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T H E H A N D C A R V E D B O W L

Chapter 1 | H A R V E S T

QUICK BASICS OF GREEN WOOD

Freshly harvested (green), wood has very high moisture content, which makes it

considerably easier to work than dry wood, especially with hand tools. This high

moisture content also poses a greater risk of wood movement and cracking while drying,

both in log form and while being carved. It then becomes the carver’s responsibility to

get to know the material better so its drying and movement can be managed throughout

the entire process.

Caring for the material from the

time of harvest, through its stor-

age, and while carving, will greatly

lower the risk of losing the mate-

rial to preventable losses—but be

forewarned, there will always be

risk involved while using this nat-

ural material, and that’s just part

of the process, too. If you want to

give yourself the best chance to

end up with a crack-free piece,

it’s imperative that measures are

taken to slow the drying that will

inevitably take place as soon as a

tree is cut or a section of a log is

portioned out.

WOOD FIBERS

Wood fibers run the length of a

tree, much like a bunch of straws

bundled together. Small systems

within these fibers carry water

and nutrients from the roots to

the branches and leaves while the

fibers provide the structural integ-

rity of the wood. Collectively, this

structure is known as wood grain,

and the conditions under which a

tree grows influence how the fibers

grow, how the grain presents itself

within a log, and how that grain

can be worked with tools.

MOISTURE LOSS

When you fell a tree, these fibers

and all water-carrying systems

are cut and the tree immediately

begins to lose moisture out of its

exposed ends. As the ends begin

to dry, the water leaves the cells

of the tree and they shrink, while

the center retains much of its

moisture and shape. This causes

tension and the log cracks at the

ends, also known as checking.