making musical spoons
Musical spoons are traditionally made in Quebec from hardwoods. The logs must be collected in winter, when the trees are dormant and the wood is not engorged with sap. The logs are then cut into planks thick enough to carve the spoons.
Then the pieces of wood are stacked for drying, well sheltered from the sun and rain. It takes at least three or four years for outdoor air drying of hardwood pieces of this thickness, but even after this period, kiln drying must be completed to obtain an acceptable moisture level to ensure good wood stability and prevent the spoons from warping afterwards.
The following steps take place in the workshop. The spoons are cut, drilled, sanded, and decorative elements are added that contribute to making them original and unique models.
The most important and also the most delicate operation remains to be done. It is the tuning by which the instrument is calibrated so that it acquires enough flexibility and spring to respond very quickly to the rapid succession of percussions. This is what will make it an easy-to-play instrument of high technical quality.
An oil finish is then applied to harden the surface and protect the wood. All that remains is to polish the spoons to make them smooth and pleasant to the touch, thus preventing them from injuring the fingers and hands of valiant players.
All these manufacturing steps are carried out manually and with the greatest care in our workshop. Each pair of spoons is signed by hand.
Small details...
Our musical spoons are made from first-quality maple wood. The insertions and decorative elements are made from wood with contrasting natural tones or dyed maple wood.
The finish is applied with a non-toxic oil that protects the natural beauty of the wood and hardens the surface to produce a drier sound upon impact of the two spoons.