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

Project by Mark DeCou posted 103 days ago 402 views 0 times favorited 10 comments Add to Favorites
Hand Carved Native American Apache Inspired Folk-Art Walking Cane, Walnut, Elk Antler Hand Carved Native American Apache Inspired Folk-Art Walking Cane, Walnut, Elk Antler No-picture-s Click the pictures to enlarge them

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.

Click for details

Sadly, I also built him a casket, another first for me, about a year later

Click for details

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


10 comments so far

View Obi's profile

Obi

2147 posts in 679 days


posted 103 days ago

I think you should get a free t-shirt for reaching that milestone

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

View Mark DeCou's profile

Mark DeCou

1262 posts in 847 days


posted 103 days ago

that is a good idea Obi.

I got the World’s First Lumberjocks T-Shirt (that I know of). I think it would be good to get a “100 Project Milestone” shirt.

I’ll let you run that idea past Martin. Ha.

thanks
M

-- Mark DeCou - Kansas Flinthill's Artisan

View brunob's profile

brunob

1380 posts in 611 days


posted 103 days ago

Congratulations.

-- Bruce from Central New York

View dennis mitchell's profile

dennis mitchell

2913 posts in 756 days


posted 103 days ago

100 postings congratulations! Great cane!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

View dlcarver's profile

dlcarver

228 posts in 172 days


posted 103 days ago

Great Mark, I doubt if I will ever make that.

Dave

-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

3958 posts in 660 days


posted 103 days ago

Congratulations on your 100th post, Mark!

I love the face on this one.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View darryl's profile

darryl

783 posts in 768 days


posted 103 days ago

congrats on the milestone!

again you’ve got a very impressive piece of work to share with us.

-- ~ www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.woodworkingdungeon.blogspot.com ~

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

8483 posts in 264 days


posted 102 days ago

Congratulations on both the project and reaching your personal milestone. You are one of the reasons that LJs is the success that it is today.

Thanks for the post and now you can raise the bar by going for 200. :)

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View trifern's profile (online now)

trifern

3235 posts in 209 days


posted 102 days ago

Very cool cane, Mark. Congratulations! I look forward to your next 100 projects.

-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.

View Lee A. Jesberger's profile

Lee A. Jesberger

2579 posts in 421 days


posted 102 days ago

Hi Mark;

You’re really making a Mark for yourself. LOL

100 projects is quite an accomplishment! Congratulations!

Great cane! Certainly up to your usual standards.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

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