Spoons again and maybe forks seeking input

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Delbert Ealy

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So a few weeks ago I came across a fellow metalworker who was working with a non-hardenable stainless damascus mix and he let me in on his recipe. This makes things a bit easier on me because it removes a clean-up step that takes a lot of time. It also produces a more natural product, because that is the material that regular flatware is made of. So that brings me back to spoons. :viking:
I am considering(seriously) making a batch of long-handled tasting spoons and maybe a few gray koontz spoons
I have a couple of takers on this project sight unseen, but I would like to see how you guys feel about this.
I would also like to see how you guys feel about a fork to match and maybe some carving forks. :viking:

I am hoping to do a batch and have it ready before christmas.

Let me know what you guys think.
Thanks,
Del
 
Your killing me... I never jumped on the spoon bandwagon as I would rather have a set if I went as far to have a custom spoon made... Your evil I tell ya...

Depending on the outcome I would love to see what you have in mind for a sppon and fork set :)
 
I like the large Gray Kunz spoons, but the handle could be a bit longer, inch or so. And I also like these other spoons we have at work, where the spoon is kinda shaped like a canned ham, and the deepest part of its belly is closer to the tip than the handle. So a flat wide tip that swells a bit then tapers to the handle. The flat tip is good for pushing sauces and purees on the plate. I will try to get a picture of one.
 
I could use a large perforated spoon, and I've been waiting for someone to make some sweet carving forks for a long time.
Count me in.
Also high on my list: a custom turner / spatula thing.
 
Yay Del! As you know, I support the tasting spoon idea.
My only recommendation is with the handle - my favorite spoon has a more weighty, substantial handle where the metal is slightly thicker and rounded, rather than the flatter 2-d type profile that some spoons are. I'd be happy to send you one of mine if that would help in any way.

Peter
 
Its funny, I have a couple of spoon forms made, one for a smaller spoon and one for the gray koontz, and putting this post up last night I'm thinking OK I'll get some interest in the tasters and maybe a couple for the koontz.
Then Colin comes along and wants a square spoon, which of course I am going to do, because I love a challenge. This one may seem fairly straightforward, but getting that one just right will be quite a challenge, and Colin yes I'll take you up on your offer of sending me one of those.
Johnny, that sounds a bit like the one Colin put up a link to. Changing the handle length is probably one of the easiest things to do, so no worries there. Adding perferations is also fairly straightforward.
Peter, I can curve the material in the handle, from the sides, giving it a bit of curl and making it more substantial and feeling thicker. I can also play with the thickness of the stock a bit.
Justin, Let me know what you are thinking about a spatula, I have been thinking about one of those as well.

Thanks,
Del
 
Then Colin comes along and wants a square spoon, which of course I am going to do, because I love a challenge. This one may seem fairly straightforward, but getting that one just right will be quite a challenge, and Colin yes I'll take you up on your offer of sending me one of those.
Johnny, that sounds a bit like the one Colin put up a link to.
Thanks,
Del

Thanks Del, spoon will be sent, no need to return it so if you need &or damage it no trouble, it's only a couple of bucks anyway.
2nd trust me i know how hard it can be to make a spoon. Remember it took me 2 years to find someone to make the 1st damascus spoon and oner a year after that for him to get it to me. Since then I have found a few others who have tried and gave up, one who's name I won't say (because it would not be nice) is a very very well known Damascus maker....so yes spoon harder to make then people think. The reason I like to send out a "copy spoon" is the little curves and bends in a spoon are very important to how a spoon works, or doesn't work for that matter. Crazy chefs like me go threw 100's of spoons looking for "the perfect one", I have yet to find the "the perfect quenelle spoon"
So I'm just trying to give you the next part of my "spoon trilogy".
the spoon is not as square as it looks. and yes it looks a lot like the Johnny posted, just goes to show how chefs think alike.

Also I will gladly take you up on a tasting spoon and koontz. the koontz would need to be tempered thou, spring tempered.

Also a little money making tip I thought of. Only a few chefs out there compared to business type men. Every one always has a hard time thinking about what to get the guy that has everything. I'll bet that a Damascus coffee spoon would be a big hit around Christmas and fathers day. Just like me as a chef like the conversation piece of a Damascus spoon at work I'd bet "dad" would enjoy it in the office.
 
...Justin, Let me know what you are thinking about a spatula, I have been thinking about one of those as well.

Del, you have no idea how excited I am about this.
I can believe that a lot of other folks wouldnt be interested in this too. I use a metal spatula / turner every time that I cook. I would think that some of the chefs and line cooks spend more time with one of these in their hands than a knife. I also use mine a board scrapper when I've got lots of stuff to move, a toast spreader, and my last girlfreind (that baked a lot) used it to cut and serve all kinds of stuff.

I have been through a lot of these in all differnt shapes and sizes and for the past few years I have been using Global's small round turner:
69344791.jpg

Things that are great about it:
-very thin, very springy, very tuff blade (actually takes a decent edge too)
-Fillet rounded front corners make sliding under dellicate suff easier / keep then from getting bent up from abuse.
-excellent ballance
-nice secure / grippy handle
-handle angle provides nuckle cleanance, but is not too steap.
-all metal, no dellicate materials or suseptible seams

Things that I would change:
-I'd make the the whole thing bigger over all -most important would be a wider blade
-Would make sides paralllel to eachother insead of tapering / convering on an angle towards the handle. So blade shape would look more like this:
9Mu2rwDxcQmGPq55wz5hLJ4zSVV__2n6vyWk2PWBr1KHMMv8ZMwhNjxsrR6Oh2HJc6wTpcLCVkdeDB-TypG1ClCI5cssL6Boqv5PTaA8r5MNj7HvH6SrGnuoV1iQTtZSW-3f7j4Ysghr_7zFolBMC9pcJsOaHY6lTYuD4A

this would allow "cutting" with the sides of the blade vs just the front / tip
-Sharpen (single bevel) all 3 sides of the blade ( I already sharpened the front edge of mine)

As for construction / finishing, I've got a lot of crazy ideas dreamed up, but I'm not sure how cost prohibitive some of them would be. However, If you where to make this thing out of damascus, I think that it would be AWESOME to do a really light etch and high polish on the blade (so that its very smooth and slippy for getting under stuff) but do a really exteme crazy deep etch on the handle so that you actually get raised damascus grain / grippy texture.
Also, for handle shape, I'm picturing somehing like a rolled cone/ cylinder that doesnt close completely on the underside (as to facilitate cleaning)

I could sketch something up in ortographic view with measurements and notes if you think that would be helpful.

Oh, one more note of agreement on the spoons: thicker stocked, longer, rounder handle would be much appreciated / desired.
 
Thanks Del, spoon will be sent, no need to return it so if you need &or damage it no trouble, it's only a couple of bucks anyway.
2nd trust me i know how hard it can be to make a spoon. Remember it took me 2 years to find someone to make the 1st damascus spoon and oner a year after that for him to get it to me. Since then I have found a few others who have tried and gave up, one who's name I won't say (because it would not be nice) is a very very well known Damascus maker....so yes spoon harder to make then people think. The reason I like to send out a "copy spoon" is the little curves and bends in a spoon are very important to how a spoon works, or doesn't work for that matter. Crazy chefs like me go threw 100's of spoons looking for "the perfect one", I have yet to find the "the perfect quenelle spoon"
So I'm just trying to give you the next part of my "spoon trilogy".
the spoon is not as square as it looks. and yes it looks a lot like the Johnny posted, just goes to show how chefs think alike.

Also I will gladly take you up on a tasting spoon and koontz. the koontz would need to be tempered thou, spring tempered.

Also a little money making tip I thought of. Only a few chefs out there compared to business type men. Every one always has a hard time thinking about what to get the guy that has everything. I'll bet that a Damascus coffee spoon would be a big hit around Christmas and fathers day. Just like me as a chef like the conversation piece of a Damascus spoon at work I'd bet "dad" would enjoy it in the office.


What is really cool about this is that my facination with spoons is second only to my facination with sharp things(knives)
I think that spoons are so cool, and something that are often overlooked as a common everyday item. They may be for us now, but it was not always the case.
So if anybody has any type of spoon they would like, bring it on, feed my obsession. I am sure there are a lot of spoons I don't even know about, like the one you posted. I saw one recently that was a flat spoon shaped spatula, way cool, even for something with out a bowl.
Del
 
I saw one recently that was a flat spoon shaped spatula, way cool, even for something with out a bowl.
Del[/QUOTE]
That is a butter spoon, to facilitate the easy removal of butter. no bowl easy to get the butter off.
 
That would be one to not etch deeply then, othewise the butter would be difficult to remove.
Del
 
If I did a deep etch with a high polish, that might help and I think that can look really cool.
 
Actually I am thinking all stainless damascus except for maybe the spatula
Del
 
Stainless is the better way to go. My spoons sit in water all day.
 
I love the spoon and fork ideas. I also think that stainless is the way to go. I love my fish tongs!
 
Del, you have no idea how excited I am about this.
I can believe that a lot of other folks wouldnt be interested in this too. I use a metal spatula / turner every time that I cook. I would think that some of the chefs and line cooks spend more time with one of these in their hands than a knife. I also use mine a board scrapper when I've got lots of stuff to move, a toast spreader, and my last girlfreind (that baked a lot) used it to cut and serve all kinds of stuff.

I have been through a lot of these in all differnt shapes and sizes and for the past few years I have been using Global's small round turner:
69344791.jpg

Things that are great about it:
-very thin, very springy, very tuff blade (actually takes a decent edge too)
-Fillet rounded front corners make sliding under dellicate suff easier / keep then from getting bent up from abuse.
-excellent ballance
-nice secure / grippy handle
-handle angle provides nuckle cleanance, but is not too steap.
-all metal, no dellicate materials or suseptible seams

Things that I would change:
-I'd make the the whole thing bigger over all -most important would be a wider blade
-Would make sides paralllel to eachother insead of tapering / convering on an angle towards the handle. So blade shape would look more like this:
9Mu2rwDxcQmGPq55wz5hLJ4zSVV__2n6vyWk2PWBr1KHMMv8ZMwhNjxsrR6Oh2HJc6wTpcLCVkdeDB-TypG1ClCI5cssL6Boqv5PTaA8r5MNj7HvH6SrGnuoV1iQTtZSW-3f7j4Ysghr_7zFolBMC9pcJsOaHY6lTYuD4A

this would allow "cutting" with the sides of the blade vs just the front / tip
-Sharpen (single bevel) all 3 sides of the blade ( I already sharpened the front edge of mine)

As for construction / finishing, I've got a lot of crazy ideas dreamed up, but I'm not sure how cost prohibitive some of them would be. However, If you where to make this thing out of damascus, I think that it would be AWESOME to do a really light etch and high polish on the blade (so that its very smooth and slippy for getting under stuff) but do a really exteme crazy deep etch on the handle so that you actually get raised damascus grain / grippy texture.
Also, for handle shape, I'm picturing somehing like a rolled cone/ cylinder that doesnt close completely on the underside (as to facilitate cleaning)

I could sketch something up in ortographic view with measurements and notes if you think that would be helpful.

Oh, one more note of agreement on the spoons: thicker stocked, longer, rounder handle would be much appreciated / desired.

Justin,
I have spent some time thinking about this, I was originally thinking of making this in stainless damascus, bu the more i think about it the more I think that my carbon damascus would work better for this application. If you want the stainless thats fine but at this point I would recommend the carbon.
As far as the shape goes the sky is the limit, and i do agree that having the split on the bottom of the handle large snough that you can clean in there is a good idea. The combination etch is also a good idea, and no problem there.
Thanks,
Del
 
This thread is what I am talking about! Not only high performance cutting tools in the kitchen but better tools all around. Giving me so many ideas
 
I would possibly be interested in a serving spoon/fork set and a gravy ladle.

Taylor
 
Justin,
I have spent some time thinking about this, I was originally thinking of making this in stainless damascus, bu the more i think about it the more I think that my carbon damascus would work better for this application. If you want the stainless thats fine but at this point I would recommend the carbon.
As far as the shape goes the sky is the limit, and i do agree that having the split on the bottom of the handle large snough that you can clean in there is a good idea. The combination etch is also a good idea, and no problem there.
Thanks,
Del

Oh, interesting! i didnt even think about carbon vs ss for this, but it makes sense: as carbon is going.to be both easier to work / shape should also be tougher / tolerate getting banged around against metal pans and grills better. i do most of my cooking in a forged iron pan anyway, so having a carbon steel spatula makes the OCD part of my brain all happy.

What carbon steel(s) are you thinking of? Grain/carbide refinement would be far less important than springyness and toughness. Reactivity / patina stability would also be a consideration. W2? O1? L-6? I dunno; you're the steel expert.
 
Justin,
I would use the O-1 and L-6 mix that I am most familiar with. I can temper it back so that it is springy and not brittle at all.
This mix patinas easily, but once formed the patina is stable, and since I will be doing the etching it will be pre-patinaed.

Taylor, A gravy ladle? now there is a challenge, I love it!!!

Del
 
So if anybody has any type of spoon they would like, bring it on, feed my obsession. I am sure there are a lot of spoons I don't even know about,
Del

How about grapefruit spoons? Here are two pictures of a couple of grapefruit spoons that I have, they have to be very old.

I think the design is perfect for getting the sections out of half a grapefruit. I have never see another design that compares to these, they have the right taper.

They are marked, "Pat.Nov.29,1910 WM Rogers & Son AA".




2-4+HDR Pro+PS.jpg


5-7HDR Pro+PS.jpg
 
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