Basement Kahuna -New Maori Bone Pendant 3/04

DAMN! Them is some FINE pieces there BK. The Finest!
I do believe you make these things, so you can use them on people. :lol:
Thanks for the putting in the facts along with it too. This kind of knowledge is SOOO obscure, and you've got-it-downnnnn!
Aloha

So beautiful..!

Thanks everyone...carving these things is learning them. Seeing them in pictures and then holding it in your hand is transformative. Mahalo for all of the -very- kind words!

Just trying to figure out how to post a general reply!!!
How long do you dry a section of queen palm for tiki carving???

Perfection. Those look museum quality for sure.

TOO Authentic!
Those look straight off of Cook's shippe!
you are superhuman man!
:)

Love 'em! The wood on that tewhatewha is to die for. Don't make us wait so long next time!

Beautiful, I love the stain / finish job, museum quality my friend.

that's the second best taiaha i've ever seen.

BK it's about time you started carving and posting pic's of your great stuffs again. These new pieces look like the BK of Old with a bit of refinement thrown in. Excellent detail on both pieces and the Altar Image as well.
I'd love to see some Macro shots of all 3 so we could see how you did the details. Looks like you are getting comfortably settled into your new shop,, got Pic's?

Enjoyed the chat the other day!

awesome work bk

Just finished this 3 inch Teko pendant in bone. Backbreaker's worth of detail in this one..

P.S. Thanks everyone for the kind words. Aloha!

Love those long-weapons BK! I was talking to an accomplished Maori woodcarver a few months back and he told me that the most common wood used for such was/is native NZ manuka or kanuka (slight differences between the two): a very hard slow growing 'scrub' around these parts, grows quite tall and spindly and has a real springiness to the boughs (also good for staking climbing beans). The most interestng thing I learned was that to prep the wood it was often weighted down in a running stream for at least a year(!)to flush out resins which otherwise cause splitting when drying. I spoke to another guy who was fashioning a walking/talking (tokotoko) stick from the same, who claimed his timber had spent 5yrs underwater and a further 2yrs slowly drying - and I though patience was needed for stone grinding.. :)

Interesting! I had never heard these methods.. only the fire and smoke hardening. Great to get info from these old carvers. These really are lost art forms. True...patience is a virtue when carving anything as we all know. The walnut used here was part of a ridge of old growth that was cut near Franklin North Carolina long ago. This tree was 200-plus years old when cut. I have had it pressed in my stock pile along with a few other pieces for 7 years. Not quite the same process, but not quite the same geography. I am literally tracing around tracings to get the maximum use out of all of it I can..It's beautiful stuff, but Taiaha sized lengths are something I have to pull everything out to find anymore. I heard also that there is a species of Podocarpus that grows in New Zealand that was used for weapons. I would love to get my hands on some of those woods to try them on for size. I could do a lot with them. For now I used the prettiest and cleanest woods I can find around here.

The Cockeyed Mayor Of CarvaKaKai.

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna 2009-11-10 07:55 ]

On 2009-11-08 21:13, Basement Kahuna wrote:
Just finished this 3 inch Teko pendant in bone. Backbreaker's worth of detail in this one..

Awesome. As are the two weapons you posted. The polishing work on those is really fine. I can just imagine the back pain putting in the detail on this guy too. Ugh.

Another black walnut Taiaha...last piece of this great wood I have for now. This fine weapon goes to our resident playboy adventurer Traveling Jones

More photos

Excellent pieces here BK, Love the Taiaha. no one does'um like you. "bout time you woke up and started posting some Good stuff! :o

Nice chops bruddah!

Miss you round these parts, may 2010 be full of woodchips for ya!

NICE BK!

I see this one is a wee bit different that the other Taiaha you have made/posted. Dig it.

the arero is quite different than mine. both have the same smooth lines. both are astounding pieces of art. the man is a true talent.

when you show that kind consistency in your art is shows you've truly mastered it.

That thing is just flat out ridicurous. Nice work.

SUM COOL FRICKIN CARVES HERE DUDE LUVIN UR STUFF VERY AUTHENTIC LOOKIN!!! bigger pics mybe but nuntheless awsome dude!!!!

Here's a new cheaper piece that I'm producing 20 of right now as part of a line of 3 new affordable bar fixtures I'm making ..a 34" Maori style booze well for that pro touch in a home tiki bar! Just posted details on it on Marketplace.

Very cool Dave!

Form and function come together in yet another top notch carve by the one and only Basement Kahuna!

Love it!

Good luck with the sales!

Love this one BK, got more works in the works?

I really like this one too.

Thanks, BFAMS yeah Ben two more pieces in this line just have to get to 2 and 3!

when are you going to start making good stuff?

On 2009-11-10 07:52, Basement Kahuna wrote:
Interesting! I had never heard these methods.. only the fire and smoke hardening. Great to get info from these old carvers. These really are lost art forms. True...patience is a virtue when carving anything as we all know. The walnut used here was part of a ridge of old growth that was cut near Franklin North Carolina long ago. This tree was 200-plus years old when cut. I have had it pressed in my stock pile along with a few other pieces for 7 years. Not quite the same process, but not quite the same geography. I am literally tracing around tracings to get the maximum use out of all of it I can..It's beautiful stuff, but Taiaha sized lengths are something I have to pull everything out to find anymore. I heard also that there is a species of Podocarpus that grows in New Zealand that was used for weapons. I would love to get my hands on some of those woods to try them on for size. I could do a lot with them. For now I used the prettiest and cleanest woods I can find around here._______________
The Cockeyed Mayor Of CarvaKaKai.

Hey BK, The Podocarpus is called the Totara in NZ, another strain of podocarpus. I have a few pieces of trunk about 4 to 5" in diameter and maybe 3 feet long. It's yours if you want one just let me know and remind me just before Hukilau and I'll bring it down. I've carved it 2 feet in diameter so it Does happen here but not often.
My stock is from a hurricane we all knew personally.

Absolutely, Ben..I'll take all you're willing to spare. I have a small piece from Jungle Jim but it's only good for a tiny weapon. Thanks, BFAM!

I'll dig it out and set it aside for'ya. don't have anything longer that3 feet, but havr one about 4" diameter for you

Here's a new piece...Just put this one for sale on marketplace for 165 (ten-plus hours of work!!) A Maori style pendant carved by me in bone depicting two Manaia with unusually large openwork. Pretty "pupil" style Green Abalone inlay and nicely patinaed to look ancient, the way we like them! It's a bigger piece, 3 3/8 inches.

Beautiful pendant! How did you do the petina to make it look so old? I've been trying some tea stains but it does'nt seem to stick on well.

use tea in vinegar. the vinegar reacts with the calcium in bone like it does with easter egg shells.

a real beauty, bk! bravo!

[ Edited by: kingstiedye 2010-03-04 19:25 ]

Thanks, Bullet..(P.S. Panel progress shots on Facebook!!)

Top notch Dave, top notch!

Oh man, super work, that open work carving takes a lot of talent.

John

Hot damn!

BK, I'm hoping some day you'll go back and do a big fat Marquesan in some WOOD!!
woo hoo

Gotta do a tiki next 2 weeks for the Orlando show! Working currently on the long-overdue Maori panel for Kingstiedye and a couple of older war club commissions, along with some jewelry. On the staining technique-that is a good formula that Perry suggested. I have used it in the past-although my current formula uses none of the above :wink: . Thanks, BFAMs and SFAMS for the compliments..you guys are too much. So much good work on Creating now.

That pendant is to beautiful really.

wow so cool keep up the good work

Incredible! lots going on there.

Great form BK. I like all the open work.