Hand Carved Native American Apache Inspired Folk-Art Walking Cane, Walnut, Elk Antler

This walking cane has been SOLD today (5-17-2008) and is headed to Lincoln City, Oregon.

Cane Serial Number #2008-02
Height: 34.5”

If you would like something simliar made for you, please email me for more information:

mark@decoustudio.com

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Customer Testimonies Printed with Permission:

6-12-2008
Hi Mark!
My mom just called me to tell me she received the cane…..and she absolutely loves it! She was so excited, she described it to me, loved that it was Cochise, loved your work, and loved the history you enclosed with it. I think this could not have turned out better! Thank you so much for all the work you went to, to get this cane to her. She said the stand was beautiful too, and she is going to keep it by the door in her solarium area where she displays all of her Native American art, and she can readily reach it when she is leaving to go out. In her words, “He does incredible work, this is an heirloom!” She loved seeing your other work in the brochures too. Which by the way, we received ours too, thank you.

This could not have been more perfect!
ST

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6-16-2008
Mark:
My Dad just sent me another message that mom really is enjoying her cane! For me, your website was very welcoming and informative. Your beautiful artwork speaks for itself, but I know it helps me to know what people are saying. Your customer service is another great asset.

Have a great day!
ST

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Project Story

This is a walking cane that I carved from a block of Kansas Black Walnut. The folk-art figure is inspired by Apache Chief Cochise. The carving has been painted with thinned acrylic paints. The shaft has a small wrapping of glass seed beads, and has an Elk Shed Antler Handle.

The display stand is also walnut, with crushed turquoise stones inlayed in the natural knot in the wood base.

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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.

Folk Art Face Carved Canes

1. Sculpted Wood Spirit Face Cane
2. Folk-Art Wood Spirit Cane w/ Elk Antler Handle & Scrimshaw
3. Folk Art Mountain Man Face Cane
4. Shamrock Wood Spirit Irish-Theme Face Cane
5. Walnut Wood Spirit Face Cane with Antler & Turquoise
6. Collection of Face Carved Canes
7. Moses-Inspired Face Carved Cane w/ Antler & Turquoise

Native American Theme Canes

1. Folk Art Native American Face Cane Set
2. Apache Chief Cochise Folk-Art Face Cane
3. Folk Art Carved Cane of Shoshone Chief
4. Indian Guides Chief Big-Red-Cloud Hiking Stick
5. Apache Chief Cochise #2 Folk-Art Face Cane

Hand Carved Canes/Sticks

1. Amazing Grace Music Notes Carved Cane
2. A Lady’s Elegant Red Long-Stem Rose Carved Cane
3. Prairie Fire Hand-Carved Hiking Thumb Sticks
4. A Folk-Art Carved Albatross Head & Snake Walnut Cane
5. Carved Folk-Art Walking Cane; 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' Story Stick with Scrimshaw Artwork

Scrimshaw Artwork Canes

1. Walnut & Curly Maple Cane with Scrimshaw
2. Scrimshaw Art Walnut Cane
3. Fancy Barley Twist with Scrimshaw Cane
4. Lady's Dress Cane, Red Oak, Walnut, Black Lacquer, & Scrimshaw Artwork of a Purple Cone Flower

What’s Scrimshaw Artwork?:
A Scrimshaw Art Journey: What it is & How to Do it; Five Simple Steps to Success

Natural Tree/Limb Canes/Sticks

1. Naturally Twisted Tree Sapling Cane
2. Naturally Twisted Tree Sapling Walking Stick
3. Shepherd's Crook Hiking Stick

Barley Twist Style Dress Canes

1. White Oak Barley Twist Cane
2. Osage Orange Barley Twist Cane
3. Walnut & Figured Maple Barley Twist cane
4. Black Walnut and Spalted Sycamore Barley Twist
5. Red Oak Barley Twist with Black Lacquer
6. Red Oak Barley Twist with Walnut Handle
7. Bryan's Cane, The Start of my Cane Journey

Various Dress Style Canes

1. Fancy Walking Cane, Camphor Burl, Maple, Bubinga, Whitetail Deer Antler, Inlays & Silver End Caps
2. Custom Dress-Up Walking Cane, Walnut shaft with a Camphor Burl Handle
3. Walnut & Buffalo Horn Twisted Cane
4. White Birch & Buffalo Horn Twisted Cane
5. Walnut Bamboo-Style Cane with Chrome Ball Top
6. Walnut & Buffalo Horn Dress Cane
7. Bird's Eye Maple Cane
8. Spalted Sycamore Walking Cane
9. Walnut Tall Knob Top Opera Cane
10. Zebrawood & Walnut Knob Top Opera Cane
11. Dress Cane Set, with several Material Options Shown

My Website page with Canes

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I have a few canes in stock at:

1. Hatman Jack’s Wichita Hat Works in Wichita, KS
2. Hutchinson Art Center in Hutchinson, KS
3. Cottonwood Mercantile in Cottonwood Falls, KS

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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(This text, all photos, project design, and anything else you want to steal, is protected by copyright 2008, M.A.DeCou, all rights reserved and protected, ask permission first! Weblinks to this page are permitted)

-- Mark DeCou - Kansas Flinthill's Artisan