Maori Taiaha..Now Finished!

Just finished side one of the Taiaha I have been working on. Full size (6 feet). I'll be finishing the second side and cutting the abalone inlays tomorrow..yipee!

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna 2005-11-30 16:57 ]

looking good, as usual.

Don't forget to use a respirator when grinding paua or ya might get mesophelioma. yummy shell dust.

Yup...Bob Van Oosting told me that years ago...I've worn one ever since...we only get one set of lungs!

Excellent work, BK! What type of wood is that?

BK, Looking Killer as usual. You make it look So Easy. What pattern do you have for the other side? What wood did you say it was? Can't wait to see this one finished.

Sure hoping that the 2006 carving seminar happens...I can't wait to catch
some tips from you and Ben and whoever else will be there. Your weapons are
very nice pieces.

Man, that is sweet look'in already. You've sold me on the concept of a polynesian weapon or two being right and proper pieces of art in a tiki bar. The only question now is, when?

Alien, Conga, Ben, Tiki, foamy-Thanks, guys...the wood is Black Walnut, I'm pretty used to it's chararcteristics, and it's light for a hardwood and very strong, which one of these needs to be to feel "right". It also finishes very dark and stains very evenly..Ben, the pattern will repeat itself on the other side-it's already scaled out in pencil. This one should be very nice once it's all complete. Should have it done in a day!

Nice! I could use that hanging from my new 10 foot mug shelf!

Man this one sport/art form where an obsessive personality can really pay off. Your weapony is beyond comprehension. The patience, persistance, design and maticulas carving style astound me, everytime a see a new piece of yours. Thanks for sharing and pulling me back to reality.

A friend from the other side of the carving fence.

Dammit BK, when are you gonna bring some of your stuff over to Cali. How far west have you been? It's about time you came over.

Thanks, Palm. Just a lot of trial and error to get it down...there's actually a Taiaha that I finished and really wasn't satisfied with that sat around here for a while and became a yard rake handle the other day...I told Nikki that we could rake with one side now and fight off invading warriors with the other! Jungle...I know...it's high time I ddi a Cali round..We missed you at Hukilau, man...I still remember this day

BK, do you do all of the detailing with palm chisel? Manual only, or do you ever use the reciprocating chisel? I have some trouble with the palm chisel going astray when I'm applying too much pressure. Just curious.

Are you doing any tikis these days? Seems like it's all weapons recently. I love 'em both.

Aaron

Aaron, I usually use a two-handed grip on a palm chisel, guiding the blade with the thumb of my left hand..I don't own one of the Weechers yet. I sort of have a "dent" in the second finger of my right hand from those palm blades now.. I have two nice logs right now and will be working on a couple of tikis next. The club is finished..I'll have pics here today!

Looks like a hurricane was blowin'. The 2 guys on the left look like hit men (the filmmakers), King Kuku has horns, Diablo is devious, Poly Pop's gonna pop, Tony's teeth, BK's key's and JT'S large forehead. Yeah, thanks for the memories. Can't wait to be abused again.

Here it is...the completed Maori Taiaha long club...Green Abalone (Pau) inlays, feather hackle, aging and all. This club is basically a far extended Patu, and was the primary war club for a Maori warrior. They built an entire discipline around this club (see Whale Rider for a good depiction). The Teko end is often mistaken for a spear point, but was blunt..it was in fact an "on board computer"! The common doctrine was that the Teko head conveyed information to the warrior up through the handle, as if the ghosts of ancestors were in fact controlling the club in combat! I tried mine and for some reason it kept whacking me on the skull...hmmm...:)

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna 2005-12-01 09:06 ]

It's outstanding!
What type of feathers did you use?

sweet, thanks for posting bk, it's a beauty!

That's great information that you posted with your pictures. Is that what's printed on the tag?

Big Mahalo to you for sharing.

Words escape me at the moment...
All I can say is...

Damn, BK!

Can we make a deal on that yard implement you carved?

WOW!! it looks GREAT!!! can't wait to see the tikis next!

Loki, The feathers are dyed and undyed Guinea hackle.

Another great one BK. It Sure is nice to have you back!

Tena Koe BK,

I live in San Jose California, but was born and raised in New Zealand. I am Maori but my parents decided not to teach me in our maori customs. Although secretly I participated in Kapahaka group in middle school.

Recently I have joined a Kapahaka group here in the Bay Area and it has ignited a flame under me to get in touch w/ my Maoritanga and have started learning traditional waiata (action songs), and whakairo (carving). The Manukura (leader) of the group is instructing the group what she has learned in Poutahi under Dr. Sharples 8 level Taiaha program.

