Whenever I give a class on woodcarving, there's a story I always include to inspire the students. I make it a point to tell them that the best way to improve their survival skills is to work on their bushcraft skills. A positive mindset is the most important priority, in a true survival situation, and the best way to stay positive when the SHTF, is to rely on confidence that stems from experience. It takes ACTION. You can have all the knowledge in the world, but until you practice that knowledge, you'll never gain the full benefit of having it. Carving wooden spoons is a great way to enhance your wilderness skill-sets by gaining knowledge of the various woods in the forest, experience with your edged tools and ultimately gaining the confidence it takes to PREVAIL...
My story begins back in 2016 when my Aunt Vicki asked me to give her away in her wedding. I was highly honored with this task, as she is at the top of my list of heroes. She has always been there for me, through thick and thin, she has shown and demonstrated to me what true love really is. This was a very special event for her and my role in this event was something I took very seriously. Her father, my grandfather, had passed away, and I was bestowed with the honor of standing in his place. I wanted to do something very special for my Aunt, so I hit the woods to find the answer amongst the trees along the Etowah River. It wasn't long before an idea began to form and I began cutting a branch from a downed sycamore. With a smile on my face and a warming feeling in my soul, a spoon’s and my journey began...
To understand this story, one has to review a little history. Carving wooden spoons is a Welsh tradition that spans back to the 1600's. This is where the term "spooning" owes its origin. Life was dramatically different back then. In an effort to gain the heart of a lady a young man admired, he was tasked with earning her attention by carving a wooden spoon. A very desirable trait of a man back then was the practical skills that come alongside carving a wooden spoon. He had to be knowledgeable of the different woods available, efficient with his time and skill-sets and creative in the process. Gaining the heart of a woman was a result of action rather than a display of riches. Practical and actionable skill-sets were the norm of the day. I wonder how things would differ if this was still practiced in some form today...
Long, cold and hard nights afforded a man the ability to hone in his skills as a woodsman. As I sit by the fire and carve, I realize what that means. Some woods are good for blazing bright fires for light, while others produce excellent slow burning coals for cooking. Others drive away predators and insects when they burn and some woods are preferred over others in nature for building materials. Inner barks on various trees also provide nourishment, when hungry while other food sources are scarce and choice woods also contain valuable medicinal qualities. I know from experience, just how important it is to be aware of the woods that surround me today. I can only imagine what it meant back then. Did I mention that some woods are toxic, while some can actually clean you with a "smoke bath?" I think it goes without saying that understanding your four-season resources is a very important and critical skill-set to practice in your quest for survival.
The earliest examples we have of spoons from that time era were composed of sycamore. Mind you, this is a very difficult wood to split effectively and is in no way as easy to carve as say, poplar or pine. There are many choices of woods one can practice carving with- ash, apple, beech, birch, cherry, chestnut, maple, oak and walnut are all popular choices, to name a few. Some are easy to carve with straight grains and carving characteristics of "softwoods," while some will cause a nun to cuss because of their stubborn grains and knack for dulling one's knife. A little word of advice to the readers, some woods like cedar are beautiful, but they leach toxins. Study your wood of choice before you invest the time in carving it -and just because it’s "softwood" doesn't mean it's soft and some "hardwoods" aren't hard either. Knowledge and experience are key here...
Because sycamore passed the ultimate test of time, with our earliest examples, it was a perfect choice for me to carve for my Aunt Vicki and Casey to give to them at their wedding. Or so I hoped. Carving a spoon is a process. One has to realize that it's way more than just splitting the wood and carving it out. One has to season the wood and pray it doesn’t crack, check or distort in the process of drying it out. Drying times are affected by temperature and humidity and various other factors. I usually recommend that students utilize a brown paper bag to place their green spoon in as it dries out. The paper helps slow down the "dry" and is the best method I have discovered to date. It wasn't until after I had carved the spoon that the reality set in that the spoon might not make it to the wedding. I certainly placed all my eggs in one basket with that choice. I have thrown many a spoon in the fire because I deemed it unworthy due to insects, knots, bad grain, bad texture, checking, cracking and distortion. Would my choice of sycamore pay off in the end?
This particular spoon was carved at a Boy Scout primitive campground event. I used it as an example to show the kids what they could whittle out by the fire and to demonstrate knife safety. "Intricate designs were an integral part of a Welsh young man’s prerogative in carving his spoon," I explained to the children. If he spent too much time, with too fancy a design, he would be considered "foolish." A young man like this was perceived as being too "showy" and unable to manage his time properly. Practicality is the name of the game here. It's not just about the form, it's also about the function. There must be a balance.” Being at that primitive campground with Boy Scouts inspired me to carve a "Fleur de Lis" into this spoon. The "flower of the lily" is the Boy Scout logo and being that it represents the three theological virtues of "faith, hope and love," or "perfection, light and life," it seemed the perfect choice to carve into Vicki and Casey's spoon. It was to be a symbol of my intent to symbolize the future journey of their marriage...
