HOW CAN I PURCHASE A BOWL?

Because our inventory changes so frequently, and each bowl is truly one of a kind, it is difficult to purchase them from a website. If you see a bowl in the Photo Gallery that you like, please contact us as soon as possible. We will be happy to ship it to you if the bowl is still in our inventory. If that particular bowl, however, has already found a home with someone else, we will do our best to make you one like it out of similar  wood and  design. Please  keep in mind that each piece of wood is unique and we cannot guarantee that one bowl will look exactly like another. We often e-mail digital photos of bowls to customers so that they can choose a bowl from the convenience of their home and are able to “see” what our most current inventory is.

HOW DO I CARE FOR MY BOWL?

We recommend you care for your bowl as you would a fine cutting board. Simply wash it out with mild soap as needed (our bowls are food-safe), then dry it immediately with a soft cloth. It will need re-oiling occasionally and we recommend that you use a high quality oil such as olive oil or mineral oil. We do NOT advocate using vegetable oil as it can become rancid. Do not immerse your bowl in water for any length of time, but rather use a soapy sponge or cloth and rinse and dry immediately. Remember, wood loves oil and hates water! If it looks “thirsty,” oil it.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A BOWL?

This is the question that we are asked the most! After finding a fallen tree that is the right size and condition to use, we cut the wood up into lengths and haul it home to the bowl barn. When it has seasoned long enough (green wood doesn’t chop well) it is sawn into rough blocks. (See Photo Gallery.) Each bowl is then designed, marked, and chopped out with an adz and a hatchet. Rough-chopped bowls are put into plastic bags to slow the drying process and avoid checking  (cracking.) Each wood dries at its own rate, but when it is “dry enough” it is then sanded with different grades  of grit to a smooth finish. The sanding process often takes longer than the chopping stage! The bowls are finally hand-oiled with Danish oil and the maker’s mark (“RR” for Robbie Robertson) and the bowl’s identifying number and description (i.e.,  magnolia, pecan, Katrina debris, etc.)  is wood-burned onto the bottom and the bowl is complete. So how long does it take to make a bowl? It’s hard to say exactly, but an average time from start to finish is 4 months, so if you’re wanting a bowl from your wood for Christmas, we recommend you give us a call in July or August, and if it’s a Mother’s Day gift you’re planning, let us hear from you by January. It may not take that long, but it’s always better to allow plenty of time.

WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE TO MAKE YOUR BOWLS?

Our bowl-making tools are fairly simple: a chain saw with which to harvest the wood (plus sharpening tools) a Swiss-made adz and a hatchet to hew the bowl (plus sharpening tools), plastic/paper bags for drying, a random-orbital sander, lots of sanding pads, gallons of Danish oil, and a wood-burning tool. Oh, and LOTS of patience!

WHAT TYPES OF WOOD DO YOU USE?

We use native southern hardwoods, and each wood has its own unique characteristics. For instance,  Cherry is an extremely dense wood and thus makes a heavier bowl than some woods. It has a really smooth finish and gradually darkens with age. Pecan usually has lots of black streaks and “character” and is one of our most popular woods. Poplar has a golden hue and is fairly lightweight. Wild plum is hard to find but it’s grain has rosy streaks throughout and is satiny smooth. Magnolia and Sweet Bay are in the same family and are a blonde wood, sometimes with dark streaks. Chinaberry has more of a raised grain and almost tiger-like stripes in its grain. Cypress is blonde and a soft  wood. Other woods used are Elm,  Beech, and Sweet Gum. At this time we do not make bowls out of oak because it cracks so much as it dries--that’s what makes it great for split-oak baskets. We are always looking for new woods to try, so if you have a suggestion, give us a call!

WHAT TYPE OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?

We accept cash, money orders,  and personal checks with I.D. At this time we are not set up to accept credit or debit cards.