Back in the summer of 2023, I visited a Dalahäst factory in Dalarna, Sweden – just outside the town Mora. I just HAD to buy a whittling knife there – a real Morakniv (kniv is the Norwegian and Swedish word for knife, if you did not catch that) bought just 13 kilometers away from the factory. It is a very nice tool to have in the shop, and I am constantly using it. It takes and holds an edge very well.

When I decided to do a bit of spoon making, I bought two hook knives made by Morakniv. I also ordered a trough tool from Pfeil – more on that later.

I got the 164 right handed model (meaning that holding it in the right hand makes you whittle towards you). I also got the 163 with double bevel, and it has a bigger sweep.

The knives come with leather sheaths, and you really do not want to have these puppies lying about without the sheaths! They are REALLY, REALLY sharp! Well – they was decent from the factory, but a few swiffa-swoffa on the leather strop made them razor sharp.

Pfeil scorp

I also ordered a scorp; a tool for hollowing out bowls and shaping of chair seats. I want to make some throughs and bowls, so this tool will come in handy.

The scorp has a bevel on the outside, which makes it easy to control the cut and makes sharpening a breeze. The factory edge was decent, so I just honed it on the strop and went to town on a piece of birch. Cut like buttah!

This is the little brother of the larger, two-handed scorp which are ideal for making large troughs. For my needs, this is sufficient though.

I also have a couple of goose neck card scrapers in different sizes, so it is easy to make a nice surface finish in the hollow-out. But to me, showing tool marks is important – I want people to instantly know that the product they hold in their hand is hand made!

So let us make a spoon!