Underestimated Sycamore

A few years ago, I was in Bratislava on a business trip. I had some free time in the evening, so I took a walk in a park. It was several days after a windstorm and there were piles of broken branches everywhere, sawn into smaller pieces and prepared to be moved away. I'm not sure what happens with such wood, but it probably ends in compost, ground to small pieces. Anyway, I took one sycamore (plane) log and left it in our garden cottage to dry.

Later, when I was carving the applewood spoon, I also found the sycamore log. I tried to cut it with axe. It split easily and the inside looked very porous and soft. That discouraged me from carving for a while. I looked up sycamore in the wood database and I found out that it is suitable for carving and even a little harder than lime wood. I did not believe it very much until I started carving. Then I really regretted that I didn't have an axe with me because this time it would save me lots of work.

Carving, day 1.

Carving, day 3.

Carving, day 6.

Sanded.

Kolrosing.

I tried to copy this spoon.I also learned about a Scandinavian decorating technique called kolrosing. Shallow cuts are made with a small knife, some dark powder is rubbed in (e.g. charcoal, powdered bark or leaves, coffee, cinnamon, cocoa, ...). The powder sets into the cuts and then the whole surface is rubbed with oil, which fixes the powder in place and makes the design show up. I used cinnamon and was very happy with the result.