Carving Post

I sold a Tangaroa on ebay last year and got 2 emails from 2 peopo dat got outbidded and asked could I make them one so, I did. I made 3 of the same tikis back to back. I don't have a problem with making the same style. I'm making them fo da customer not me. If dats what they want, thats what i carve.

The Tiki's grill project in Waikiki is going to be no knew styles. everyone he ordered is one that I've done already. For example, if you look at da Martin Denny post you'll see da tiki between da both of us, I got and order for 2 of those from them. They pay, I carve, no worries.

the one in the pic is a little over 2 1/2 ft tall and it sold for $450.

That's 'lookin fine, Geck! I'm working on another Marquesan pole soon. That's my favorite style and it seems like only a few carvers are doing it. I have to agree with Gecko on the pricing, Octane...Take a new piece out and show it around and get an "ooh and ahhh" reading on it. Plus a lot of it depends on your time, effort, and how much in your gut you feel like your effort is worth. Don't oversell a lemon but never, ever undersell a cherry! This stuff is too damned time consuming to give away.

On 2003-08-18 23:07, Tiki Pirate wrote:

On 2003-08-17 13:15, TikiGardener wrote:
Hey,
I've been trying to wade through this fantastic series of posts, and was wondering if it isn't time for a "Carving Tiki" forum? It seems as though there is enough volume on the topic, and it would allow for the topic to be explored in greater depth.

TG

I agree, this thread is getting cumbersome to review, but all the same it has some great pictures and information of great value in it. It would be much more convienient to have a whole forum devoted to carving!

My thoughts completely. One could have a thread for photos, and carvers could start threads dedicated to each carvers progress, you could watch each carvers style evolve, and the possibilities are endless, and it would apparently be a very popular forum.

TG

Edited for typo ( I'm sure I missed more...)

[ Edited by: TikiGardener on 2003-08-19 21:50 ]

here is a tiki i made today. don't laugh, but i got bored and didn't want to add a body so i made this tiki a business card holder. the tiki is in a Hawaiian style simular to a picture i took from Trader Vic's in Emeryville (see locating forum).
It turned out i think to be more work to cut the card hole, and add the shelf, then it would have been to add a body, oh well.

This is a Sawfish Cula Cula I just finished. The bills of these sharks are valued by primitive seafaring cultures all over the world. The Cula Cula is a Fijian type of club seen in many variations of one basic shape in wood.... This thing is a great looking and dangerous sonofabitch! I've been looking for a good sawfish bill for over a year now to make one of these with...this one is for me!

gecko, I love your style so much, octane, i can't believe the progress you've made this summer, your tikis are outstanding. i recognize the morro bay tiki hut tiki, nice! lakesurfer, you must be very good friends with the recipient of that mailbox tiki, thats one gnarly job! basement kahuna, your weapons... killer, ha ha. well, here's me, carving at a the first annual tiki fest on catalina island last weekend also pictured with the world famous Bamboo Ben and Crazy Al. I was so nervous carving on stage, let alone next to the masters of our subculture; ben & al.

tikitony great tiki and thanks for the kind words. Man i don't know if i could carve out on a stage like that with everyone watching. that had to be a little nerve racking.

Bk, that sword bill weapon looks wicked. where do you find a sword bill?

well i almost finished a tiki to day. i have been working on it for a few days, and it is ready for a little more clean up and some stain. just a warning i used a red Sharpie to out-line the tiki on the pole and i couldn't get the red off, it left a pink hue i'm going to stick with pencil. it turned out ok there are parts i like and others that piss me off, oh well.

That's a very, very nice Tahitian style, Octane...you should contact Brad The Beachcomber about purchasing a few of you carvings...he needs stuff bad right now for Hale Tiki.

Aloha,

Below is a pair of Hawaiian Tikis "Ku"

[ Edited by: TikiMaster on 2003-08-22 21:59 ]

[ Edited by: TikiMaster on 2003-08-22 21:59 ]

TikiMaster, good job on the KU's, i like the hawaiian gods.

