I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that you need to keep your tools sharp. The same holds true for proper technique when using your tools. What has stuck out in my mind though is that when you get it all right you can make the wood give off some really long shavings and not just little chips and dust.

I think I finally started to “get it” this weekend…

Best of all, some of the longest ribbons of wood came when some of the kids in the neighborhood took some time out of their busy schedule of playing to stop and watch for a moment. It’s always fun to do a little extra showmanship for the kids whenever you can!

In the end I had a nice large pile of loooong wood shavings. Oh, and a pretty nice little vase too if I may say so myself.