Tonights demo is a “Spork” It is a tool that was used by the “mountain men” in the 1800’s so that they only had to keep up with one eating utensil.

 We start with a bar of 1/4″ X 1/2″ about 4 to 6 inches long.

When I am making a fork, any kind of fork, I start by tapering the bar to a point. This makes it easier to split in the center and also starts the taper of my tines of the fork. It is easier to hit the center of a point that it is to gauge the center of a flat bar, at least for me it is.

 With a hot cutter, I split the forks 1/2 on one side and 1/2 on the other.

After I split it with a hot cutter, I take a good heat and clamp it in the vice and use a rounded end punch with about a 3/16″ radius on the end and bottom out the end of my sharp cut. This cleans up the bottom of the split and saves a lot of hot rasping and grinding on the finished product.

 Actually at this point I spread the tines out to where they are almost a “T” and finish drawing them to a sharp point.

I want to work the T out good and smooth and round off the sharp edges.

 I draw the tines out to where they are even (both the same length) this is harder than it looks.

 Then over the horn we turn them back into the shape of the fork.

Using the edge of my hammer as a top fuller and the corner of my anvil as a bottom fuller, we start necking down and rounding up the stock right behind the tines

This is done by tilting your hammer and hitting straight down.

Then I come over to the horn of the anvil and I close up the forks a little bit more.

Now I take a 1/2 round file give a couple of licks just to sharpen the points up and start the spread for the handle just slightly.

 Before I spread the center, I usually make the spoon on the other end. I need to get my ducks in a row.

Now I start the spoon by hammer the corner of the iron back into itself and letting it spread. I do this on both sides.

Now, when I hammer it back flat (to 1/4″ thickness), It generates a radiused end. Then I use my hammer as a top fuller, the edge of my anvil as a bottom fuller and start thinning and rounding the neck.

Then I use the cross-pien on the horn of the anvil to spread out and thin what will become my spoon end. The top of the horn acts as a bottom fuller and the cross-pien acts as a bottom fuller to cause the metal to spread and become wider.

Cross pien acts as the “Top” fuller, not the bottom fuller. Sorry. Can’t hear to good tonight. Horn acts as the bottom fuller.:)

Then using the heel of my hammer across the face of the anvil, I draw the stock down even thinner and out a point similar to a clip on a horse shoe.

After we get this form I use the file again just to round it up and smooth it up just a little. All it takes is a couple of licks while it is at a good red heat.

After it is cleaned up, we use a ball-pien hammer and a forming block (I bought mine from Kayne & Son) which works very well. (a wooden block will work also).

I clamp the forming block in the vice, use a ball-pien hammer to form the spoon.

Now at this point, after I have the spoon on one end and the fork on the other, I spread the center with a cross-pien and using the step of the anvil and the cross pien, I concave the handle portion slightly. come over the horn of the anvil and give the handle of the section a little bit of a radius so it fits the hand nicely.

and it should look something like this. I am sorry for having this out of order.

I do tilt the spoon and the fork upward just a little bit over the horn of the anvil so that when held in the hand the spoon and the fork are both level.

Any questions?

whats the overall length when your finished?

NICE Spork Bill–haven’t seen one at any of the Black Powder meeting Ive been to atlest not yet 🙂

 Question, how do you keep the beans from dripping whilst sticking the meat???

great job Bill and Sharon! it looks like it would sell great in places where camping and hunting is a big thing!

It comes out about 8″ long.

You can only eat w/one end at a time, otherwise you get juice all over your face.

This is a fun project. Takes about 30 minutes to make one. Sells for about $20.

Could a 4″ thick lead block be used as a forming tool for the spoon, or would it melt the lead?

What size stock would you have to use in order to make it big enough to use when frying fish?

 30 min for who to make???:)

Lead doesn’t work too well. The hot iron will will cause the lead to splatter and get all over you as well as anyone stand around you.

Leah, 1/4″ X 3/4″ X 8″ long.

Well Ill be durned. A spork, huh? Interesting

That helps a lot. I tried a fork once. Lost one of the tines and haven’t tried it again. But I will definitely get some made, now. I made a carving knife for my wife, but put the fork on hold until I could get a good one made.

Uncle-Goodcrank where is Jackson calif near ?,northern calif heren

 By using that rounded punch, after making your split, will save you a lot of clean up time on your finished fork. This is something I do on BBQ forks as well, just to make the center of the tines smooth.

A fork to go with the knife would make a good Mother’s Day present. 🙂

 Especially if she is a camper or a buckskinner:)

When we camp, we either fry fish or barbeque, this would be a good way to cut down on dishes.