As stated before, carving a spoon is a journey. Once it's dried, you then have the opportunity to refine the spoon. Green wood doesn't sand very well. I find that when it dries, some woods will distort a little bit in the process as well. Some people will boil their spoons to expedite the process, but I've had bad experiences with this method myself. Since I've employed the brown paper bag method, I haven't had any failures. It takes time, but so does a feeling of fulfillment. Once a spoon dries, I refine the shape, sand it and oil it down with mineral oil. One can use olive oil, coconut oil and many other oils however, understand that some oils can become rancid over time. I wasn't going to take a chance when it came to Vicki and Casey's spoon. I waited patiently for a few months and cleaned it up. But the journey didn't stop there- It had to prove itself just like the young men from Wales’s examples did. One of the aspects of carving a "love spoon" was whether or not the spoon was actually useable. A young man would present his work to a girl's parents and if, after a period of time and use, the parents wished to express their approval of the young man, they would hang the spoon up in the house. Ever wondered where the tradition of hanging spoons came from? Here's your sign...
My "love spoon" was going to have to pass this test as well. During the course of the year, I used it prepare meals for students and carried it as my principle eating utensil in my kit. Whenever I would demonstrate wood carving skills, that spoon would come out as an example, as I would tell the story of the history of spoon carving and my intent for this particular spoon. As time progressed, so did my insecurities. I was a nervous wreck once I got to the actual wedding. What if they didn't receive the spoon as I intended? What's worse, what if the audience didn't understand the significance of the story when I presented it to them? This story made perfect sense out in the woods when I was demonstrating bushcraft skills with people who were interested in the skill-set, however, I was sure there existed members of the wedding who couldn’t care less about the subject. Fear is a legitimate nightmare when it comes to survival. Whenever students are afraid, like when they're about to rappel for the first time, I tell them a lesson I learned from the movie "Three Kings." George Clooney explains that most people think it takes courage to do the thing that scares them the most, but the truth is that courage comes after you do the thing that scares you the most. Needless to say, the role was reversed this time, as I was the one about to take the plunge...
"Practice what you preach" put a lump in my throat as I was handed the microphone when the time came. "Go big or go home," I told myself. Like Babe Ruth, when he pointed his bat at the fences, I raised my spoon and went for it. I had given this speech a hundred times, but at this moment, the words seemed to elude me. I pressed on and gave a version unlike I had never told before. The Devil on my shoulder reminded me of how big a moron I was and that my little plan was, in fact, foolish. I thought about putting on the dunce hat and carving idiot into my forehead to remind me of just how stupid this idea was. My ultimate fear of disappointing Vicki and Casey was very real for me as I was giving the presentation. But, thoughts are just thoughts and we can control that. The tears rolling down Vicki's cheeks gave me the courage I so desperately needed to go on. Suddenly, I was connecting with the audience and the words came back to me and once again, I felt comfortable in my skin. I'm now proud to say they accepted my "love spoon" and members of the audience later confirmed that this was an amazing idea and then, all was right in my world. What an emotional experience that was for me though. I must admit I never thought "survival mindset" and "bushcraft skills" would ever help me at a wedding!
May 7, 2017 was the day they got married. I think I was more nervous than they were that day. It was a beautiful day and the union of two beautiful souls. It was at this moment, I felt like a young man, from Wales, who gained the affection of a woman and the approval of her parents back in the 1600's. I felt empowered that day. The theme of the wedding, by the way, was "Best Day Ever" and I can certainly attest to that myself. My Aunt Vicki has been a true blessing in my life. I can't think of anyone that I would rather be like than her. Having her affection and approval has been an integral part of my devolvement, as a man, and gave me the courage to chase my dreams of helping others find the joy of being in the outdoors. My father, Vicki's brother, gave me a little money when my grandfather passed away and tasked me with doing something important with it. I couldn't think of doing anything more important than helping others the way my family has helped me by starting SARCRAFT. It is for this reason I dedicated my involvement in the company to them- my Grandfather James, My Father Richard and my Aunt Victoria have all taught and enabled me to PREVAIL. Thank you for blessing my life and, in turn, the lives of others. I owe my family a debt of gratitude. I'll close with this "Apache Blessing" we recited at Vicki and Casey's wedding...
"May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life..."
Now spread the love and get to SPOONIN'...
- Jonathan
