"To the keen eye of a woodsman, every bend in this log is a spoon"
Ray Mears
An Almond log balances against two large broken Birch branches in the corner. The air filled with a warm yet sharp haze of smoke from the small Woodburner, fueled by a large pile of wood chippings, for which are centered within the space. Axes and knives lay with purpose on the floor, some appear almost like instruments of Theatre. Homemade candles burn...
This is his workshop.
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| One truely unique design! |
The idea appeared one evening while watching an episode of Ray Mears.
As he walked through the Belarus woodlands, Ray stumbles across a fallen tree and proceeds to create, with his hands and tools, a wooden spoon.
Since then, after being injected with inspiration, Marcus has been the creator of many beautiful and unique wooden spoons himself.
Known on his campsite retreat as "The Spoon Man" and a keen bushcraftsman, Marcus is an embassador on all things outdoor. Be it canoeing, wild camping or outdoor cooking. From the short time I've known Marcus, I can imagine he is most happy while in the woods. His company, a hammock, Woodburner and a spoon to carve.
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| A wooden spoon in the making |
It is now 12 years since the first spoon was made. In that time there have been many creations from the cute to the querky. Some of his personal favourite creations being the owl spoon and the fox paw, the owl being a
T'Whittle T'Woo mascot. Marcus will tailor make his designs with a personal effect for those around him, always rising to the challenge.
Each wooden spoon is unique, some designs may be the same but different wood tones, knots and bends, coupled with each one being handcrafted using only simple tools is what makes each spoon stand out. It's not until you hold one of these pieces in your hands, that you realise the amount of hard work, skill and pride that Marcus puts into them.
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| Flawless finishing to the wood, makes this fish ready for water |
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| The Elephant spoon |
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| Both half's of the log |
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| 50th anniversary spoon made to order |
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| An interesting design made from Oak |
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| Snail design |
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| T'Whittle T'Woo mascots |
Now and again Marcus is gifted different types of wood to use. Each wood gives a unique finish. His favourite spoon is the Almond fox paw below.
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| A personal favourite of Marcus |
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| A closer look at the fox paw. For this Marcus does have to use an electric drill to start off each paw print. Something ethically he thought twice about and did consider a hand drill |
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| A dog paw pendant |
Recently Marcus has been experimenting with pendants. The dog paw pendant above being one of the first designs.
"Will he be quitting spoons to create other designs?", you ask. I don't think so, at least for the time being. Marcus' love and time is with the spoons.
To commission a custom spoon of your own design or simply to buy an existing spoon, you can contact Marcus at his T'Whittle T'Woo Facebook page.
Don't be shy :)
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| The first ever spoon Marcus made from Ash |
