Ultimate Kitchen ToolsHand-carved in northern Michigan

Wooden kitchen tools, carved one at a time

Chris Rounds has been carving since he was nine years old. These days it is mostly kitchen tools: chef's tools, ladles, spatulas, cheese boards, and old maple bowls brought back to life. Everything is made by hand in northern Michigan, signed, and numbered.

See the tools Find us at a show

Chris Rounds carving a wooden spoon in his workshop, with finished spoons and boards hanging on the wall behind him
Hand-carved in the USAEvery piece, by Chris, in northern Michigan
Free personalizationA short message on most tools, at no charge
Signed and numberedNo two pieces come out the same

Where to find Chris next

He carves at the booth through the whole show, so come watch a spoon get made.

Get show dates by email

A few of them

Chef's Tool

Chef's Tool

$70 to $80
Northern Michigan Soup Ladle

Northern Michigan Soup Ladle

$125 to $150
Plain Old Wooden Spoon

Plain Old Wooden Spoon

$70 to $80
Scottish Spurtle

Scottish Spurtle

$35
Bacon Flipper / Muffin Getter

Bacon Flipper / Muffin Getter

$35
Universal Spatula

Universal Spatula

$75

All 22 tools

A rack of hand-carved wooden spoons and ladles hanging at the booth

“I love woodcarving. When I was 9 years old, my scoutmaster, who was of Native American heritage and also an excellent woodcarver, introduced me to it. Over the years I've carved bowls, birds, ducks, signs, caricatures, and most recently a wide variety of handy wooden kitchen tools.”

Chris Rounds

More about Chris

Questions people ask

Can you put a name or a date on it?

Yes, and it does not cost extra. Most of the kitchen tools can be personalized with a short message. Chris writes in cursive, so keep it short.

How long does an order take?

Everything is carved by hand, by Chris, one piece at a time. There is no factory behind this. If you need something for a holiday or a wedding, ask early rather than late.

What wood is it?

Usually walnut or cherry, often cut in northern Michigan. Some pieces use curly maple, bird's eye maple or Osage orange. The boards and bowls follow whatever interesting shapes Chris has found.

Is every one the same?

The design and the specs are. A Chef's Tool is made to the same shape every time, so it works like every other one. It is all custom made by hand, so a handle can run a little longer or shorter and the tolerances come out slightly differently from one piece to the next. Boards and bowls are the exception: those follow the shape of the wood, so each one is its own piece.

How do I buy one?

Email or call Chris. He also sells in person at art shows around Michigan.