These are websites (and other resources) that helped me along the way. Hopefully they can do the same for you.
Blogs
- Dave Fisher’s Blog – Dave is a gem, and not only is he a fantastically talented carver, he’s a teacher by day (or was, at least). He has a real knack for breaking things down into clear, concise explanations, with hand-drawn illustrations.
- Peter Follansbee’s Blog(s) – original; Substack (not free)- there’s a trend among these popular-within-our-niche woodworkers to move to paid platforms. Fortunately for us, their old blogs remain, and are a gold mine. I haven’t reached the point where paying for access makes financial sense for me, but also I can’t blame them for trying to make some money on what clearly is a large investment in their time.
- Robin Wood Blog – not too active anymore, Robin Wood was instrumental in bringing green woodworking back to the fore in the UK, and there are some nuggets tucked in his old blog.
- Eric Goodson’s Blog – have found some good carving tidbits buried in here.
YouTube Channels / Playlists and other Videos
- Zed Outdoors – what seemingly started out as a bushcraft channel has become an amazing series of in-depth videos with various woodworkers, primarily from the UK, sharing their process and techniques.
- Morakniv Grip Sessions – Morakniv makes knives, and they made a great series of videos on various knife grips and techniques for carving. The host of this series, Jogge Sundqvist is a legend, and is also quite a character.
- Samuel Alexander – I came across this channel more recently, and find his attention to detail inspiring. Not as much teaching as showing here, but it’s nice to see the process.
- Woodwright’s Shop – this was a TV show (remember those?) on PBS (remember that?) that ran for many seasons, and many of the episodes are still available. They cover all sorts of techniques, including carving / green woodworking.
Other Resources
- Seattle Spoon Club – maybe one day they’ll get a website, but for now, their Instagram is the best source for info on this monthly, in-real-life meetup.
- Rise Up and Carve – I’ve never gotten into it, but there are plenty of folks who join this nearly 24-hours-a-day virtual carving session on the regular.
- Swedish Carving Techniques – this book is a trove of information from one of the best modern sources at the time. And apparently you can access the book for free online.
- The Handcarved Bowl – a lovely, informative book by the very creative and talented Danielle Rose Byrd. (Note: sometimes this book is available directly from the author’s website; purchasing it directly is a bonus for them.)
- Country Woodcraft, Then and Now – Drew Langsner (with his wife Louise) started and ran a business that made or sourced tools and ran classes on all sorts of woodworking, including spoon and bowl carving. They wrote a book, and the latest edition has a whole host of updates with chapters written by some of the folks practicing the craft. A lovely book and well worth the investment.