Category Archives: bowls

Your Daily Bowl

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I’m a cereal lover and, although I’ve had to switch from Boo-Berry to Shredded Wheat over the years, I still eat cereal every day — from a wooden bowl.  Cereal or not, it makes for quiet eating, and the wood … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, cherry, holding, layout, patterns, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 17 Comments

Hold It!

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I snapped this photo while carving on this cherry bowl recently.  I’ve used holdfasts for a long while now, but I still marvel at their nimbleness and versatility.  With a scrap of rubber belting under the bottom and a couple … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, cherry, holding, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Winter Window

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I like working in front of this window.  The directional light creates shadows that honestly reveal form and surface.  I have a small high bench there, too high for heavy work, but perfect for finer bits like cleaning up the … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, events, holding, nature, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Workhorses

Posted on February 4, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I’ve carved several of these horse-head ale bowls now, and each one seems to end up with it’s own personality.  Much of that, thankfully, happens in spite of me.  Each log is different, imparting it’s character on the finished piece.  … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bowls, cherry, historical reference, patterns, Uncategorized, video | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Black Walnut Bowl

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Dave Fisher

While not as big as Der Mollenhauer’s bowl, this large bowl will still hold a lot of fruit or bread.  It’s 20 3/4″ long, 12 1/4″ wide, and 4 1/4″ high and carved from a lovely black walnut log. I … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Der Mollenhauer

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I should have paid more attention in my high school German classes.  I do remember singing a song in German about a three-cornered hat or something — and I can still count.  It would be nice to sit and watch … Continue reading →

Posted in axe, bowls, finding wood, historical reference, tools, Uncategorized, video | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

Lowrider

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Dave Fisher

I get a fair amount of questions about my bowl horse, but this low bench has been at the center of my workshop even longer.  I built it thirteen years ago, thinking something like this could serve as a multi-purpose … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, carving, holding, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 10 Comments

A Bowl for Enkidu

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Dave Fisher

It seems that our problem with portion control goes back at least 4700 years.  In the Epic of Gilgamesh, probably the oldest recorded story in human history, Shamhat is tasked with civilizing the wild beastly man Enkidu.  To lure him … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bowls, historical reference, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Roof Top Bowl

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Dave Fisher

Most of us are familiar with the two usual orientations for bowl carving: working “upside down” into the bark side of the bowl (an innovation that Bengt Lidström was known for), and working into the flat split surface of the half log. … Continue reading →

Posted in bowls, layout, patterns, proportions, sketch, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Cold November Rain

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Dave Fisher

As I happily remain in the shop this morning, in my head I hear Axl Rose’s refrain. I’m carving flutes along the outer surface of this little “wine bowl.” This is quiet, contemplative work that seems to fit a rainy morning. … Continue reading →

Posted in adze, ale bowls, bowls, carving, cherry, finding wood, green woodworking, holding, quotes and excerpts, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 8 Comments