| Project by Mark A. DeCou | posted 950 days ago | 2066 views | 3 times favorited | 26 comments | ![]() |
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This cane has been ”SOLD”
Welcome Web Surfers:
If you are surfing looking for a special walking cane on the internet, go toward the bottom of this posting where you’ll find a list of canes that I have built that are ready to ship immediately. Also, there are links to several more customized canes that have already been sold to give you ideas for your own commissioned cane.
You can reach me by emailing to:
mark@decoustudio.com
Or you can visit the DeCou Website
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Project Story
This is a walking cane I built for my uncle who is a professional musician and retired school band teacher. He was in the State visiting our family and I was showing him my collection of brochures I use to market my work and he paused on the walking cane brochure and asked if I could make him one. He said that he is starting to get stiff in the hips and knees and has a hard time stepping out of the car seat, so I built this walking cane for him.
I designed this cane with a music note theme due to his life long love of musc, and I used the notes to the Hymn Amazing Grace as his faith in God is also a strong part of what people know about him.
The notes are raised above the surface and then antique gold painted to accent them. The music score lines are carved into the wood and were stained with dark walnut stain to make the raised ribbon twist up the shaft of the cane accented against the natural color walnut shaft. The handle of this cane is tiger striped maple that I carved a violin style twist on the end and stained it dark so that it looked looks antique, the color of an old Kentucky Flintlock Rifle.
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Cane Sample Slideshow: To hear Music, click the Speaker Icon
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More Walking Sticks & Canes:
If you go to my Mark DeCou Website you won’t find very many canes pictured there. I do realize that I need to invest in improving my website, but until that is accomplished, here are few more of my canes posted at lumberjocks, thanks for your patience.
Handmade Finished Canes For Sale, Ready to Ship Now:
ETSY.com Online Shop Inventory: Click Here to Visit my Cane Inventory Page
Some Cane that are Unsold:- Folk-Art Carved Wood Spirit Hiking Stick, Serial N0. 2009-06
- Folk-Art Carved Pirate Face Cane -Serial No. 2005-16
- Folk-Art Carved Mountain Man Face Cane -Serial No. 2006-03
- Fancy Barley Twisted Ebonized Oak & Elk Antler Cane, Serial No. 2009-05
- Rustic Natural Walking Stick, Nanny McPhee Movie Inspired, Serial No. 2009-07
- Fancy Dress Cane, Curly Ambrosia Maple Handle with Black Spiral Shaft, Serial No. 2008-21
- Fancy Dress Cane, Walnut Bamboo Inspired Shaft, Buffalo Horn Laminated Handle, Serial No. 2008-23
- Scrimshaw Artwork Walnut Cane -Serial No. 2008-08
- Red Oak/Black Lacquered Twisted Cane -Serial No. 2008-14
- Red Oak Barley Twist Walking Cane -Serial No. 2008-15
- Walnut Ball-Top Dress Cane -Serial No. 2008-06
- Walnut Cane with Chrome Ball Knob -Serial No. 2008-20
- Carved Thumbstick Hiking Sticks with Composite Malachite -Serial No. 2008-24
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- Bishop’s Carved Walnut Crosier
- Nascar’s Jimmie Johnson Themed Walking Cane
- Carved Oak Leaf Walking Stick
- Folk-Art Smiling Wood Spirit Face Cane w/ Elk Antler Handle
- Folk-Art Carved Wood Spirit Hiking Stick
- Folk-Art Pirate Carved Face Cane w/ Deer Antler Handle
- Cartoon Character Taz, Folk Art One-of-a-kind Art Cane
- Sculpted Wood Spirit Face Cane
- Folk-Art Wood Spirit Cane w/ Elk Antler Handle & Scrimshaw
- Folk Art Mountain Man Face Cane
- Shamrock Wood Spirit Irish-Theme Face Cane
- Walnut Wood Spirit Face Cane with Antler & Turquoise
- Collection of Face Carved Canes
- Moses-Inspired Face Carved Cane w/ Antler & Turquoise
- Shepherd's Stick, Carved Border Collie Welsh-Style Dog Show Trial Stick
- Carved Oak Leaf Walking Cane with Scrimshaw Artwork
- Amazing Grace Music Notes Carved Cane
- A Lady’s Elegant Red Long-Stem Rose Carved Cane
- Prairie Fire Hand-Carved Hiking Thumb Sticks
- A Folk-Art Carved Albatross Head & Snake Walnut Cane
- Carved Folk-Art Walking Cane; 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' Story Stick with Scrimshaw Artwork-
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- Apache Chief Geronimo Folk-Art Face Cane
- Folk Art Native American Face Cane Set
- Apache Chief Cochise Folk-Art Face Cane
- Folk Art Carved Cane of Shoshone Chief
- Indian Guides Chief Big-Red-Cloud Hiking Stick
- Apache Chief Cochise #2 Folk-Art Face Cane
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- Scrimshaw Art Trophy Buck Deer Head
- Scrimshaw Art Walking Cane: Praying Mantis Insect
- Scrimshaw Art Walking Cane: Floppy Eared Bunny Face & Walnut Barley Twist
- Big & Tall Barley Twisted Oak with Scrimshawn Handle
- Walnut & Curly Maple Cane with Scrimshaw
- Scrimshaw Art Walnut Cane
- Fancy Barley Twist with Scrimshaw Cane
- Lady's Dress Cane, Red Oak, Walnut, Black Lacquer, & Scrimshaw Artwork of a Purple Cone Flower
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- Folk-Art Carved Wood Spirit Hiking Stick
