The Crafting of HÖBAL SPOON
My work carries the thoughts and stories of the tree, the person who felled it, and the maker.
And together with the thoughts, memories, and experiences of the person who uses it, each spoon can continue to grow over time.
It is a “spoon that makes you look forward to the future.”
Here, I would like to share a little of the process behind each piece, and some of the thoughts that go into its making.
From Overlooked Trees Around Us to Tools Made to Last
From trees around us that would otherwise never become timber,
to tools made to last — with the forest in mind.
Most of the greenwood I use comes from trees that I have personally felled through forest maintenance activities in which I participate.
I also receive small-diameter trees from people I have come to know through these connections — trees that are often considered to have little value as timber.
I make a point of visiting the places where the trees grew myself, and share their stories with the people who use my work.
Today, many small-diameter trees are either left behind in the forest after being felled, or chipped and used as fuel for biomass power generation.
I find it deeply fleeting that a tree which has spent so many years growing can be burned away in an instant, simply to serve our immediate needs.
Keeping wood in use for a long time allows the carbon stored in the tree to remain contained in a useful object, contributing, in its own small way, to the protection of our environment.
By making use of small-diameter trees from our own surroundings — trees that would otherwise never enter the timber market — I hope to introduce more people to a contemporary form of primitive making: creating everyday tools that can stay with us for many years.
What I mean by “small-diameter trees”
Here, “small-diameter trees” refers broadly to young trees, shrubs, and branches of larger trees, generally measuring approximately 3–20 cm in diameter.
To help you learn more about the trees that become my materials.
Knowing the Tree Behind Each Spoon
Since 2025, every piece sold in person or online has come with a card showing its material ID and a QR code, providing access to information about the tree from which it was made.
In the past, I tried to include a material card with each piece whenever possible. However, at exhibitions and craft fairs, the atmosphere can become busy, and there were times when I could not take the time to talk about the tree and its story as much as I would have liked. I often felt that I was leaving something important unsaid.
By scanning the QR code, you can view information on your smartphone, including the tree species, the date it was harvested, and photographs of the tree and the original material.
These are the trees that would otherwise have been left behind in the forest.
I hope you will take your time and look at their photographs whenever you have a quiet moment.
Because these are utensils that come into contact with food,
I want you to feel comfortable and confident using them.
For a Spoon You Use Yourself,
Choose by Your Own Measure
Every spoon carved from greenwood is one of a kind, with its own shape, weight, and grain.
I split each log and begin planning the spoon from the impressions and possibilities revealed within the freshly cut wood. Rather than imposing a predetermined design, I work in a kind of “session” with the greenwood, allowing the material to guide the process.
Knots, variations in color, and other natural characteristics are embraced as part of the spoon's individuality. Even the subtle “waviness” that emerges as the wood dries is incorporated into the form, creating a spoon that feels natural and comfortable in the hand.
No two hands are alike.
Because a spoon is something you use with your own body, I want people to discover the importance of choosing one by the feeling of their own hands.
I believe that a spoon that fits your hand just right can reduce the small stresses of eating and help you become more attuned to the taste and texture of your food.
At a table shared by many, place it in the center as a serving spoon.
When you don't have much time to eat, use it to scoop generously and take big bites.
A pointed spoon can also be used for dessert — perfect for those moments when your mind feels a little cloudy, or when you simply want to indulge in one sweet treat after another.
A spoon made for one person.
A utensil that belongs to you.
There is something quietly comforting about having a piece of tableware that gently accompanies you at the table.
I hope you will find a favorite spoon that feels just right in your hand, and that it will make your moments of eating just a little more enjoyable — and a little more delicious.
The Memory of Hands, Woven Through Time
The memory held by the maker's hands,
and the memory held by the hands that use it.
I have often wondered why antiques are so beautiful.
It is not only the thoughts of the maker,
or the memories of the people who used them.
I came to realize that it is the accumulation of countless “memories of hands” that makes them even more beautiful.
My work is made without machinery, using techniques that have been practiced in Scandinavia for centuries.
Using the same primitive methods that existed before the Industrial Revolution, I carve each piece stroke by stroke, leaving the passage of time in every cut.
When a spoon is finished, it is still a bright, new spoon —
one that has yet to become an antique.
Through use and care, and by enjoying its maintenance along the way, it gradually develops the character of an antique.
Each piece carries the memory of the tree and the memory of hands.
In the hands of its owner, it will gather time — becoming a reflection of the years it has lived through.
I hope that the passing of time will not diminish its beauty, but deepen it;
becoming stronger,
becoming more beautiful,
with every year.