Mel's Carving Club

What's in the box: The site does not say what each delivery holds, but given the shop's range, expect wood carving projects such as blanks or DIY kits.

Mel's Carving Club comes from Melanie Abrantes Designs, a small studio shop run by founder Melanie Abrantes. The shop sells wood carving kits, Japanese hand-crafted carving tools, spoon blanks and home goods, including a cork collection. The site links to the club but doesn't explain on its main pages how the subscription works, what each delivery includes or how often it ships. Read the club page carefully before you sign up. Carving is clearly central to the shop. It sells spoon carving kits aimed at beginners and project kits, such as a comb and a flower incense holder, that come without tools. Those suit people who already own a knife and hook. Carving blanks are also sold on their own, so a club built around regular projects fits the rest of the range. The founder also runs in-person carving workshops, now in Porto, Portugal, where students make a wand, spoon or bowl. She also writes a journal about carving and studio life. Together these suggest a working maker behind the brand rather than a reseller. If you want a steady supply of carving projects from a small independent maker, it's worth a look. If you need full details on contents and terms up front, the lack of information may frustrate you.