Last week, Kevin Zorn and I chatted over coffee — I expected to learn about his hobby and art: Spoon carving. While we did discuss his process, materials and other general info about spoons, our conversation also gave me lots of food for thought.
Kevin often creates unconventional coffee spoons — handles bent or twisted, showcasing knots in the wood, and sometimes triangular or oval scoops. The quirkiness of the spoons led me to reach out to Kevin.
We quickly delved into the texture of his spoons. As he explained, among the worldwide spoon carving community, there is a preference for using a good knife to achieve a smooth finish, rather than using sandpaper.
Kevin said he uses sandpaper on some spoons, specifically to contrast textures on the same piece. This got us chatting about texture, and how much of our contemporary environment lacks texture.
Mass production has homogenized surfaces. Consider smart phones, computers, most mass- made dishes, juice cartons, jars, notebooks … the majority of things we handle are smooth. Of course, human hands have made even mass-produced items.
“There is a person behind everything, even if it looks sterile,” Kevin pointed out. But the link to another human is more palpable on items made outside of factories. Kevin especially likes artisan pottery, and looks out for pieces which still have the potter’s finger prints in them.
I have a favorite artisan-made mug bought at one of Arthurdale Heritage’s regular craft shows. The outside has three textures — a slightly matte glaze, a section with bumps and then a glossy glaze.
Since I started using this mug, my morning tea or coffee doesn’t feel complete without a tactile experience, and I’ve come to crave more texture in other items I handle. I’ve heard about research showing that exposing infants to a wide variety of textures increases pathways in the brain.
This is just one more reason to gravitate to handmade items.
Kevin’s work is clearly one-of-a-kind and has a textured, tactile quality. He started spoon carving, and continues it, as a way to balance work stress. Needing something to work on and complete, carving small scoops turns out to be just the thing. “I can finished one of these in a day,” he said. “It’s very much a stress reliever.”
The time to carve out a spoon does vary. Using cedar or other soft work is faster work than carving cherry, or his favorite — black walnut. After carving, Kevin applies mineral oil to the wood and then beeswax as protective coating.
Most of his inspiration comes from other artists, but Kevin said he tries to avoid mimicking popular designs and styles. Instead he is inspired by sculptors, while also paying attention to optimizing each piece of wood.
“It’s a little bit of a journey, every time,” Kevin said.
He gravitated toward this particular handwork because of the online global community of spoon carvers, and because “I think spoons also have that communal, family, or ancient connection,” Kevin said, adding that they conjure for him thoughts of well-seasoned spoons being cherished and passed down through families.
One might not think of a coffee scoop as an heirloom, but Kevin carves spoons unique enough to be used, displayed and treasured for several generations. To see them online, visit his Instagram or in person (and experience their texture) at Hoot and Howl in Morgantown.
ALDONA BIRD is a journalist, previously writing for The Dominion Post. She explores possibilities of local productivity and sustainable living in Preston County.
