New Thor Stor Almost Done! - New Pics added

Aloha Everyone!

I am excited to share with you that with the success of the Thor Stor in Waikiki, we have been given the opportunity to build a second Stor! This new one is in the Navy Exchange near Pearl Harbor, Oahu. This new Stor is actually inside another store, Pictures Plus, which is an art and custom framing company and also our parent company.

I just wanted to give TC a sneak peak of what it is starting to look like. Thor and I have built the entire thing, and its coming out pretty cool!

Here is what the overall building looks like. Basically one side of the store closed off and made to look like a separate little shack.

There are 3 doorways to enter into it. Each has trim with some fun, whimsical carvings done quickly with a dremel tool.

Here are the Moai shaped rafter tails (borrowed ffrom the Book of Tiki) and the inlaid tiki support.

Here is another fake tiki support column and a good look at the faux lava rock.

Another view of the Moai rafters - my favorite part!!!

Let me know what you think. We'll be semi - open in the next few days, and I'll post some pics of the inside.

Aloha!

[ Edited by: Mo-Eye 2006-11-29 21:27 ]

WOW, I think it looks Fantastic. I can see Many happy customers walking thru there..

Nice - I always look forward to visiting the little store in Waikiki, but I hate finding a place to park. You may have just solved my problem.

Thor Stor is my source for Poly Pop books, mugs, and Tiki Magazine. Will the NEX store be open to the public, or do you need a military ID to make a purchase?

Any plans for a grand opening party? Good chance for TC locals to get together.

looks tops :)

Hows the redneck tiki painting going Thor?

Got back from Honolulu a few weeks ago with some Thor prints :wink:

Our hotel was close by so we walked down to the area and stumbled upon the glory of Thor!

Congrats on the new store Thor! Representing right in the home base of Tikiville! Lookin great! Makes me wanna go buy a dremel tool! Post more pix as it progresses! Thanks for sharing! Your work is awesome!

Aloha!

Sorry for the LoooOOooong absence from TC. We were doing the props and design for this new store last month in Honolulu and I am just back a week and fought a nasty Flu.

I am JUST getting back to the "Trader Hic's" painting now. I jumped onto designing some resin sculpture's for a few weeks..just sketches...and I get distracted WAY too easily on where to put my efforts..."SO MUCH TIKI SO LITTLE TIME"!!!

I will be at the Tonga Hut for the Tiki Mag gig this Saturday if I continue to feel better here recuperating.

~~ THOR

To answer Koolau:

This Thor Stor is open to the general public. It is inside the rotunda part of the NEX, so anyone can go in and shop. You don't need a military ID like the rest of the mall. Thor will do his first signing there on 12/9 and 12/10. I'll send more details later, and some more pics soon.

Aloha!

Aloha TC!

Wanted to give you a quick update. The new Stor is up and running. There are still lots of little things to add, but most of the basics are done. Here are some pics:

We did some fun multi-level cut outs to add some depth to the walls. Here is an oversize spam can:

Anyone need an 8' tall blue lava lamp:

Here's a couple of smaller walls:

And lastly, there was a boring steel door we had to do something with, so Thor added a portal looking out to a mysterious tiki island:

Aloha!

Love the steel door with the portal - tiki trompe de lei (something like that anyway - French or something word for top mural :) - its 12:30am and I couldnt be bothered googling it... hahaha)

tiki trompe de lei....LOL That door does look awesome....great job!!!

Wish I was there to shop, my basket would be full. Wishing your store good vibes. :)

Can't wait to shop here!

Kia ora to all Tikiphiles

This is my first post on TC and to my surprise its about THOR store (as promised). I'm putting this reply under travel as I have just (1 1/2 month ago) come back from Hawaii (angels sing)after a 5 day stay. From the TC forums I got an AWESOME amount of places to go but Waikiki was not "THE" best place to go (for Tiki)..however as I am from NZ, we are short on "ANY" tiki gear (other than our native stuff) but I was surprised. I went 3 blocks and found THOR. And then at the back of the INTNL MKT I found a place called JAVA FLOW. Loads of mugs, carved tiki, pictures and paraphenalia(?). Speaking to the owner, he knows some of the famous mug makers (Tiki Farm)and/or tiki people I know about on the net. Remember I'm from NZ.
Anyway I walked away from Hawaii with 20 mugs, 3 Thor prints, an original carving off the street and loads of other stuff.
Moral...Waikiki - Not that bad for the new guys who want to pick up some small stuff....
I know the other islands are better for genuine Tiki but sorry guys I couldn't get there...next time I guess.

TDU
Aotearoa
NZ

Wow, this is awesome. Love the Moai outrigger beams.

The location at the Navy Exchage brings something to mind. Tiki and Polynesian Pop was largely made popular due to soldiers being stationed in places like Hawaii and longing for the South Seas when they returned home. Now with this store in this location it's kinda like full circle. Maybe the young military folks will get interested in Tiki and Poly Pop. start drinking out of Tiki Mugs and having Luaus, and "getting their Tiki on" as the kids say.

Now if we could do something about the horrible music they liten to :-/

On 2007-11-06 02:25, Tikidownunder wrote:
Kia ora to all Tikiphiles

This is my first post on TC and to my surprise its about THOR store (as promised). I'm putting this reply under travel as I have just (1 1/2 month ago) come back from Hawaii (angels sing)after a 5 day stay. From the TC forums I got an AWESOME amount of places to go but Waikiki was not "THE" best place to go (for Tiki)..however as I am from NZ, we are short on "ANY" tiki gear (other than our native stuff) but I was surprised. I went 3 blocks and found THOR. And then at the back of the INTNL MKT I found a place called JAVA FLOW. Loads of mugs, carved tiki, pictures and paraphenalia(?). Speaking to the owner, he knows some of the famous mug makers (Tiki Farm)and/or tiki people I know about on the net. Remember I'm from NZ.
Anyway I walked away from Hawaii with 20 mugs, 3 Thor prints, an original carving off the street and loads of other stuff.
Moral...Waikiki - Not that bad for the new guys who want to pick up some small stuff....
I know the other islands are better for genuine Tiki but sorry guys I couldn't get there...next time I guess.

TDU
Aotearoa
NZ

I myself also thought that Waikiki was the place to avoid...the "tourist trap" and all that. My opinion of the place has changed. As much as it has been built up and made to look like California, there is STILL lots of Tiki to be found, and the International Marketplace is definitely one of them. I LOVE Java Flow...up there in the treehouse, looking down on the marketplace. The carvers at the marketplace are awesome, and I can't count how many stores have Tikis in them.
Not to mention, that the beach in Waikiki is a sight to behold...paradise indeed.

You probably won't find as much tiki as in Waikiki, except maybe for Kona on the Big Island, which is home to Don the Beachcomber and lots of Tiki as well.
Remember, Tikis were for tourist consumption back in the day (50's) , so Waikiki is still where you'll find that stuff.

The other place is the Polynesian Cultural Center on the North Shore. As for the rest of Oahu....here and there, but not like Waikiki.

The fact that a second THOR store is being built is certainly a good sign for things to come.

Let's hope they keep coming.