Living in Central Florida provides me with different woods that are great for utensils. Mine are different in some ways from the northern spoon carvers but they are equally as good for using in utensils. Not all woods are available all the time, but if you have a preference you could email me to see if I have it available.
I like to get my wood from saw mills in our area. Southern Cherry is my most popular wood and the one that I choose most often. Southern Cherry has beautiful grain lines in it and provides much character and color. The shades of red vary from light red to almost black with varying thicknesses of grains. It makes a great utensil!
Another wood that I use occasionally is Pecan. Pecan wood is very hard and makes a great utensil but is also very difficult to hand carve. These pieces that I make are fewer than cherry but the creamy color of Pecan with the chocolate brown grain lines provides such a pretty and durable utensil that I just can’t resist using it. The wood that I have now is from a tree on our farm that my Grandmother planted years ago. I still have a lot of that tree left since I use it sparingly.
Sycamore has just been added to my line of woods and has passed the abusive kitchen test that I do on my woods before adding them to my line. I am very happy that Sycamore proved to be a great utensil because the grains in this wood are amazing and colorful.
I have used other woods on occasion such as Walnut and Maple but they are not readily available so I only use them if requested by someone and if I can locate the lumber.
With proper care your wood utensils should last a life time. I hope that yours will be a family heirloom one day. Follow these tips and tricks to help your spoon stay looking new.
Hand washing is the best with any kind of dish soap and warm soapy water. (The dishwasher dry cycle is too harsh for wood.) After several uses you may feel that the spoon is becoming fuzzy. You can rub gently with a brown paper bag to smooth it and then apply a coat of mineral oil. This is great for keeping wood healthy. Mineral oil is fairly inexpensive and easy to locate. I like to go the extra mile with my wood utensils and cutting boards. I use Howard’s Butcher Block Conditioner. It is even better than applying just mineral oil. It includes Vitamin E, beeswax, carnauba wax and mineral oil. It is easy to use and one bottle lasts a very long time.
If you can’t locate Howard’s Butcher Block Oil locally, please let me know as I sell that at my shows as well.
With just a little love, your spoons will reciprocate with years of use.
Happy Cooking, DJ
I always remember being in the wood shop, even when I was probably too young to be in there! My Dad was always in the wood shop and taught me to use tools as I had projects requiring them. He is the best teacher ever! He’s very patient and explains all aspects of the machinery and woods. He taught me to respect each machine and pray that I don’t get hurt!
My Mom always made me think I could do anything I desired and encouraged creativity in all kinds of arts and crafts. We’ve always made things together and she is definitely my best friend.
THEN, one day my husband needed a chicken pileau paddle. He’s the best chicken pileau cook in the south! I decided to make him one. That was so much fun that I started replacing all the cheap wood spoons in my kitchen. Then I started finding new patterns in the kitchen drawers of all my friends. Then it got out of hand…..I couldn’t stop! I decided I better start selling them so that I could buy more wood and make more. With the faith of my husband we decided I would quit my job and do it full time. That was over a year ago! It was the best thing I ever did!
When deciding on a name for our business, we knew it had to have something to do with our place here in God’s country. My Granddad Fort farmed the land we live on today where the pictures scrolling on the top of the page were taken. I love this place! It was only natural to call our place Fort Remington so that had to be the business name as well.
I am very thankful to God for my life, family and many blessings!
DJ Remington
I am blessed to have every wood tool I could ever dream of owning. They are actually my Dad’s, but don’t let him know that I know that! My Dad has collected wood tools all of his life and has many tools that belonged to his Dad who was also a wood worker. (There were two more generations past him too!)
I literally walk across the cow pasture every morning to the wood shop and do the machine part of the spoon. I cut them out on a band saw and use various other tools there from sanders to drill press, etc. Then I bring them back home to do the hand carving, sanding, applying finish and also the packing and shipping. It provides me with many, many hours of creative time, time with my parents at the wood shop and time with my kids while working at home.
I hope one of them finds a home in your kitchen! *smiles* DJ