Traditional Romani (Gypsy) Spoon Carver
With the exception of chopsticks, which I also make, and also the occasional shamoji (rice paddle), all products are original Rom Polska, either Veshtike or Bergtike, in design and execution with some having undergone a slight design improvement, such as in the case of the butter/pate spreader “knives”.
I come from a family, from my mother's side, that's the Rom Polska side, of knife makers and spoon carvers and, seeing the amount of wood that was going to waste in the woodland and tree maintenance operations in park management I decided to pick up my tools again some years ago and follow, once again, the the footsteps of my ancestors, and to do my carvings in the traditional way in honor of my People.
Sure, I could have gone for other styles such as the Scandinavian, the English, the Russian, or, on the Romani side even the style of the Romanian Roma, but the Rom Polska style is what I learned as a Chavo (boy) and it just came back more or less automatically, and I also wanted to revive many of the old designs of my People.
Do the old crafts of our Romani People still have a future, some may ask. Well, they do and they can make money for the artisan as long as the marketing is got right, and that is where often the problem lies, also the pricing must not bee too cheap. They also should remain having a future for they are part of our heritage.
All my work can be purchased via the website and I ship worldwide. Shipping and handling cost depends on destination.
2024 © Michael Smith (Veshengro)