I have started carving my own Patu and eventually will carve a 2x4 doug fir plant into a Taiaha. I'm totally new at this have bought a Flexcut carving kit from Woodcraft. I also bought a draw knife, spokeshave and some cabinet scrapers to clean and smooth out my work.

I was wondering if it is appropriate to ask how you shaped your Taiaha before getting to carve the moko detail of the whakarehu (spear head). I also love the traditional way in which you shaped your tinana (body) and the ate (tail) of your Taiaha.

I am wondering if there is any way I can escape not having a shaving horse, and am wondering how you shaped out your rakau (taiaha/club) while maintaining the basic overall symmetry of the blade detail of the body through to the upoko (head) and arero (tongue).

I hope to hear from either you or Benzart. I've only just found this website today and am floored by the artistry and authenticity of yours and Ben's Maori artwork.

I'm anxious to learn from you, hopefully you are willing to teach.

Kia kite ano,

Ayden

[ Edited by: Ayden 2006-03-22 15:44 ]

Hi, Ayden...I have a bunch of photos to send you tomorrow. Anything I can tell I'd be happy to as always.

On 2006-03-27 22:40, Basement Kahuna wrote:
Hi, Ayden...I have a bunch of photos to send you tomorrow. Anything I can tell I'd be happy to as always.

I can't wait BK. I look forward any knowledge you are willing to share w/ me, I feel it a great honor to have found such a willing teacher.

Kia kite ehoa,

Ayden

On 2006-03-27 22:40, Basement Kahuna wrote:
Hi, Ayden...I have a bunch of photos to send you tomorrow. Anything I can tell I'd be happy to as always.

Kia ora BK,

You must be at a seminar or something. Looking forward to your pics e hoa.

Kia kaha e hoa,

Ayden

Hi, Ayden...I was up to my ears in seminar and catching up after...sorry...here's the photo sequence: STarting with your blank, you want to first use a long straightedge and draw a "target" line in pencil directly down the center of the sides and front/back. These will be your shaping guides. You can work this down with a small handplane or spokeshave or both(that's how I do it.) You want an even, balanced taper from top to bottom, and don't begin rounding the tip edge yet. That comes last. The tinana should taper from the full diameter at the top to a round where it meets the whakarehu. The whakarehu should be approximately the length from the tip of your middle finger to your wrist. Next, you want to begin the shaping. Make sure that you look down the tinana from each tip ever so often so that you can read any anomolies in the blade (lumps, depressions, etc.)These will throw the Taiaha off balance. In balance it will practically float in your hand. Off and it is just a clumsy decoration. The point of balance on a taiaha should be dead center. You want to use long, even planer strokes and calculating spoke shave strokes. The plane is best for this stage. Once you have the club shaped in the basic form, some emery cloth pulled crossgrain in the shown manner around the base of the blade will get you a perfect round. You can then trim the top corners of the upoko with a standard chisel by just giving it an even 90 degree cleaning cut. Now you can begin shaping the whakarehu. For a uniform face I like to use a paper or cardboard template for the upoko. Just fold the paper, cut a half of the mouth and when you fold it back out, well, you get the picture. All of my shaping at this stage is done with a flat chisel and palm tools. Be careful not to "pinch" the arero to too thin a taper, as this will reduce it's strength. To cut the upoko, just use a standard flat palm chisel with a depth mark drawn on the blade in magic marker so your depth is even all the way around. Once you have a basic shape, sand the corners into a round. This will also strengthen the joints as the "cleavage points" where the wood can shear will be graduated. When your whakarehu is shaped, now is a good time to check the tinana for anomolies again. I don't know if you see it in the first photo, but there is a slight left side rise in my tinana that had to come out. At this stage in your work you want this club perfect (you can really get a feel for it once you have shaped one). Having your Manaia around your neck will call back the spirits of the ancestors to guide you in perfecting your Taiaha!! Now you can trace out your moko with pencil, and complete your Taiaha! Keep a piece of 320 grit sandpaper with you as an eraser. This is a difficult thing to pattern evenly as the space is confining. first start in pencil and then overtrace with a technical pen. I hope this is helpful, and if you need anything else just drop a line here. Kia kite ano! BK

The magic never ends...your stuff is ALWAYS mind blowing. that spear is outta-dis-world! and those how-to pictures...wow...that looks like a ton of work, but quite a labor of love.

Great stuff, BK!

Looks great! Always love your detail!

