Alien Spoons reviews

12 Jul 20'

Gary Reid reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"My first spoon carving experience! Lots of fun and no injuries :) Allan is a great teacher and I learned a lot in one day, will be back to do more. The home baked food and coffee was amazing too. Thanks again Gary"

8 Jul 20'

Rick reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"It was my first Spoon Carving Workshop and it was perfect for me as a beginner! I could fix a lot of doubts and questions, Alan is a very nice, patient and passionate teacher! We went through all the different steps and details about wood splitting, types of wood, setting the billett and also knife grips, axe grips, different kind of axes and knives, how to make your own handmade knife sheath, an overview on the many different spoon styles, shapes and sizes and much more! On top of that, I could enjoy a few breaks with the delicious food and hot drinks provided by Alan's partner during the day! I totally recommend spending a nice day with Alan, especially if you're a beginner! It's worth every penny!"

22 Mar 20'

Margaret Forrest reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"I was delighted to attend this course with my daughter, Linda. Alan is an excellent teacher: patient, clear and encouraging. He took great care to show us how to work safely with the tools, avoiding cuts, jabs and RSI. A big thank you also to Alan's partner who provided us with delicious food throughout the day. I would highly recommend Alan's wooden spoon carving course!"

15 Mar 20'

Linda reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"I gave this course to my Mum for her birthday this year (and then came along with her!). We had a great day and came away with a spoon each. Alan is a patient and engaging teacher, the class size was nice and small, the atmosphere relaxed and we enjoyed the tasty snacks made by Alan's partner. Thank you Alan!"

15 Mar 20'

Stewart reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"An excellent, enjoyable and satisfying day! As a complete novice, Alan's calm and expert tuition enabled me to turn a lump of wood into a spoon. Amazing! The pace of the day, with lovely food and drinks provided during breaks by Alan's partner, was perfect. Thank you."

15 Mar 20'

Karen Bouissou reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"I had never attempted any knife work before and found this one day course to be very inspiring! Alan is very knowledgeable, and very patient with novices which I appreciated. Great fun!"

15 Mar 20'

lis collyer reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Fantastic day ! We all produced spoons to be proud of and there were plenty of breaks with drinks and delicious food made by Alan's partner. It was a fun day for us all and Alan is a very patient teacher."

25 Feb 20'

Robin Harris reviewed: Dala horse carving

"Excellent course, excellent tutor - Really valuable to receive expert guidance on various carving techniques. Fun, enjoyable and useful for myself as a novice woodworker and for the 13 year old girl I was accompanying as well. Great cake too :) Highly recommended for all ages and abilities"

24 Feb 20'

Craig reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Good paced and informative course. Fun day out. Lots of hands on carving time and advice from Alan. Good taster experience. Great food and snacks from Alan's wife during the day too. Would recommend ."

10 Feb 20'

Alan reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Warm welcome, and the class was informative and fun!"

6 Feb 20'

Niall reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"A great day working from log to spoon in a relaxed environment with fantastic food. Alan takes you through axe and knife work alongside safety advice and even stretches to keep your body working, and all the while giving glimpses of what more is possible with practice and exploration. All the way through he very patiently explains and encourages and I left satisfied with a productive day, and keen to continue."

27 Jan 20'

Iain Moffat reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Had a really fun and informative day with Alan. His tutoring is patient, knowledgeable and articulate. The small group of four is an ideal size with plenty of time for personal tuition as well as group instruction. The other three on the course added to the enjoyment and the day, unfortunately, seemed to fly by! We all left with a spoon of some sort and an enthusiasm to have another go on our own. The day was punctuated by tea, coffee, fabulous home baking and a cooked lunch. To be recommended."

26 Jan 20'

Denis Monks reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Had a really great time on this course today. Alan is very knowledgeable about his craft and is clear and precise when giving out instructions on how to handle the tools in a safe manner, and, how to make the type of cuts required to carve a spoon. We were also treated to some really tasty home cooked refreshments from Sim. The day was made even better by the other people who attended the session. Would highly recommend Alan’s course to anyone interested."

25 Jan 20'

Colin Feesey reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"This was a fantastic day, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Alan has a personable approach, and takes care to teach you skills and safety in the use of axes and knives for wood carving. We were then supported as a small group to carve our own spoons starting with a log. He really knows what he is doing and offers encouragement and guidance every step of the way. The lunch provided was delicious, and we had scones in the morning and cake in the afternoon, all homemade."

6 Jan 20'

renaud barbier reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"A day I really enjoyed. Small group of four that left plenty of time for Alan to answer our questions and assist us. We learned about the tools and their maintenance, safety and technique to carve a spoon. Looking forward to buy a few tools and improve this skill. Thanks Alan."

