2014/21

Martin Damen (Maker)

Beech wood eating spoon made by Martin Damen during an oral history interview with the MERL. The spoon is made from Fagus sylvatica (beech) sourced from the Farnborough Hall Estate near Banbury. The spoon has been treated with a coat of food-grade linseed oil. The spoon has a large shallow bowl and a short flat handle.

1 eating spoon: beech wood, linseed oil

Museum Object Entry Form – ‘Museum Name: MUSEUM OF ENGLISH RURAL LIFE // Received from: MARK DAMEN // Address: … // Tel No: … // Owner (if different): // Address: // Tel No: // Description of Object/Collection: 1X BEECH SPOON MADE BY MARK DAMEN DURING AN ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW WITH PHILLIPPA HEATH AS PART OF THE ‘READING CONNECTIONS’ PROJECT AT THE ABOVE ADDRESS IN 2014. SEE ACCOMPANYING NOTES FROM MARTIN FOR DETAILS. MADE FROM ‘FAGUS SYLVATICA’ SOURCED FROM THE FARNBOROUGH HALL ESTATE NEAR BANBURY. THE SPOON HAS BEEN TREATED WITH A COAT OF FOOD-GRADE LINSEED OIL (FLAXSEED). // Reason for Entry: Donation M. Damen 26 Apr 14 // Additional Agreement (Donations/Sales Only): Owner M. Damen 26 Apr 14 // Museum Signatory: G. Bertram 26.4.2014// Return of Object to Owner:‘, Printed Report – Martin Damen Maker of Hand-Carved Spoons & Bowls. // BEECH SPOON - INITIAL NOTES. The notes below refer to a beech spoon that was donated to the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) as part of the oral history project in 2014. // WOOD USED // The spoon is made from beech (Fagus sylvatica) a species that was commonly used for treen. Beech varies in colour from very pale, sometimes with a pinkish hued, to a rich brown. That used here is particularly pale. The decision to use beech was based on it traditional use and the fact that it is locally available. This timber was sourced from the Farnborough Hall estate less than five miles from the workshop. // SPOON DESIGN // The design of the spoon is based on finds from Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose. I chose this design for a number of reasons. Firstly, as the spoon was to support a history project I thought that using an historical English design was appropriate. Secondly the simplicity of the design lends itself to demonstrating the process of hand-carving a spoon in a short space of time. However, the spoon has been made with a clear crank to the stem/handle which may have been flatter in the original example. // TOOLS USED // Having sawn the log by hand to the required length, the tools used to carve the spoon were limited to the following: // Carving Ax. My ax is hand-forged by the Swedish company Granfors Bruks. The ax is 'right-handed' in that it has a bevel ground on the right-hand side only. The axe is used to remove as much waste as possibly and roughly shape the spoon. Emphasis is on utilising the mass and sharp edge of the ax. // Straight Carving Knife. I use a factory produced carving knife manufactured by Mora using a steel laminate. The model is refereed to as a Mora '106' which is characterised by a long blade with a fine point. The long blade allows for efficient cuts to be made while the point allows the knife to be turned in small radius curves. The straight knife is used to do all the external shaping and finishing. // Hook knife. The hook, or spoon, knife I used was made by the Swedish maker Hans Karlson. It is a single edged tool primarily designed for use in the right hand. It was used to form the hollow of the spoon bowl. // FINISHING // The wood used to made the spoon was very fresh at the rime of carving. Consequently, once the initial carving had been completed the spoon was left for four days to dry a bit. This allows a better finished to be achieved 'off the knife'. Thus, as with this beech spoon, there was no need to use sandpaper. Once the final carving had been completed the spoon was left for about fourteen days to dry completely. The spoon was then treated with a coat of food-grade linseed oil (flaxseed) that had been heated to improve its penetration of the wood. Having been oiled the spoon was left for about a month for the oil to cure. The spoon was then ready to use., Printed Report – 'Care of Your Hand Carved Spoons // Hand wash only with warm water and detergent. After washing allow to drain and air dry. Ideally, store in a utensil jar or other airy place. Occasionally wipe the spoon with oil, especially if it becomes dry. Do not put your spoon in a dishwasher. Do not leave in water to soak. // Martin Damen Maker of Hand-Carved Spoons & Bowls // www.martin-damen.co.uk', Non-MERL text label – 'Martin Damen Maker of Hand-Carved Spoons & Bowls // www.martin-damen.co.uk [verso] English Eating Spoon in Beech'

Banbury

2014-01-01 - 2014-03