➡️ I have the great notes from Shibano-先生 from 2025
Materials
In China, they used to be made of gold, silver or bamboo
The first 茶杓 were imported from China, and made of ivory (牙 or 骨). The Japanese copied these in bamboo, leading to the first 節無-style.
In Japan, they are made from ivory, too, water buffalo horn (水牛), tortoise shell (鼈甲); and of course, bamboo
There are also pieces made from plain wood (cherry, apricot; but also pine, plum), and lacquered ones
Carving
You can buy 荒曲げ茶杓 (pre-bent blanks) and start your carving from there.
Shape
They are usually 18 cm long (= 12.5 畳 weaves); but, for example, 利休's student 勢田掃部 had a famous, large 茶碗, so the 茶杓 利休 made for it was 14.5 weaves long (CQ21)
When 利休 carved 茶杓, he always wanted to have the 茶入 or the 茶碗 it was to be used with to be next to him (Nampō Roku 7-17). Burkus thus argues that a 茶杓 is specific to a 茶入 (or in rare cases, the 茶碗).
There are also scoops with seven nodes, good for auspicious situations (sais mihara)
They should have a grove or gutter (called 樋); and if the grove is above the node (in direction of the bamboo's growth, it's called 本樋 or 順樋; otherwise it's 逆樋). 利休 seemed to prefer the latter.
He was also fond of raised waist shape called 蟻腰, which supposedly is really hard with 順樋 茶杓.
Points of interest are thus the tip, the grove, the bending, the node and how it is cut at the end.
Ranking
武野紹鴎 is said to have invented the 止節-shape; and 利休 then the 中節
Comes with a 共筒; but you could have a 仕覆 for the 茶杓, one for the 共筒, and put all of that into one or two boxes.
It's the only 道具 that officially a host can make and use themselves. Cadwallader suggests to only use a 茶杓 you carved for 薄茶.
名物
泪 is said to have been carved when 利休 was waiting for the official who was supposed to witness his suicide (CQ21). It was sent to 織部, who treasured it greatly (CQ21).