- Nanny McPhee Movie-Inspired Crooked Walking Stick
- Naturally Twisted Tree Sapling Cane
- Naturally Twisted Tree Sapling Walking Stick
- Shepherd's Crook Hiking Stick
- Black Locust Tree Sapling Walking Stick
- Red BirchTree Sapling Hiking Stick
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- Fancy Barley Twisted Ebonized Oak & Elk Antler Cane, Serial No. 2009-05
- Big & Tall Walnut & Maple Barley Twist Custom Cane
- Big & Tall Red Oak and Antler with Scrimshaw Monogram
- White Oak Barley Twist Cane
- Osage Orange Barley Twist Cane
- Walnut & Figured Maple Barley Twist cane
- Black Walnut and Spalted Sycamore Barley Twist
- Red Oak Barley Twist with Black Lacquer
- Red Oak Barley Twist with Walnut Handle
- Dress Cane, Oak Barley Twist with Walnut Ring
- Bryan's Cane, The Start of my Cane Journey
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- Pink Ivory and Elk Antler Dress Walking Stick
- Coiled Ribbon Twisted Spalted White Oak with Walnut Handle
- Polished Black Steer Horn Upright Walking Stick
- Mexican Bocote Wood, Elk Antler Handle with Hand-Wrought Fine Silver End Caps
- Fancy Walking Cane, Camphor Burl, Maple, Bubinga, Whitetail Deer Antler, Inlays & Silver End Caps
- Custom Dress-Up Walking Cane, Walnut shaft with a Camphor Burl Handle
- Walnut & Buffalo Horn Twisted Cane
- White Birch & Buffalo Horn Twisted Cane
- Walnut Bamboo-Style Cane with Chrome Ball Top
- Walnut & Buffalo Horn Dress Cane
- Bird's Eye Maple Cane
- Spalted Sycamore Walking Cane
- Walnut Tall Knob Top Opera Cane
- Zebrawood & Walnut Knob Top Opera Cane
- Dress Cane Set, with several Material Options Shown
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What is Scrimshaw Artwork?:
A Scrimshaw Art Journey: What it is & How to Do it; Five Simple Steps to Success
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Click here to go to My Website page with Walking Canes
- Hatman Jack’s Wichita Hat Works in Wichita, Kansas
- Hutchinson Art Center in Hutchinson, Kansas
- Prairie Past Times Antiques & Crafts in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas
You can contact these gallery stores directly and see what they still have in stock. They will ship to you if you buy something. If you prefer, you can also email me, as I keep fairly current on what is “unsold.”
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Background: My Cane Making Story:
I enjoy sculpting walking canes. Some folks call them Folk-Art Canes, while others call them Artisan Canes, some call them Carved Canes, while others call them Walking Sticks. There is quite a bit of argument about whether something should be called Sculpture or Carving. They could be considered Functional-Art, which is the type of work that I am usually drawn to. No matter what these canes are called, they seem to bring joy to the owners, and I have been asked to make quite a few of them in the past 5-6 years.
I started making canes on the request of a nice married couple I met on a church-building short-term mission trip to Mexico City in the early 1990’s. Several years after our trip, their son-in-law was diagnosed with bone cancer, and so they wanted to get him a specially made cane that he would enjoy using. They had heard from others that I had quit my corporate office job and started doing woodworking full-time. So, they contacted me to make his cane.
Sadly, I also built him a casket, another first for me, about a year later
Since the time I did that first Cane for Bryan, I have enjoyed the work on the canes that I have been able to make, but more importantly, the people that I have been able to meet and help along the journey. I do make a bunch of unique items and furniture, but without a doubt, I receive more correspondence and thank-you cards from cane customers than any of the other items I make, combined. So, they are fun for me to build, and I look forward to each new person and situation.
To keep a handle on all of the memories, I engrave a small serial number on each brass cane tip, and then I keep a detailed database log of each cane, customer, and situation. The list always brings me warm memories each time I scan it and remember the folks that have supported my work over the years, and vice versa.
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Still Want to See more of my work?
Start with each of these links, and they will take you to other organized lists of my other niche products:
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(This text, all photos, project design, are protected by copyright 2007-2009, M.A.DeCou, all rights reserved and protected, ask permission first! Weblinks to this page are permitted)
-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com



































26 comments so far
WayneC
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5950 posts in 988 days
posted 950 days ago
Very nice. I may have to go out and break my leg so I will need one. : ^ )
-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov
Roger Strautman
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534 posts in 1024 days
posted 950 days ago
Mark, your uncle will be so amazed by this awesome cane. That kind of carving can be so tedious at times and you my friend have done a super good job on it.