Thanks BK, for the praise. About selling da tiki's i'm not sure if i'm ready for that or not. i'v only done about 8 that might even sell, and i kind want to keep most them for a while. i'm donating one or two, to MTKahuna for his new bar "the Hawaiian Room" , so i can always donate or sell one or two for Hale tiki. so it looks like i have to carve a few more.

i will email Brad "The Beachcomber" Owens, and see what he thinks, as it sounds like he's looking for, more donations, then items to buy, either way i think i can help.

here is a question for carvers who deal in palm wood. what type os sealer do you use on palm that wont change the color of the wood or have the least amount of color change?

[ Edited by: octane on 2003-08-23 17:49 ]

Octane,
none, no sealer.
It's funny how some of us carvers are attached to our tikis like they are children. Gecko told me he wouldn't sell me the Maori if I resold it. He wants to come visit it some day. I have 5 tikis that I'm attached to that I will only rent out, but now I'm having second thoughts about even renting after I got some back with a little damage. No respect.
The thing to do is work up a large inventory till finally you don't have the space and you are forced to sell. If you're good, they will knock your door down, but it takes a while for the word to get out. Up here it's seasonal. I try to push tikis with pools or ponds. If the customer has a pond or pool, then they NEED a tiki. Same as Bill Gates motto, "Give them something they think they need"

yo Octane, i just bought some clear coat in a gallon at home depot thats for outdoor wood furniture. its matte finish but its still glossy. it darkens the palm a little bit but not too much. it was $40 clams for the gallon but i covered the hawaiian tiki ( a few previous posts) and it barely put a dent in the gallon. the darkness on the hawaiian tiki is from the angle grinder, not the clear coat.
jungle trader... for sure on the inventory note. my parents house is overloaded with tikis, thats when i knew i needed to just start selling and didn't feel like i was losing a family member. its worth it when the buyers are really excited, cause no matter how much you're selling fo, it always feels like your getting cheated... but when the right person comes along, you want to give them your best tiki fo' free.

Finished this one up last week from the stump of a blue spruce...

54 inches high and 14 inches wide...
A little torch work and some stain...

And a bit heavy...

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer on 2003-08-25 00:29 ]

Lake Surfer-

Outstanding Job! How do you do the teeth? The detail is awesome!

Lake Surfer-

Outstanding Job! How do you do the teeth? The detail is awesome!

Looks great as always...

Lake looks great.

TikiTony thanks for the tip on the clear coat i go check it out at the old Depot.

BK, i was going to make a tiki with Abalone eyes, and i remember you have done this before. how do you cut the shells into circles for the eyes?

Here are a few pictures of the last tiki i did stained and varnished and a couple of all the ash tiki's i did this summer.

First off with a damned good respirator (Bob Van Oosting told me that the dust can cause Mesothelioma, or lung cancer, with effects similar to Asbestos), but secondly with a Rotozip using a tile cutting bit. Generally the only tikis that traditionally ever have Abalone eyes are of Maori origin.

[ Edited by: tikifreak on 2004-12-20 12:09 ]

[ Edited by: tikifreak on 2004-12-20 12:10 ]

Looks good, TF. I'd be interested to see what one of your jobs with a full body would looks like. Cool stuff, Octane...we have that love of Marquesan stuff in common...I think people overlook the importance of that style; it was far and above the number one style featured in the old tiki establishments. There was more Marquesan stuff than any other type of tiki featured by a longshot. But it oft gets ignored nowadays. Weapons, too. Only OA and Jack's of Fiji make them, (and a miniscule amount by me) as far as I know, and they're pretty vital to the right look in any proper tiki environment. Brad has mentioned interest in getting you to help me tackle some large poles for Hale Tiki (he needs 8 12-footers, about 8-10" diameter, and can be half-round)

This is my favorite TC thread. I'm interested in learning how to carve and hope one day to convince BK (since he lives less than an hour away) to help me buy some tools and show me some basics (hint hint). Highland hardware http://www.highlandhardware.com is across the street from where I work and I get a great discount. You carvers always post pictures of your beautiful work but never tell us what happens to it??? Are these tikis carved for personal use, commisioned by other people, for sale? As a suggestion, if you post one that is for sale how about letting us know and what the price is, or at least put it on collecting tiki too.

Thx,

Scotty

I'd be interested to see what one of your jobs with a full body would looks like.

