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.
Not to be scatological, but one piece of technology I believe will continue to exist in twenty years will be the porcelain throne in the bathroom. It is about as fundamental a piece of technology as you can get. While other old goodies considered state of the art will be tossed aside to gather mold. …
One of the most thumbed over, bookmarked, and dogeared books (no excuse me, I own two copies of it (!)), is Jay Hanna's The Marine Carving Handbook. I bought a copy as soon as it was published because I was living in Mid-Coast Maine and my father-in-law had plans for me to make money carving …
No, it's not a coincidence that I have been a lifelong learner. It was a family trait starting at least with my paternal grandfather, who taught himself to play several instruments and to carve and make intricate ship carvings. My Dad was a marine engineer, and the sort of creative methods of self-tuition on the …
Well, as you read this, I am getting ready to embark on a seven-day cruise up to Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. I should be posting regularly, but I have to find out how the internet works aboard. Last time I cruised, it was in a 34-foot wooden ketch, and I was the bewildered mate. …
Note: I have to write this post the evening before. So I won't be including the usual additional prompts. I have an early doctor's appointment, so that's the hurry. I've written about my early years in many other posts. I didn't conceal how hard they were, but the adversity was balanced by some of the …
I've read a good bit of Science Fiction and Fantasy over the years. And while I've never gotten insomnia waiting for the next installment of a trilogy, I have grown expectant of how things will resolve. But recently I've noticed that after a really engaging short series, the words seem to roll endlessly. What was …
Because they are just plain nasty, have their own interests at heart, and mean you no good doesn't mean that your villain is wrong about you. And no, I'm not talking just about fictional baddies. For me, the worst was a convivial nurse whom I dated and briefly lived with in the seventies. Even after …
Let's start with the fact that I love my home, garden, my neighborhood, and generally all of the circumstances of my home life. What's missing? Being portside, near the ocean, and the scent of the tides. I grew up in New York City. Two rivers affected by the tides were within walking distance, and the …
Authors use chaos casually. Need a plot detour? Throw in an earthquake for your protagonist to cope with. It's not a detour down the primrose path, a convenient alley or laneway. It's a major detour on the highway to hell. Real life is different. Real people have to deal with events for which they are, …
Some of us live in Blogerland. It's different than Podcastland, or the other little municipalities located adjacent to the fairgrounds occupied by Big Media - Televsion, Radio, streaming services. We are kind of like the suburbs. Actually more like a small town. Eventually you get to know your neighbors. There's Martha, Lois, Fandango, Violet, Trev …
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