Fancy Wood Cane #045A: Figured Knotted Almond

This is my entry for “A Knot Like No Other”. It is made from a piece of figured almond that had a large elongated knot smack in the center of the board and it angled down in the piece of wood so that if I wanted to make the handle and shaft of one solid piece, the handle was not going to lay at a 45 degree angle and this made the design a little difficult, as I needed to make it so you can rest your hand on it without slipping off. (See photos of lumber.)

The almond wood has a lot of different graining and coloration that I was trying to capture. The colors range from light tan, medium browns, to a vivid yellow. Unfortunately I had to shave off a lot of the yellow to make the handle comfortable enough to hold, but I managed to keep the fat end with enough of the yellow coloration and used yellow heart shavings with epoxy to fill some voids. Padouk and ebony dust are used with epoxy to fill the main knot, as it had rotted out and was very unstable. There’s a small knot on the center tip of the small end which adds a nice detail. The shaft has a collar of knotted manzanita and is extended with yellow heart to match the almond, and is lightly stained to make it more subtle.

The form of the cane became very organic and resembles a prehistoric type of plant, like a giant fern frond emerging from the earth. It’s a bit unusual, but then all of my work seem to go that direction. Kind of a Dr. Seuss style of cane. It’s a fun piece to handle, as there are a lot of curves and hefty parts to run your hands along.

Well, I wasn’t happy with the original photos, so I’ve managed to get some better color in these to show the detail of the grain. The vibrant yellow still doesn’t show well, but you can see the detail better.

Iif you are interested in more of my work, please visit: http://www.bigstickcanes.com or http://www.gallerymh.com.

NOTE: Use the ZOOM button to view details in enlarged photos.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe