martin damen - maker of hand-carved spoons & bowls
My career as a traditional craftsman started while I was a mature student at
Aberystwyth University during 2000. During a chance meeting with Bob Shaw, a
local woodland owner and craftsman we agreed that in exchange for a day's
labour, Bob would teach me woodland management and traditional craft. Initially,
I focused on making rustic furniture and field items such as cleft ash hurdles.
Although I still occasionally turn items on a traditional foot-powered pole
lathe, I now specialise in hand carving bowls, platters and spoons. THE CRAFT
There are two characteristics that apply to all the work that I produce.
Firstly, I follow traditional practice and use wood that has been locally
sourced. All of my work is made from timber sourced from sustainably managed
woodlands within 10 miles of the workshop. The trees have been felled as part of
normal woodland management operations and not explicitly for the making of spoon
or bowls. Consequently, the mix of species used can vary from year to year.
However, the species that I most frequently use include sycamore, beech, cherry
and other fruitwoods.