I agree with BK good stuff, and i too would be interested to see a body on one or two of your tikis.

Octane...we have that love of Marquesan stuff

yes i do love the Marquesan style, it is my favorite, it has the right look to me, and if fun to carve.

Only OA and Jack's of Fiji make them... they're pretty vital to the right look in any proper tiki environment.

Hey BK where is Jack's of Fiji, i have never heard of them, do they have a website? and yes every tiki place needs a few Marquesan poles to bring that true tiki look in ( at least IMO)

Brad has mentioned interest in getting you to help me tackle some large poles for Hale Tiki (he needs 8 12-footers, about 8-10" diameter, and can be half-round)

i emailed him a few days ago and said i would help out. i would be interested in helping, but 8-12 footers, i don't know if i can find wood that big. i have a palm tree lined up (60ft) from the city here but they are slow as can be, they said they were going to take it out 3 weeks ago, and don't seem to be in any hury, which suck as i don't have any wood to carve right know. where would you suguest getting wood that big? a saw mill? what types of wood, or does it matter?

Scotty, best way to learn is to try, there was a thread around somewhere called chisel confusion that has some good info for buying tools. so far all my tiki reside in, around or in front of my parents house. i'm just starting to see about selling any but i'm not sure yet. a thread in collecting tiki's for doesn't get to spammy.

oh another question, has any one ever carved a tiki from a tree in the ground(standing straight up)? and if so is it hard? i ussually carve by laying them down but some one asked me to carve a palm in the ground.

[ Edited by: octane on 2003-08-28 14:06 ]

Most any sawmill has good, clean (not too knotty), straight, cheap white pine. I buy my logs for 15-20 bucks each. And you can get all the scrap you want, which usually comprises some good, useable stuff. Brad'll need all kinds of tikis, probably from four feet on up. He can pay, but he's on a budget so I'm selling him some decorative versions of some of my clubs carved in poplar instead of my usual rather expensive black walnut and cherry for about half my regular rate. Jack's of Fiji is here: http://www.jacksfiji.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=jacks&Category_Code=011

Just finished a 5 foot two faced tiki pole yesterday... about a foot in diameter... can't get photos until this weekend... carved in that "old school" look that I'm trying to nail down...

As far as my tikis, I've sold some... kept many. They're little treasures and when you put so much sweat into something its hard to let it go...

This weekend is the big test for me... The Dairyland Surf Classic, the largest gathering of freshwater surfers in the world... and while they're not tiki addicts like us they know the link between tiki/polynesia/surf culture. My work this year is 200% better than last year and therefore the prices reflect this... I'm a little concerned at what will sell though... I'll post results after the weekend...

BK and Brad... I know I will have tikis left after this weekend... I have 50 of them carved.... any room for another tiki at the Hale Tiki? Let me know...

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer on 2003-08-28 22:58 ]

Damned right there is. Check your PM's

[ Edited by: tikifreak on 2004-12-20 12:10 ]

Lake,
I would like to take a look at anything you have and would like to let go. I am on a budget but I can pay and will. Please send me pictures and info at [email protected]
that is my military addtress and can hold more pics (due to size) than my other e-mail.
I am still drawing out the blue prints and am not sure how many large tiki poles I will nee but I will be posting an offer to accept bids from carvers when I have a list together.

My goal is to have the best independent owned neo-tiki bar in the U.S. With the support from all of you I will make it happen.

Thanks for all of the great support so far. It looks like the we will be open around the first week in November, that is not for sure but some time around there.

See you on the beach,

Brad

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna on 2003-09-03 09:14 ]

Here is a couple of ours. Tikis in the Desert
Carving Palm Stumps in Las Vegas

http://www.signforums.com/forums/uploads/post-2-1061249170.jpg

http://www.signforums.com/forums/uploads/post-2-1061249170.jpg

Sorry, carvers...had to dish.

hey Bk that is cool man, i know about losing family and friends recently, as last year for me sounds like this year for you. i'm sorry for your losses, both family and logs, it can be tuff. you just keep taking them in stride and work throw all the stuff that seems to snow ball.

BK

We are your pals and as such are open to hear what is going well and not so well in life. Glad you feel comfortable sharing.