10 Dec 19'

Craig reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Alan provided an excellent introduction to spoon carving. He led a thoroughly enjoyable day, explaining the different tools we'd be using, and the techniques that we'd be learning to help carve efficiently, and most importantly to keep ourselves safe. The course was a great mix of demonstrations from Alan, with loads of time to get stuck into carving our spoons. Alan was also happy to answer questions and provide more specific advice as we progressed with our carving. We were all kept extremely well fed and watered throughout the day, with regular breaks to recharge, and a fantastic lunch provided by Alan's partner. I would absolutely recommend this course to anyone looking to try their hand at spoon carving!"

9 Dec 19'

Fraser reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Really great day. Was taught about all the techniques and tools needed to carve a spoon, and by the end of day had great wee spoon. There was lots of inspiration form books and spoons Allan had made. Plenty of breaks to keep you focused and the cake and soup were excellent. Most enjoyable."

28 Nov 19'

John K McGregor reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"What a wonderful day that was. Working away in the conservatory with the rain battering off of the roof, the smell of the wood shavings, everyone concentrating on their own creations, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a wet Saturday. Alan’s teaching was very relaxed and informative and we were all carving away after no time at all. All the safety techniques and easy ways to carve were taught as well as looking after our bodies with rest and exercising those unused muscles. We were looked after royally by Alan’s wife who made delicious scones soup and cakes washed down with lashings of coffee, excellent. I would highly recommend this course, even for existing spoon makers there is something new to learn. I will be very interested in any other courses he teaches."

25 Nov 19'

Heidi Armbrecht reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"This is an excellent course. Allan is a very good teacher very experienced and patient and with a passion for his craft. I learned a lot, and at the end of the day had a beautiful cherry wood spoon. The food was excellent. Thank you"

22 Oct 19'

Tiago reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"The day goes by fast and by the end of it I was holding in my hand something that resembled a soup spoon. I went from looking dumbfounded by the log of green wood and axe in front of me to confidently (maybe a bit too confidently) slicing the back of the spoon bowl with the guided-pull knife grasp. Alan teaches by providing the learner with the essential types of knife cut one can do with a straight knife and a hook knife in order to get nice spoons. Towards the end he also showed us a bit of chip carving. Food is provided along the day. Alan also follows up the course by sending you some PDF files with how to finish your spoons and where to take your newly learnt craft to higher places. I was impressed by the course. Highly recommended!"

7 Oct 19'

Lawrie reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Alan is a great teacher - showing us all the tools and techniques to safely start spoon carving. He made sure everyone was getting on well, understood everything and left with a spoon and the knowledge and confidence to carry on carving. Add to that the fantastic lunch and homemade cakes, and it was a brilliant day. Thanks!"

7 Oct 19'

Ryan reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Such a fantastic course and you'll certainly come away with the knowledge to keep crafting other things (starting by adding the finishing touches to your spoon at home like me!) using the fundamentals you learn here. It's an intensive day but there's a lot to cover, and Alan does a good job of running through it in stages whilst keeping us fed and watered with coffee and homemade treats: his wife should be doing a craft course on baking! It is tricky at first, but listen to his advice and tips and you'll be carving easily in no time. He even offered a second piece of wood for us to start something new at home ourselves, which I've put the in the freezer to keep fresh (great advice!) whilst I finish my first spoon. So for anyone who wants to pick up a but of whittling but needs some guided lessons to build confidence, and who enjoys vegan bakes and soups, this course is certainly up your street. I hope I keep it up!"

5 Oct 19'

Damien reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"Just finished the workshop with Alan. Great day, intensive, insightful and delightful. Alan is a well of knowledge (we got demonstrated a lot of carving and cutting techniques in particular), time flew during those 8 hours!!! We all ended up with a nice spoon carved by our non-expert hands. Alan was always there to give the right tip at the right time. Icing on the cake (no joke), we got amazingly fed with vegan food (great soup) and lots of homemade cakes and breads. Tea, coffee on the plenty. Can only recommend!!!"

3 Jun 19'

Mags Donaldson reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"I really enjoyed this course. Alan is a great teacher - lots of information, good techniques given, but in a lovely informal way. He even provides lunch and cake! While I am a spoon newbie and have never done knifework before, I did end up with something that actually is useable as a spoon! Really pleased with the course and great value for money. Thanks, Alan! I look forward to a future in carving slightly better spoons."

11 Mar 19'

Hannah Phelan reviewed: Alien spoon carving

"I recently booked my partner on an Alien Spoons course for his birthday. I was really reassured by Alan's speedy and friendly reply to emails and all the information that he provided. I wish I could have joined! The course was enjoyed immensely and has provided a new enthusiasm and direction for future spoon making projects. Many thanks to Alan and I would really recommend this to anyone."