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Whilst sometimes we just have to take what we can get our hands on, not all wood that can be carved is worth carving if you can make the choice. This article is a rundown of some easy to source Australian Woods that you might like to try carving - the good the bad and the ugly. 

Pete Trott is known for his beautiful Von Trott hook and sloyd knives. He is also an awesome spoon carving teacher and carver himself. When we first met Pete at a Lost Trades Fair in Sydney a couple of years ago I was instantly in love with his tools but also drawn to Pete who is such a friendly character with a great sense of humour. We love working with Pete and thought it would be nice to share a bit about him with the rest of the world.

In the Wood Tamer house we all enjoy being creative in one form or another.  So at least one afternoon every weekend (ideally both days) we put down whatever we are doing and the whole family meets in the lounge room...

When I began my spoon carving journey, I was enthralled with videos of carvers in the UK and US sitting amongst woodlands quietly whittling by the fire. Using Axe and Knife they carved out beautiful creations from Birch, Poplar and Sycamore.  Carving in Australia is a very different story. Our trees are known to be much harder than on other continents and the high tannins in our sap are more taxing on our tools.