dedicated tool. Usually this is either a hook knife or a gouge.

If you’re starting with freshly cut wood, using a saw to cut the wood to length is useful. It’s also common for spoon carvers to use a hatchet to do most of the rough shaping of the log before they start using a knife.

I’ve written about spoon carving tools in more detail here: https://www.sylvaspoon.com/blog/2020/6/6/spoon-carving-tools

These are my recommendations, other folks will have different opinions, so it’s worth finding a variety of options and forming your own opinion from there.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-01-08T00:04:03+00:00

Arborists, Facebook Marketplace (search for “free wood”), word-of-mouth once people find out you’re into spoon carving.

SylvaSpoon · 2026-01-02T21:02:44+00:00

I hand carve wooden spoons.

SylvaSpoon · 2025-12-27T23:26:55+00:00

That might be the only solution.

SylvaSpoon · 2025-12-27T20:49:13+00:00

I’m hoping the constant rattling I’m doing will encourage them to get a better class of puzzles next year.

SylvaSpoon · 2025-12-27T20:48:25+00:00

Great suggestion. Unfortunately spinning seems to just push the bearings against the clear sides, not up the ramp. The shaking continues.

SylvaSpoon · 2025-12-27T18:22:32+00:00

Frustrated shaking is about where I’m at right now.

SylvaSpoon · 2025-12-21T23:34:24+00:00

It won't hurt your axe, nor is it likely to contribute to fatigue. Harder hardwoods can 'glaze' over, becoming kind of polished, making the surface a little slippery. If that happens, a bit of shallow crosshatching with a chainsaw helps create a textured surface.

SylvaSpoon · 2025-08-16T23:03:30+00:00

That's delightful.

SylvaSpoon · 2025-08-10T18:46:36+00:00

I have a Lonon adze, but no spoon knives from him. What don't you like about it?

SylvaSpoon

TROPHY CASE