Konsten att tälja (The Art of Whittling), Niklas Karlsson

Niklas Karlsson is a professional craftsman specialising in hand tools. In The Art of Whittling you learn the basics of carving useful objects with knife and axe. His beautiful ladles, spatulas and other items are used by many people who want to get the plastic out of their kitchen. As well as sharing his knowledge of carving, Niklas gives plenty of tips on tools and on building your own shaving horse and improving your chopping block. Gathering materials is an important part, as is finishing with oil and paint. There is also good advice for those who want to decorate their work, build a simple shelf or make a birch-bark box.

Niklas Karlsson's blog ahardslojdlife in Hemslöjd magazine has followers all over the world. The book was first published in the UK in 2017 as The Art of Whittling, and the Swedish edition followed in 2018.

Niklas describes a personal journey from childhood summers in southern Lapland, growing up in the suburbs of Stockholm, his folk high school years in Västerbotten and craft school in Stockholm. Today he lives with his family in Hälsingland by the river Ljusnan. His path has taken in most things to do with wood, from the silver soldering of knife-making to the powerfully worked surfaces of carpentry. He teaches classes and workshops, exhibits, and you can watch him at work in instructional videos on YouTube.