pivot

Pivot cuts are an underappreciated part of the spoon carving arsenal. There are only a few I use, mostly to cut the rim of the bowl, but their ability to stop on a dime, with control, and to exert force using mechanical advantage allows for careful, exact work that never runs the risk of being out of control.

The thing that makes a successful pivot is the pivot point, or fulcrum. This is the connection around which the force rotates. It is not just for show, nor is it an arbitrary connection. Whenever I see people struggling to remember how to do the pivot cuts, it is because they have forgotten to prioritize this pivot point, treating it instead like some artifact that they know they need to maintain but not actually using it.

Everything is about the pivot point. Pivot cuts are not pull cuts where you happen to be holding a pivot point. Pivot cuts are not push cuts where you happen to be holding this connection. Pivot cuts truly pivot around this connection. You need to commit to that.

For a step by step breakdown of the two most common pivot cuts that I use to cut the bowl rims of my spoons, check out my IGTV.