Wille & Jögge Sundqvist

The fundraiser yesterday was a huge success, thanks go out to people all around the world. (Jogge has to be careful in that photo above, he's almost got a smile started.) First, this note from Jogge's Facebook post this morning -

"A big and humble Thank You! to all the fundraisers for Willes tools. Some words explaining this situation: The auction after my father is set up by the new owner, his widow, who now is the owner of the estate. I´ve been really thinking about how to solve this. I would like my father's tools to be owned and used by the people who knew him and who can tell the outside world about the importance he had for the spoons, for carving and for spreading slöjd internationally. We are three brothers who had to buy out some tools before the auction. With the help of the GoFundMe money, we can now inherit those tools free of charge. There is also an idea that Bjurholm municipality should set up a memorial room after Wille where some tools and implements can be found. Any surplus of the sum will be added to the Sundqvist-Coperthwaite Fellowship. Again, deep thanks!"

Drew Langsner & Wille Sundqvist

I have written before about Wille's impact on the green woodworking sphere - it was through working with Wille that Drew & Louise Langsner got the inspiration to start their school Country Workshops, which they ran for 40 years. I started there in 1980 and was in & out of there a lot over the years.

I'm going to carve out time (did you like that play on words?) this weekend to watch again the film Jogge made about his father's career The Spoon, the Bowl and the Knife - the physical disc you can buy here https://pinewoodforge.com/product/the-spoon-the-bowl-the-knife-dvd/ or the streaming version here - https://www.lie-nielsen.com/products/the-spoon-the-bowl-and-the-knife

Wille Sundqvist spoon