Author(s): Barn the Spoon

Design

"The word for spoon is derived from the old Norse for chip of wood - spoon. Wooden spoons then need no further qualifier, they are spoons in their purest form." (Barn The Spoon). The simple, ordinary spoon is part of our everyday lives, intimately entwined with the acts of eating and socialising, from stirring our first cup of coffee to scraping the last bit of pudding from the bowl. And who doesn't like to spoon in bed? Barn The Spoon, as he's affectionately known, can be found on permanent exhibition in the shop window of his workshop on the Hackney Road, East London, where he makes his life's work, designing and carving beautiful spoons that are both a joy to use and hold. Become embraced in Barn's gentle philosophy and ethos of the new wood culture. Barn's spoons will take you on a journey into Celtic mythology and Scandinavian traditions, back to the workshop in Hackney, and into your own kitchen. They will give you a unique understanding of the relationship between wood, the raw material and its majestic origins in our trees and woodland. A master craftsman, Barn will show you how to use the axe and knife, from how they should feel in your hand to honing the perfect edge when carving your own spoons. Featuring the four main categories of spoon - eating, serving, cooking and measuring spoons, Barn takes you through the nuances of their making, how each design is informed by its function at the table or in the kitchen, and the key skills you will learn - such as creating octagonal handles, manipulating grain patterns and mastering bent branches. Beautiful photography will inspire and act as a blue-print to help perfect your technique.