Your carving time will return to you soon enough. Family is important.

Hang in there BK. Take care of the Fam and give your chisels some well deserved rest. They will be there ready for you when things have simmered.

Chongolio

Hey Now Everyone,

I see a lot of posts covering large carvings (nothing wrong with big) but has anyone ever tried their hand at carving really small tiki? Last night I chipped out a couple of one inch heads on the ends of a 1/2" square board, it was kinda fun. I then carved Tiki Central and the URL onto the board between the two heads. Today I'm going to toss it into Narragansett Bay and let the tides do what they may. Hopefully someday, someone will come to TC and give a report on finding it. I have to admit that it's not an original idea. I found something similar washed up on an island in Maine a few years ago. A small head with "Tribe" carved on the base. Not quite a tiki but still one of my favorite finds.

Good weekend for me at the Dairyland Surf Classic on Lake Michigan... got some nice waist high waves Saturday morning right after I got my tiki tent set up... a lot of inland surfers now have my tikis...

And a shot of the 5 foot two face pole I finished last week... no buyer this weekend though so he's in my living room for now...

cool story Midway cafe....are you serious?

BK, no worries cuz

LS, cool tent. eh! you need to put some a dem tikis on da kine "ebay".

nice to find time to surf threw TC today. As soon as I have a few more items done for the Tikis grill & bar restaurant in Waikiki I'll post some pics. bizzy bizzy bizzy

Hey Now Gecko,

Yes, I'm serious! The Booze Cruze was great! The sun was out, the air was cool and the band was jamming. I tossed my Tiki early in the day just before slack tide. Watched it bobble in the wake of the boat for as long as I could then went off to find another beer. Keep your eyes towards the surf as you never know where the tides may carry this carving. A couple of years ago there was an article in the local paper about a carving that washed up on a Rhode Island beach. It was about two feet tall, shaped like a person and had about eighty nails pounded into it. It looked like a giant voodoo doll. A local university identified it as being of African origin. Time to get back to the work shop, got to pay the bills.

[ Edited by: tikifreak on 2004-12-20 12:11 ]

All is cool. I just finished rigging a 7-foot long, 48-inch wide ship's shroud line for Hale Tiki complete with 4 antique blocks, along with a 56-inch traplight and a coolie hat light. Fixing to begin work on 10 weapons for the place plus more stuff for the Mai Kai. This funeral plus two more summer Neato bookings to play and I'm off the hook. Great display, Lake...you can see the sizes better in that shot.

My second attempt at doing a carving; "Larry The God of Martini's"...

Hardly "traditiona;l," but he was a blast to carve, and I learned a lot from it. ( Mostly how damn good some of the guys on here are)

Thats awesome! Good Job FastCo

Aloha,

Here is a double headed tiki totem made out of monkeypod!

Mahalo Nui Loa,
Tikimaster
http://www.tikimaster.com

nice carvings. I like that sign too, creative.

I'll be done with Mr. Martin Dennys commisioned tiki this week and will post pics for your viewing. I just gotta do the sanding and the finish and attach the brass plack to the back.

Aloha

Midway, I bet somebody enjoys that Tiki you threw in the bay, lots of surfers there if I remember correctely, used to race in Narraganset regularly. I just started carving and am mostly carving 2-3 inch tiki pendants out of hardwoods- rosewood, walnut, mahogony, cocobolo(sp)-anyone carve with this very hard, heavy, beautiful wood before? Like the small stuff as I live in an apartment in the city and a my roomate won't allow any chainsaws just yet.

nice work Fastco, great sign, it may not be traditional but is still aswome and as da Gecko said creative.

Tiki master that totem style tiki is aswome, i like how the dark part of the wood runs right down the middle of the mouth. great detail.

here is a set of cabnet/bar legs i carved for a cabnet/bar for my room.

here is my last carving, it is only about a foot tall. unstained

stained

That's a cool idea. I just got some triangular white pine 6" stanchions I'm fixing to "carve to death" ala the Oceanic Arts posts (the wavy, Maori influenced lines). I COMPLETELY missed Tony's post a few pages back. Nice tiki!...Looked like a fun day with Al and Ben.