I can’t carve a spoon without thinking of Wille Sundqvist. His 1990 book, Swedish Carving Techniques, opened up a whole new world of carving possibilities to me. From cover to cover, I soaked it in. Bowl carving, sharpening, spoon carving and the magic of knife grasps. I love his attention to even the smallest of carving practices, such as the section on sharpening a pencil.

Wille was filmed in 2013, at the age of 87, carving a ladle, turning a bowl, sharpening, carving decoration… I learn something every time I watch it. Wille’s words are encouraging and his instruction, based on a lifetime of carving and immersion in handcrafts, is empowering.

Wille’s son, Jögge Sundqvist, recently produced a newly-packaged version of The Spoon, the Bowl and the Knife. The nifty card folder protects the DVD and includes background information. Best of all, this version includes a great little booklet with clear illustrations and explanations of ten knife grasps. It’s a masterfully done reference that complements the film and can be tucked easily into a spoon carving kit.

All of the profits go to the Wille Sundqvist and Bill Coperthwaite Slöjd Fellowship. Del Stubbs sells them at his site here. Del Also has a combo deal for the DVD and Swedish Carving Techniques. If you’d prefer streaming, then Lie-Nielsen has it here.

I’ll finish up a few more of those spoons and post them soon.