| Project by mmh | posted 05-16-2009 06:42 PM | 7247 views | 1 time favorited | 16 comments |  |
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This is an ergonomic shaped handle made from Manzanita Burl. It’s quite an organic shape and has a lot of the fancy spray design I like in this wood. There were also a lot of cracks and voids that I had to fill, but that just adds character to the piece. Originally it was looking more circular and had a long, curved end almost like an elephant’s trunk, but the shape was not working for a comfortable hold, so I had to remove that and take off some more wood underneath near the shaft, to allow finger room and comfort. It evolved from an elephant’s head to a Sea Slug. Reverse theory of evolution, but scientists have been wrong before. (They placed a skull on the tail end of one early specimen.)
I filled the large voids with ebony saw dust. I could have used gemstone or shinier filler, but I didn’t want to take away from the wood grain. Maybe I’ll do this in one of my future pieces.
It is currently 40” tall and will be cut upon purchase to the client’s needs.
Comments and inquiries welcome. For more information on my work please visit: http://www.bigstickcanes.com ; http://www.gallerymh.com .
Available for purchase at: http://www.etsy.com/listing/57125812/fancy-walking-cane-item-050-manzanita?ref=v1other2
-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe
16 comments so far
a1Jim
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115935 posts in 3301 days
#1 posted 05-16-2009 06:51 PM
Hey Meilie
Another wonder cane love the shape and wood grain.
-- http://artisticwoodstudio.com Custom furniture
osageman
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#2 posted 05-16-2009 06:59 PM
I LOVE YOUR WORK!!!!!
THANKS FOR SHARING
-- OsageWare
lew
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#3 posted 05-16-2009 07:35 PM
Beautiful! Love the color combinations!
Purple Heart seems to be “splintery”. Did using it cause you any difficulty?
Lew
-- Lew- Time traveler. Purveyor of the Universe's finest custom rolling pins.
Karson
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#4 posted 05-16-2009 09:30 PM
Beautiful again. Nice job on the slug.
Did you keep a picture of the elephant.
-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware soon moving to Virginia karsonwm@gmail.com †
Dennis Zongker
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#5 posted 05-16-2009 10:40 PM
Beautiful. I love the wood grain.
-- Dennis Zongker
mmh
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#6 posted 05-16-2009 11:47 PM
Thanks for all the great comments.
Lew: The purpleheart can splinter, but I’ve had only one incidence of this so far. The worst splintering I’ve dealt with so far is with Snakewood. It’s extremely hard and dense and tends to readily splinter, making it very frustrating to work with.
-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe
mtnwild
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#7 posted 05-17-2009 12:55 AM
Beautiful, great wood, another super addition to the cane clan.
-- mtnwild (Jack), It's not what you see, it's how you see it.
johnpoolesc
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246 posts in 3084 days
#8 posted 05-17-2009 01:05 AM
great cane. i just finished a bowl in purple heart bowl without a problem.. but angle heart.. that’s sould come with a skull and crossbones.
-- It's not a sickness, i can stop buying tools anytime.
Loucarb
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2388 posts in 3169 days
#9 posted 05-17-2009 02:24 AM
That is beautiful. Fantastic craftsmanship.
Michael S.
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#10 posted 05-17-2009 04:33 PM
I really admire your beautiful work. The gloss finish that you have on some of the canes is mesmerizing. Could you share how to achieve this type of finish?
Best regards,
Michael
-- Michael in Texas
Woodhacker
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1139 posts in 3447 days
#11 posted 05-18-2009 04:30 AM
Great job mmh. The manzanita burl is amazing.
Thanks for posting it.
-- Martin, Kansas
KennethBirdine
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#12 posted 05-18-2009 10:39 PM
Well done, truly beautiful.
-- http://www.kennethbirdine.com/
sharad
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#13 posted 05-23-2009 02:38 PM
Have you read an article on Walking sticks in The Woodworker, Vol XXX, January 1926, No386, page 296?
It is a nice article in case you have not read it.
Your canes as usual are very nice
Sharad
-- “If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they have never tried a new thing in their life”.-Albert Einstein
Karson
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35073 posts in 4124 days
#14 posted 05-23-2009 08:10 PM
Sharad: You’ve got to be the only person who has Woodworker January 1926
-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware soon moving to Virginia karsonwm@gmail.com †
mmh
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3672 posts in 3446 days
#15 posted 05-25-2009 07:40 AM
I can’t even fathom where you have gotten the 1926 issue from! You will have to share this with us!
-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe
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