From Living Woods issue 54

Chair maker and wood worker ROB DUCKMANTON learns
the secrets behind making folding spoons

MAKE A FOLDING SPOON
JANE MICKLEBOROUGH
Crafty Little Press
45 pages

ISBN: 9780993186127

Jane is one of the most experienced
spoon carvers out there, having
recently received the Wille Sundqvist
and Bill Coperthwaite Slöyd
Fellowship in recognition of her work
researching the spoons she describes
in her books. She is a regular at the
annual UK gathering of spoon carvers,
Spoonfest, and her courses there
always fill very quickly. She is also very
well respected amongst her peers. For
the last few years she has meticulously
researched the spoon-making history
of Brittany, the region of France she
lives in, which has led her to write this
wonderfully presented book on the
folding spoons of that area and how
to make them.

Jane chose to lay the book out
in a graphic novel style which
looks fantastic and adds clarity. The
illustrations and explanations are
excellent, making what could be
a tricky piece of craft accessible
to everyone who has a basic
understanding of the required tools.

Each stage of the making process,
the necessary tools and the wood,
are clearly explained in a book which
should be in the library of every
spoon carver.

The book begins with a foreward
by Barn the Spoon followed by Jane’s
introduction, in which she describes
the evolution of the Breton party
spoons that she has been researching.
Then it takes you straight into the
making of the spoons. The instructions
are very clear, with illustrations to
demonstrate every procedure.

The trickiest part of making a folding
spoon is getting the hinge to work
well. This part is described very well,
with tips on trouble-shooting any
problems that may arise

Having followed Jane’s meticulous
instructions and made a folding spoon,
readers are taken through the process
of designing a spoon and learning how
to incorporate the hinge into your
idea.

The final few pages are dedicated to
actual-size templates for the reader to
use during the making process.

This book really is an excellent
addition to any craft person’s library
and I would recommend it to anyone
who likes to carve or would like to
learn to. It is about as comprehensive
a guide to making an item as you will
see. I would definitely recommend it.