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Ray started carving canoe paddles when living in Winnipeg. There is little demand for long flexible lake touring paddles here on the coast but his mother has arthritic hands and requested cooking utensils with large oval handles and small blades. Upon using them, many of his family and friends wanted some. Following their enviable "you should sell these" advice he has been doing so for 20 years.
The traditional voyageur's techniques of hand axe and knife carving without power tools or sand paper still make unique forms from local hardwoods. Using only handheld, edged tools, without jigs or guides requires meeting the wood half way. Forcing a shape creates stresses that cause failures as rough blanks dry. The challenge of finding the form that works with each piece is part of the joy in hand carving. Working with the wood, not on it, each and every piece is different and Ray is often surprised. by the result.
Ray starts with salvaged green hard woods, arbutus primarily, and fruit woods , apple, plum, cherry, when available. Splitting the logs relieves stresses and reduces later cracking. Drawknifes have replaced the hand axe as roughing-out tools and bent knives and chisels create the shapes. Once dried, spoke shaves and card scrapers are used to finish the work. Three coats of a combination of food grade boiled linseed oil and bee's wax forms a durable, waterproof, although not dish washer safe finish.
Arbutus is a challenging wood with very complex and changing grain. Soft and easily shaped when green, it tends to split and check while drying. Once dry, arbutus is extremely hard and smooth grained. It takes a very fine scraped finish and develops extraordinary colour and patterning as it darkens with age. It is very durable in the high heat and heavy mixing of the kitchen.
Spurtle is an old Scottish word for a porridge stirring spoon but Ray also make a wide range of other wooden kitchen utensils for use as rice paddle / lifter [ shamoji ], batter stirrer, wok tool, pancake flipper, frying pan scraper, scrambled egg stirrer, butter paddle, stock pot food mover, bowl scraper, egg lifter, non-stick cookware spatula. These are tools to last a lifetime, well suited for hostess or other gift.
Contact Information
Phone: 250.380.0172
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