Littledeer: Canadian Wooden Spoons that Last a Lifetime
I’ve been accused of being a hippie more than once, thanks to my love of nature, growing food, and sustainability. For these reasons, I was instantly drawn to Littledeer. The heading on their website, “Handmade in Canada for over 30 years,” first captured my attention, and the more I learned about their company and the principles they follow, the more I knew that we chose the perfect folks to supply our latest collection of kitchen tools.
If you were to build two perfect backstories for folks who handmade wooden spoons, you could not write better ones than those of Tom Littledeer and Sharon Wall. Tom was born on a farm, learning to grow food and build things from a young age. As an adult, he studied fluid dynamics and Pure and Applied Sciences, informing his ability to design and invent. Conversely, Sharon grew up designing and practicing photography before managing in both theatre and film. Both hold a strong connection to food and living in harmony with nature.
Tom started off designing scoop-shaped canoe paddles in the 80s, but the miniature promotional paddles he crafted to promote them, as well as spoons gifted to friends and family, proved extremely popular. Littledeer officially launched with a small lineup in 1995, and they have since sold over one million of their handmade Canadian spoons and paddles.
While a good backstory is one thing, how Littledeer operates is equally impressive. They manufacture their products from maple, known to be heat-resistant and long-lasting, and Littledeer spoons have been known to last decades with proper care. Longer-lasting tools mean less production and less waste, something we’re intimately familiar with at Knifewear. Sawdust and shaving from their production are used in their permaculture gardens and for mushroom-growing medium, which in turn feeds folks at Littledeer. They use sustainable practices wherever possible and generate more solar power than any other small business in Quebec. Much like us, they encourage sustainable working habits in a respectful, flexible, and compassionate workplace.
If it’s even possible to criticize Littledeer, the only area that gave me grief was their expansive product line! I get overwhelmed by choice, but lucky for me, our warehouse manager Tiffany has narrowed the selection to their most popular shapes, all of which are ambidextrous or come in right and left-hand options! These are my personal favourites from that selection:
