A Kuksa is a hand carved cup made by the Sami people of Finland that respects their ancestral traditions thay can only be made by your own hands or be given to you.
Depsite being lightweight, they are designed to be strong and functional used to gather berries and to eat from as well as to be used for drinking. Washing it may lose its lucky side, so the Sami would simply rinse it in the nearest stream or lake.
Tools traditionally used to carve your Kuksa from this roughed out blank would be a spoon knife and short bladed knife starting with hollowing the inside before shaping the outside. Once the shape is finished and sanded, it can be hardened using a natural neutral flavoured food safe oil including mineral oil, linseed or walnut. This will penetrate the wood pores to harden and solidify the surface against oxygen.
You should never: use dishwashing liquid on a kuksa, pour boiling water straight from the kettle into a kuksa, leave alcohol in your kuksa - even for a few hours, store in an airtight place - it needs to breath.
Soft, clear, free from knots, cracks and imperfections Lime is extremely mild to work with, yet also capable of holding very fine detail. Also known as linden or basswood, it is perfect for beginners and skilled carvers alike, it has been the preferred wood for woodcarving since the days of master carver Grinling Gibbons in the late 1600s.
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Total length: 140mm approx
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Thickness: 48mm approx
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Bowl width: 75mm approx
- Made in Czechia
Some finished shape examples:
