Heirloom Wood: A Modern Guide to Carving Spoons, Bowls, Boards, and other Homewares by Max Bainbridge

Heirloom Wood is a love letter to wood’s form and function through simple woodcarving projects. Learn to create hand-carved bowls, cutting boards, spoons, knives, and spatulas, perfect for adding a touch of the handmade to your home.

Combining traditional techniques with contemporary design, Max Bainbridge teaches you how to identify wood types, source timber, and set up a basic toolbox, then offers step-by-step carving and cutting techniques for making your own pieces. Topics include:
Sourcing Wood
Choosing Wood
Tools
Knife Grips
Tool Care
Faceting
And more!
Learn how to sand, ebonize, scorch, and texture your wood surfaces, as well as wax and oil your new, beloved kitchen creations. Each of your handcrafted projects will be imbued with a tangible history visible through the maker’s mark.

Bainbridge writes in his introduction, “As you concentrate on achieving the perfect cut on the edge of a board or sweep of a handle, you begin to understand the subtleties that wood affords. Wherever you are in the world, carving allows the simple pleasure of being in touch with the outdoors and learning how to make use of our natural resources. I hope that by the end of this book you will have the knowledge and excitement to carry on exploring this craft that I have fallen in love with.”

With beautiful photography and clear how-to instructions, Heirloom Wood gives you all the advice and inspiration you need to create timeless kitchen keepsakes to be passed down from generation to generation. So, don’t wait. Start your next woodcarving project!

About the Author

Max Bainbridge graduated from Chelsea College of Arts. Through his company, Forest + Found—based out of a workshop in his East London garden—he hand carves sustainably sourced and reclaimed wood into bespoke homewares.