Custom V-Carved Pine Sign: The Bear Spaw

Oh man, this one was fun to make.

This was a custom v-carved sign done as a gift from one friend to another, which is honestly my favourite kind of project. It’s cut from solid pine, v-carved on the CNC, then hand paint-filled with green acrylic to really make the lettering and artwork pop against the wood grain. After that it’s sealed up so it’s meant to be handled, hung, and actually enjoyed, not babied.

The design itself leans hard into clean lines and contrast. Pine gets a bad rap sometimes, but when you let the grain do its thing and pair it with crisp carving and paint fill, it absolutely holds its own. You get warmth, texture, and a bit of character that you just don’t get from engineered materials.

This one’s a good example of what I like doing best: taking a customer’s idea, tightening it up just enough, and turning it into something solid, personal, and built to last. If you’re looking for a one-off piece with meaning behind it, whether it’s a gift or something for your own space, this is very much my wheelhouse.