Official Introductions Thread. New Members, Post your introduction here... - General Tiki

L Louiethefish Member Hawaii Joined: Jul 26, 2008 Posts: 29	L Louiethefish Posted posted on Sun, Aug 24, 2008 11:27 AM Aloha all you tiki carvers and carving fans! I am a new member, and my nick name is Louie the Fish, a handle I got in Fiji in the aerly 70's cuz I fish obsessivley, have fish tattoos, and carve fish of every species. It was Louie Na Ika at first, but I translated it from the Fijian. I guess I began whittling as a kid, but really got into bone carving while getting my degree in Fine Arts at the U of Hawaii in 1970. I saw a Hawaiian bone fishhook, carved it and sold it the same day, and just kept carving. I try to carve exact replicas of famous hooks and lures, and well known artefacts from all over Polynesia, and I make my fish as accurate as possible. From 1973 I carved as a beach bum/spear fisher/and angler for 10 years in Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, and I have been credited with being the seminal influence to what later became a huge bone carving cottage industry in those islands. I am the only guy to get permanent residence in New Zealand as a bone carver (with export potential!!), in 1983, and soon after gained citizenship there, where I still have a house in Turangi (trout fishing capitol of the universe) ! I was also a fly fishing guide there for 15 years. My wife of 28 years, Sasa Satele, is from Pago Pago, American Samoa, and we moved to Hawaii 4 years ago so she could get a degree in Global Environmental Science. I continue to carve original work here, which can be seen or ordered on my website at http://www.louiethefish.com. Two years ago I partnered with fishing buddy and jade carver in NZ John, who sent me to China, where I now also import my exclusive range of personnally designed hooks, turtles, whales tails, monk seals etc, all hand carved in black and green jade and other materials. I have a lively wholesale business now and I am trying to further popularize the Fishhook Pendant as jewelry in shops from Florida to California. This range will soon be on my website also. I am not a regular tiki carver, but I have carved replicas of Hei Tikis, and a long time ago I carved hooks and Maori war clubs in whalebone, now an illegal material. I will try to post some old photos of 3 famous replica clubs I did, a Kotiate, a Wahaika, and a Patu Paraoa, and a carving of the Samoan legend of the Rat and Octopus, done in Cow bone. I hope you enjoy my work and I am always available to give info on tools and techniques. Tightlines, Louie the Fish!!

Aloha all you tiki carvers and carving fans! I am a new member, and my nick name is Louie the Fish, a handle I got in Fiji in the aerly 70's cuz I fish obsessivley, have fish tattoos, and carve fish of every species. It was Louie Na Ika at first, but I translated it from the Fijian. I guess I began whittling as a kid, but really got into bone carving while getting my degree in Fine Arts at the U of Hawaii in 1970. I saw a Hawaiian bone fishhook, carved it and sold it the same day, and just kept carving. I try to carve exact replicas of famous hooks and lures, and well known artefacts from all over Polynesia, and I make my fish as accurate as possible. From 1973 I carved as a beach bum/spear fisher/and angler for 10 years in Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, and I have been credited with being the seminal influence to what later became a huge bone carving cottage industry in those islands. I am the only guy to get permanent residence in New Zealand as a bone carver (with export potential!!), in 1983, and soon after gained citizenship there, where I still have a house in Turangi (trout fishing capitol of the universe) ! I was also a fly fishing guide there for 15 years. My wife of 28 years, Sasa Satele, is from Pago Pago, American Samoa, and we moved to Hawaii 4 years ago so she could get a degree in Global Environmental Science. I continue to carve original work here, which can be seen or ordered on my website at http://www.louiethefish.com. Two years ago I partnered with fishing buddy and jade carver in NZ John, who sent me to China, where I now also import my exclusive range of personnally designed hooks, turtles, whales tails, monk seals etc, all hand carved in black and green jade and other materials. I have a lively wholesale business now and I am trying to further popularize the Fishhook Pendant as jewelry in shops from Florida to California. This range will soon be on my website also.
I am not a regular tiki carver, but I have carved replicas of Hei Tikis, and a long time ago I carved hooks and Maori war clubs in whalebone, now an illegal material. I will try to post some old photos of 3 famous replica clubs I did, a Kotiate, a Wahaika, and a Patu Paraoa, and a carving of the Samoan legend of the Rat and Octopus, done in Cow bone. I hope you enjoy my work and I am always available to give info on tools and techniques. Tightlines, Louie the Fish!!

Post #403585 by Louiethefish on Sun, Aug 24, 2008 11:27 AM