Carving birch by hand teaches you to stop rushing the grain. The wood will tell you which way it wants to go, and if you ignore it, it will split along its own line and leave you with firewood.

Three tools

A straight knife, a hook knife for hollows, and an axe for the rough shaping. That is all you need for a spoon. The axe does most of the work, the knife does the rest, and patience covers the difference.

Green wood is easier than dry. Cut a branch in the morning and you can carve it the same day while it is soft and wet. Dry it slowly afterwards, wrapped in paper, or it will crack overnight.

The first spoon

Your first spoon will be ugly. Use it anyway. The tenth will be better, and somewhere around the fiftieth you will stop thinking about your hands and start thinking about the wood.