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.
Origins and origin stories are important. They act as baselines for where you came from, where you went, and have ongoing implications on your directions going forward ( I almost wrote direction home). I've dissected my origins on the blog regularly. But there are inflection points in most stories that seem more important than others. …
Marcus' Stream of Consciousness Saturday - May 23, 2026 Marcus: A chilly day in May. Mother was so cold that my grandmother's tiger throw, heating pad, and my Afghan were put back on the bed. Oh, sweet, sweet day! May there be many, many more! A cat's life should always be this luxurious!
Yes, I do frequently hijack a prompt to twist and spindle it towards my goal of the moment. But this morning I was browsing some posts by other bloggers and found that one, Piper's Adventures ( Debbie Pierce), had written a particularly lovely piece dedicated to a friend who had just passed. I really wanted …
Yes, we all use cliches, sayings, and little tired parables whose coating of meaning has worn off with constant use. But just try to go a day without using one. I mean, thinking of one you use regularly is as easy as pie, and some even offer cheap thrills! Okay, it's the last one that …
It's just bait! Someone at WordPress Prompt Central had a laugh about this one -" The old Pius Itinerant can't resist this one! He'll maunder on about some terrible trip in 1968!" It's true I could relate the one where I wandered into...NO! I'm not going to mention that. I am quite capable of resisting …
****Last spring, when the current administration decided to do a more than thorough Spring Cleaning of government workers, I was more than a bit sad. It's a lousy job market; it was a surprise massacre, vital work was disrupted, and careers were smashed. Within six months, many were emptying their retirement accounts to cover health …
Let's file this one under the "do tell!" category: Sure there are dishonest men in local government. But there are dishonest men in national government, too. - Richard M Nixon
Complicated is fun, rewarding, and great for developing your career. For many years, I had a rewarding but stressful life with a complicated relationship with management. We all yearn for revenge against an unfair and hateful boss. But I learned that the old saying is true that the best revenge is a life well lived. …
And the number is: 247 The first two pieces are small carvings from post WWII Occupied Japan Sabrina is getting ready to take a nap on her Afghan -"Yes, what do you want now!" My Faithful Magic eight ball. An old movie prop in an exhibit.
I'll start in March of 1969. The drifts of dirty snow in Portland, Maine, were getting depressing. My girlfriend at the time was upset that my attachment to the Road was greater than my attachment to her, and I was getting eager to get out of Winter Quarters and hit the road again. The solution …
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