Tag Archives: ale bowl

Three in the Rough

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Dave Fisher

I’ve had some ale bowl requests on the backburner for far too long now, so while I had some cooperative cherry around I decided to rough out three at once.  That makes it sound much more straightforward than it is.  … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, cherry, holding, layout, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 15 Comments

Revisiting the Ale Duck

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Dave Fisher

It had been a while since I carved an ale bowl, so it was fun to make another recently, in this case an ale duck.  I’ve written several posts about ale bowls, including some that go into my carving process, but  … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bird bowls, carving, cherry, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 14 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Posted in ale bowls, bowls, historical reference, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Launch of the Dragon Ale-Bowl

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Dave Fisher

…but Sigurd himself steered the dragon-keel which was the greatest and noblest; richly wrought were the sails, and glorious to look on. — The Story of Sigurd from The Völsunga saga, 13th century Ok, so that’s obviously not a photo of Sigurd’s ship … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bowls, cherry, green woodworking, patterns, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Different Animals

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Dave Fisher

I was working  a couple different cherry ale bowls over the weekend and was struck again by how different they are to carve compared to “regular” bowls.  First of all, especially in this roughing-out stage, I find myself staring a … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bowls, carving, cherry, holding, layout, tools, Uncategorized | Tagged | 9 Comments

Dark Horse

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Dave Fisher

I carved this ale bowl from some more of the red alder I mentioned in my last post.  Then I tried something new for me: I painted (ebonized I suppose) the outside  with waterproof black India ink.  I like how … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bowls, green woodworking, paint, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Aspen/Poplar/Popple Ale Bowl

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Dave Fisher

I’m settling back in after teaching a bowl carving class (not ale bowls) in the Plymouth, Mass. area with Plymouth CRAFT.  More about that great experience in another post before long. Meanwhile, one of the tasks on my list today is … Continue reading →

Posted in ale bowls, bowls, paint, patterns, trees, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Birds Ready to Fly to Plymouth

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Dave Fisher

In addition to starting some larger walnut bowls, I’ve been working to get some examples finished to take to Plymouth for the Greenwood Fest in a couple weeks.  Among them are some lettering examples, a couple medium-sized bowls, and some bird … Continue reading →

Posted in bird bowls, bowls, cherry, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Jolly Good Ale and Old

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Dave Fisher

  William Stevenson was a sixteenth century English clergyman and playwright who also wrote this charming drinking song.  In it, we find reference to ale bowls, both “scour’d” and “lustily troll’d.”  And all wives should take notice of the generosity demonstrated by Tib. … Continue reading →

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Chip Carving for Warlike Men and School Girls

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Dave Fisher

It is difficult to conceive the contradictory fact that this apparently simple form of art [chip carving] was once the exponent of a struggling desire for refinement on the part of fierce and warlike men, and that it should, under … Continue reading →

Posted in books, carving, historical reference, patterns, quotes and excerpts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments