when made of good wood. Passed around form person to person, it can be admired as much for what it is as for the salad it contains. After use it should be quickly cleaned and oiled. Over time that care builds up a patina that no craftsman can develop in a hurry and it only becomes more lovely while a bowl of plastic, glass, or metal either never changes or more likely deteriorates over time.

A lot of time is spent in the kitchen chopping, mixing and stirring. Spatulas or spoons

Obviously wood turning has been around as craft for a long time. Even the Ancient Egyptians had pictures of wood turners on their pyramid walls. Many towns had their own wood turner and took good care of them. The name Turner appears in our phone books with slightly less frequency than Smith but for the same reason. There were a lot of turners.

A wood turner was needed for the making of "treen," wooden kitchenware such as goblets, mugs, plates, bowls and spoons to name a few. With the advent of the industrial age and ready manufactured metal and pottery utensils the need lessened but price points kept the wood turner in business. Today, however, the spread of super markets, big box stores and dollar outlets with their low cost plastic and stamped metal ware has meant that the price points and especially the lower ones are taken.

In fact, wooden ware of quality is still hand made and far superior to most of the factory generated stuff on the market. This means of course, that hand turned wooden ware is no longer low man on the price war totem pole. Instead, the quality demands a higher price. The question remains however, why would someone prefer a wooden utensil such as a salad bowl, salad servers or a lowly kitchen spatula?

The answer is in the wood itself. More and more wood turners have reached for the most beautiful wood that can be found. Grains and patterns vary from one piece to the next so that not two are the same. A well made piece of treen is not only useful but also a beauty to the eyes.

There is also the strange attraction that wood has to our hands. A well made wooden implement begs to be held and caressed. Often a vase of glass will sit on a shelf to be admired while the same shape in wood will compel a person to cross, room, pick it up, and run their hands over it. Many times the eyes will be closed to better focus the tactile senses.

Even the lowly salad bowl becomes kitchen art when made of good wood. Passed around form person to person, it can be admired as much for what it is as for the salad it contains. After use it should be quickly cleaned and oiled. Over time that care builds up a patina that no craftsman can develop in a hurry and it only becomes more lovely while a bowl of plastic, glass, or metal either never changes or more likely deteriorates over time.

A lot of time is spent in the kitchen chopping, mixing and stirring. Spatulas or spoons m

th the advent of the industrial age and ready manufactured metal and pottery utensils the need lessened but price points kept the wood turner in business. Today, however, the spread of super markets, big box stores and dollar outlets with their low cost plastic and stamped metal ware has meant that the price points and especially the lower ones are taken.

In fact, wooden ware of quality is still hand made and far superior to most of the factory generated stuff on the market. This means of course, that hand turned wooden ware is no longer low man on the price war totem pole. Instead, the quality demands a higher price. The question remains however, why would someone prefer a wooden utensil such as a salad bowl, salad servers or a lowly kitchen spatula?

The answer is in the wood itself. More and more wood turners have reached for the most beautiful wood that can be found. Grains and patterns vary from one piece to the next so that not two are the same. A well made piece of treen is not only useful but also a beauty to the eyes.

There is also the strange attraction that wood has to our hands. A well made wooden implement begs to be held and caressed. Often a vase of glass will sit on a shelf to be admired while the same shape in wood will compel a person to cross, room, pick it up, and run their hands over it. Many times the eyes will be closed to better focus the tactile senses.

Even the lowly salad bowl becomes kitchen art when made of good wood. Passed around form person to person, it can be admired as much for what it is as for the salad it contains. After use it should be quickly cleaned and oiled. Over time that care builds up a patina that no craftsman can develop in a hurry and it only becomes more lovely while a bowl of plastic, glass, or metal either never changes or more likely deteriorates over time.

A lot of time is spent in the kitchen chopping, mixing and stirring. Spatulas or spoons

means of course, that hand turned wooden ware is no longer low man on the price war totem pole. Instead, the quality demands a higher price. The question remains however, why would someone prefer a wooden utensil such as a salad bowl, salad servers or a lowly kitchen spatula?

The answer is in the wood itself. More and more wood turners have reached for the most beautiful wood that can be found. Grains and patterns vary from one piece to the next so that not two are the same. A well made piece of treen is not only useful but also a beauty to the eyes.

There is also the strange attraction that wood has to our hands. A well made wooden implement begs to be held and caressed. Often a vase of glass will sit on a shelf to be admired while the same shape in wood will compel a person to cross, room, pick it up, and run their hands over it. Many times the eyes will be closed to better focus the tactile senses.

Even the lowly salad bowl becomes kitchen art when made of good wood. Passed around form person to person, it can be admired as much for what it is as for the salad it contains. After use it should be quickly cleaned and oiled. Over time that care builds up a patina that no craftsman can develop in a hurry and it only becomes more lovely while a bowl of plastic, glass, or metal either never changes or more likely deteriorates over time.

A lot of time is spent in the kitchen chopping, mixing and stirring. Spatulas or spoons

ell made piece of treen is not only useful but also a beauty to the eyes.

There is also the strange attraction that wood has to our hands. A well made wooden implement begs to be held and caressed. Often a vase of glass will sit on a shelf to be admired while the same shape in wood will compel a person to cross, room, pick it up, and run their hands over it. Many times the eyes will be closed to better focus the tactile senses.

Even the lowly salad bowl becomes kitchen art when made of good wood. Passed around form person to person, it can be admired as much for what it is as for the salad it contains. After use it should be quickly cleaned and oiled. Over time that care builds up a patina that no craftsman can develop in a hurry and it only becomes more lovely while a bowl of plastic, glass, or metal either never changes or more likely deteriorates over time.

A lot of time is spent in the kitchen chopping, mixing and stirring. Spatulas or spoons

when made of good wood. Passed around form person to person, it can be admired as much for what it is as for the salad it contains. After use it should be quickly cleaned and oiled. Over time that care builds up a patina that no craftsman can develop in a hurry and it only becomes more lovely while a bowl of plastic, glass, or metal either never changes or more likely deteriorates over time.

A lot of time is spent in the kitchen chopping, mixing and stirring. Spatulas or spoons may be made of metal, plastic or wood. Often with our modern, no stick finishes on our pots and pans we prefer not to use metal. Plastic however seems to have no "soul." Wood speaks of life and living having been made from a living and easily renewable resource. Once again the question of tactility and feel come into play. Why use a tool that is lifeless in the hand when a wooden one looks better, works at least as well and feels good to the hand?

The wood turner still has a place in supplying our every day needs and will as long as people approach the kitchen as a place to live and enjoy life while performing the simple task of preparing food. Still others will be well served in the pleasure of eating in the presence of beautiful wooden things.