ECHO...Echoo...echooo, the words of Polynesiac and Thanatos! The Step-by-Step v-e-r-y cool and the details you put into the photos and description. You and other artisans of this community are extremely generous of giving your time to help others... "NOW GET BACK TO WORK!"...I believe that's a quote Benz would use?

Taihoa ake aku kare BK!

flip-flop-flip-flop-flippp....

On 2006-04-07 18:18, Basement Kahuna wrote:
I hope this is helpful, and if you need anything else just drop a line here. Kia kite ano! BK

Kia ora koe e hoa,

Thank you so much. This is the greatest gift any Maori apprentice living outside of Aotearoa could wish for. This is more than art and workmanship to Maori and you obviously are aware of this and bring much honor to the Maori people and their culture.

I realize that typically Kaumataua prefer to pass this knowledge face to face but in light of my situation and resources this has been my only hope in learning whakairo and also to acquire my own Taiaha through my own hands.

I am so grateful for the time and effort you put into documenting this ancient art of whakairo and I can't wait to get started.

Kia kaha, kia manawanui, kia kite ano,

Ayden

No, Thank you, Ayden...The greatest honor any carver of indigenous styles could imagine is when your work comes full circle and helps to preserve a beautiful artform. I wish you good mana while carving your Taiaha. I'm working on a large project right now-doing half-front perspective drawings for a full house entranceway. (Scaled to fit a standard doorframe!). It'll be a long, spare-time, 'me' project; lots of commissions to finish and clear right now.

On 2006-04-10 13:36, Basement Kahuna wrote:
No, Thank you, Ayden...The greatest honor any carver of indigenous styles could imagine is when your work comes full circle and helps to preserve a beautiful artform. I wish you good mana while carving your Taiaha. I'm working on a large project right now-doing half-front perspective drawings for a full house entranceway. (Scaled to fit a standard doorframe!). It'll be a long, spare-time, 'me' project; lots of commissions to finish and clear right now.

I know you had so much going on e hoa, which is why I am so grateful for the sacrifice you made on my account.

You're a wonderful, kind and generous man, and words cannot express how thankful I am to have found this forum and you.

I hope all works out w/ my Doug Fir 2x4's, as I improve I'll work on a clean fir or maybe even attempt an actual hardwood. At any rate I need to get started first. Probably get going in the next couple weeks after I redo my kitchen via Ikea DVD instructions (this oughta be a laugh aye).

Anyway I'm looking at a whakarehu design that would incorporate 4 Koru's where each head will represent my wahine and tamariki (wife, kids and me), that would typically be used on bone carvings. I'll use Paua for eyes in the 2 main koru's. I'll keep you posted when I get something going.

I look forward to seeing more of your work, sounds like your working on the front of a Maori Marae, which would be so cool.

Ma te Atua, koe e tiake mai e hoa (God bless you my friend),

Ayden

Beautiful BK!

Superb quality
regards
Flynny

On 2006-04-07 18:18, Basement Kahuna wrote:

Did you do the adze shown hanging over the log in this picture? Did you post it somewhere?

JP

Johnny...that's an uncompleted Sali. I've yet to do an Adze, but I have always wanted to carve one...inexorably related to the soul of a woodcarver..if I could find a big enough piece of Narangi greenstone I would probably make that my "keep it for me" carving.

On 2006-09-23 09:50, Basement Kahuna wrote:
I've yet to do an Adze, but I have always wanted to carve one...inexorably related to the soul of a woodcarver..if I could find a big enough piece of Narangi greenstone I would probably make that my "keep it for me" carving.

I like adzes enough that I've got one tattooed on my arm...not that I had a choice in the matter! I still wish I'd had enough to get one of the Mangaian style adzes from the Rarotongan craft shops - tourist pieces to be sure, but still beautifully carved.

I've seen you use the term "Narangi" for pounamu before and am not familiar with it...is it referring to gem grade stone? I'm sure one of the "Kiwi boyz" could hook a brother up if you had a special project in mind.

Hi, Paipo...yes, the gem grade, or so-called "Sacred Jade". I have been lusting after that deep green beauty since I got my first good book...the small one "Decorative Arts Of The New Zealand Maori"...that's where they described the jade in the "Narangi" term. There are two beautiful adzes pictured on a feather cloak in that book. Crown Jewels...

I thought that would be the one...the usual term is Kahurangi, and it is reserved for apple or lettuce green stone which is highly translucent and free from flaws or inclusions.
That Barrow book is a good one - there are quite a few pieces in there I haven't seen in any other books.

I really enjoy that book. The weavings and the feather cloaks in that book are mind-blowers, too, when you consider the amount of skill and labor involved.