-- " All Things At First Appear Difficult"
Karson
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25786 posts in 1291 days
posted 950 days ago
Great Job Mark.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
Obi
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2191 posts in 1128 days
posted 950 days ago
I am always amazed at the stuff you create… Beautiful job.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
oscorner
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4572 posts in 1201 days
posted 950 days ago
Beautiful cane, Mark.
-- Jesus is Lord!
David
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1982 posts in 1029 days
posted 950 days ago
Mark – very nice work as always.
-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com
lclashley
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243 posts in 1005 days
posted 950 days ago
Sweet! I noticed one of your older project posts (an entertainment center I think) yesterday that had Amazing Grace carved on the front. I’m also a band director.
dennis mitchell
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3791 posts in 1205 days
posted 950 days ago
amazing work
-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com
Dick, & Barb Cain
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7034 posts in 1190 days
posted 950 days ago
What a great looking cane Mark.
Being a carver myself I know the difficulty of this type of carving.
I’d have to rank you as one of the best.
-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
MsDebbieP
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14152 posts in 1051 days
posted 949 days ago
brilliant, touching, and beautiful !
Not that I’m an expert, but I’m with you, Dick. Amazing stuff
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
JTRid43
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29 posts in 963 days
posted 949 days ago
Mark,
I am in awe of your work. This is a great testimony to your uncles faith and of your love for him. I love the work you did here and the theme of your work is wonderful. I to am a huge lover of all varieties of music from Blue Grass to Rock. It is a wonderful piece and I am sure your uncle was very moved by not only your handy work but the gift from your heart to him. Thank you for sharing your work with us and the story that inspired your creation.
Jeff
-- In His Grip,
PanamaJack
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4447 posts in 968 days
posted 948 days ago
Wow! Great work, great story.
-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,
Diane
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483 posts in 1014 days
posted 947 days ago
Very nice just like all the canes you have made. I love that the music is Amazing Grace.
Diane
-- http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/DMarcella/
Mark A. DeCou
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1537 posts in 1296 days
posted 947 days ago
Thanks everyone, I appreciate the feedback. I emailed with my uncle yesterday and he is going to send me some more photos, since all of the ones I had were crummy. Then I can post some more detail shots showing more of how the carving was done.
-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com
Phil Brown
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218 posts in 949 days
posted 947 days ago
A very eye catching cane.
-- Phil Brown, Ontario
woodspar
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705 posts in 990 days
posted 947 days ago
I think it is so great that the notes actually “spell out” Amazing Grace!” Thanks Mark.
-- John
Max
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14324 posts in 1164 days
posted 947 days ago
Mark,
This is a very nice cane. As always great work.
-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT
tracker
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15 posts in 1024 days
posted 939 days ago
Great work – I would love to be able to carve like that!
-- Scott - Dallas, Texas
Mark A. DeCou
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1537 posts in 1296 days
posted 926 days ago
My Uncle Robert sent me back some better photos from Seattle. Here are a few more details that show the carving and handle. Taking photos of walking canes is difficult. I don’t know why, but they are hard to shoot in detail, right light, and proper color. My Uncle did a much better job than I did getting the details.
-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com
MsDebbieP
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14152 posts in 1051 days
posted 926 days ago
great shots of the handle; you can really see the violin effect. This is so magnificent Mark, it really touches my soul
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
DAN
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6435 posts in 874 days
posted 622 days ago
Beautiful work Mark ! your skills and imagination are boundless.
-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever
darryl
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1392 posts in 1217 days
posted 622 days ago
the carving speaks for itself, there isn’t really anything I can say that hasn’t been said already.
I like how you did the wedged tenon through the handle as well.
again very nice work.
Mark DeCou, the Maloof of canes!
-- www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com
Mark A. DeCou
home | projects | blog
1537 posts in 1296 days
posted 622 days ago
Thanks Dan and Darryl. Darrly, now “that” is a compliment!
I remember once there was a guy that said about another guy he admired, “One more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie”
I feel that way about Mr. Maloof. I’m not worthy to polish his dusty loafers. Still, I enjoyed the compliment.
Thanks,
-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com
tenontim
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1319 posts in 635 days
posted 622 days ago
Beautiful! I love it when you’ve got a piece with a story.
-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com
Mark A. DeCou
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1537 posts in 1296 days
posted 619 days ago
Thanks tenontim. I try to always tell the story behind each project, about my life & the inspiration, and when appropriate, the customer’s life. If a person sat down and read them all it would be a very long, and probably boring night, as they do get long compared to the “just the facts” folks’ postings. Thanks for reading and looking.
Thanks,
Mark
-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com
Zipsss
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112 posts in 1004 days
posted 619 days ago
Very nice cane. It enriches the project when there is a nice history behind it. Every vacation or hiking trip that I take, I bring with me a suitable piece of wood for a cane that I carve and inscribe with the palace and the date.
-- Zipsss