Authentic Nautical Accessories, and Custom Furnishings
Figureheads get lots of attention in maritime museum exhibits. There are even museum collections of figureheads lost at sea. Often, the names of the ships they graced are unknown. If we knew, we could reconstruct a travelogue of all the ports they'd seen. But many ships lacked figureheads. The old figure went overboard in a …
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, a Drummer was not just a percussionist. A drummer was a traveling salesman who'd make the rounds with tools, clothes, or anything else you might wish to purchase but could not easily find at the small retail establishments in your town. Think no internet, no Walmart, and few …
Yesterday, I spent a significant part of the day working on a carving of a large schooner. I based it on research I did for an earlier schooner built by the same yard around the same time in the late 19th century. I used skills acquired in the earlier carving to ease the work on …
Photographs help me remember steps and processes. Years ago, I used photography only to record the results. But pictures of the in-between stages were more than a bit helpful. One of the big reasons I say this is because there are some things that I only do rarely. Reminders are valuable.I need to be a …
If you studied economics, process engineering or are an enthusiast of popular psychology, you might have heard of the Sunk Cost Fallacy. It's alive and well in woodcarving too. Sunk costs are costs you have paid and can't get back. That's fine if everything works out. But if the project just hasn't been the success …
This is my second run at the Steam Yacht Zaida. I've used different techniques and am more satisfied with the outcome.
I found the wood sitting in the shorts at my favorite hardwood dealer. It was very dark, heavy, and dense. It was mahogany but so dark and heavy that I felt it was a wayward piece of Dominican, not Honduran. It was just what I wanted.
We all want to be instant experts. One of my sensei describes this in terms of the training montages that are standard fare in martial arts movies; the neophyte progresses from clumsy beginner to skilled pro in thirty seconds of cinematic snapshots.
I admit that the sort of non complex carving that happens when I carve a small bowl is pretty alluring. No antsy detail. No pattern that needs to be followed. Just follow the will of the wood.
We can easily get lost in the weeds talking about tradition in crafts.
This chest was not in stock long enough for me to do a proper set of photos. It sold at it's first appearance at the Maine Boatbuilder's Show to a pair of Boston Harbor pilots who were going to give it as a retirement gift to a colleague.
As consumers, there is much that you don't know about your favorite woods.
It sails on my wall with a cherry ocean and sky heading east from Japan or China towards Los Angelos. I think my father is pleased that his ship is restored to an essential place in our lives, through the unexpected kindness of a fellow seaman.
While teaching, I always like to decorate the workshop with carving examples for students to use as a reference. Week-long excursions to teach away from home mean emptying the house of many of my carvings. But samples in three dimensions often are better than pictures or demonstration, and the extra work was worth it.
The problem with imagination is that it's boundless. On the wall is a poster telling you that you can do it if you can imagine it. Don't take it too literally.
“Podex perfectus es!” – You’re a complete a**hole Supposedly uttered by Julius Ceaser when Brutus attacked him in the Forum.
To keep my phone from becoming a parking lot for apps, I periodically purge the screen and gleefully hit delete on things I've never used or won't use. It came with a bunch of pre-installed junk that I got rid of rapidly. Good riddance. What do I use? Well, obviously the phone, but beyond that, …
I was living in Ottawa, Ontario, in the fall of 1969. A bunch of us had gathered on the corner to discuss some plans for a get-together, and all of a sudden, there was this grey kitten striding towards us. He looked determined, and he looked directly at me. The group grew silent. The kitten …
Hollis Hills Farm -we'd passed the sign thousands of times, but at last we detoured to find this wonderful farm and ice cream stand. There is a huge lawn with tables, goats to interact with, and a view that I do not think can be matched in our part of the state. Oh, and the …
I describe the years in which I wandered, performed, and did wild things as my time as a Pius Itinerant. It was years afterward that I realized that it was made possible only by the generous gifts and acts of kindness of others. At the time I was doing it, I assumed it was my …
No thanks, not interested. I'm standing pat. Yes, when I worked as an applied anthropologist, I had the capability to turn research into exhibits, programs, presentations, and various projects. I enjoyed it, and for many years I expected to return to it. What an optimist. At some point, I conceded defeat, developed new interests, and …
Who needs a gym when you heat with wood! Stack it. Tote it. And burn it. then there are the large hunks that need respliting. Yes! who needs a gym when you heat with wood. Reservations for the Quarter Cord Stacking Challenge now being accepted...Don't delay, supplies are limited!
Hi! I'm Marcus. My sister Sabrina and I have had a new hobby these past few months. It's a version of Hide and Seek. My sister and I get into a fight, and she rips my collar off. We then continue the fight and wind up hiding the collar with the name tag on it. …
Bill insisted that he had thought of this one himself. He called it Corticimancy - telling the future from pieces of bark.
The Rangeley Boat could handle almost any challenge an adventurous 19 years old could throw at it.
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