Witco?

Think this is a Witco piece? The grain looks burned like a Witco, but were they painted originally?

Kentiki

I've been to the Hawaiian Inn in Daytona, and they actually have a ton of painted Witco pieces, and I've seen others Witco's that are painted too. I don't know enough to tell you for sure, but the paint does not mean its not.

Cool Piece either way though!

One of my bars came with a leopard shield with a painted mask on it. I thought the previous owners painted it but it is the same colors as your piece. I'd say, yes, and I guess I won't strip the paint off mine. I like them without the paint, though.

Nice Mask! The carving looks Witco, but the Witco wahine piece I have is painted in softer colors. Also, I think a lot of the stuff at the Hawaiian Inn has been re-painted in brighter shades and varnished, or re-done with black light paints. BigBro probably knows for sure whether this is Witco, and if the colors are original, because he has their catalogs.

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2002-10-09 12:22 ]

Kentiki- there are tons of different Witco mask designs, how the @#$ am I gonna tell this apart when it is A.) leaning against another Tiki, and B.) partially obscured by shade...
Well, it does seem to be a Witco, and I don't think those were the original colors.

It is a Witco piece. I found a picture of it in a Witco catelog. It is called a Ceremonial Mask painted in varied hues of color. If you want a picture of it in the catelog email me [email protected]

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm happy to give the mask a good home whatever brand it is or isn't, but provenience is always interesting.

Hey Bigbro--yeah it isn't a great pic, but I didn't wanna bog down people's browsers with a million $#%@^%$ shots. - And besides, I never even asked you, ya snotty Kraut!

[ Edited by: kentiki on 2002-10-12 20:02 ]

OK, so Witco did paint some pieces. But would they have used metallic silver or was this done, as I would presume, post-purchase?

On 2004-06-25 17:26, tikijackalope wrote:
OK, so Witco did paint some pieces. But would they have used metallic silver or was this done, as I would presume, post-purchase?

travesty. Kinda sad. Reminds of the painted game table. I remember seeing it on Ebay when it was still in it's natural color, but didn't bid because I assumed it was going to go skyhigh. I could've saved it. :(

[ Edited by: Turbogod on 2004-06-25 17:47 ]

[ Edited by: Turbogod on 2004-06-25 17:49 ]

Yes, but who committed the travesty?

On 2004-06-25 17:48, tikijackalope wrote:
Yes, but who committed the travesty?

Somebody who thought it was an alien?

Tacky Techie Tiki Bar
It just may be that the only purpose to your life is to serve as a warning to others.

[ Edited by: Turbogod on 2004-06-25 17:51 ]

turbogod wrote:

Reminds of the painted game table. I remember seeing it on Ebay when it was still in it's natural color, but didn't bid because I assumed it was going to go skyhigh. I could've saved it.

It makes you wonder if such pieces could still be saved. Can paint be removed from a Witco without messing up the burned outer layer of wood?

Paint burns off stuff. A few quick passes of the blow torch and some subsequent steel brushing: Paint's gone. But it varies on chemistry and age. Sometimes you luck out and the paint becomes all crumbly and whisks right off with a steel brush. Other times it gums up and has to burned more. In a heavily burned piece, like a Witco, paint may be in crevices or into the grain. A paint remover/ refinish with fire combo may be a better choice for a prized piece. If yer lucky the bozo who painted it in the fist place painted right on top of an original glaze which usually makes paint removal easier, whether it be with a chemical or torch. Like spot remover: Test on an unseen area first. But unlike your tiel and hot pink UltraSuede mini skirt you don't wanna lose a Tiki piece to your cruddy spot removal skills so either practice on some other stuff or find someone who can do it professionally. But remember: In 2017 when original Witcos are going for thousands of dollars your piece won't be worth so much. Plan to fund the kids' education with something else.

Thanks for the input, woofmutt. I'm so enamored of the one Witco I have (a cat) that I want more, but I keep running across prohibitivly expensive stuff (like furniture for $7000) or damaged goods that might be saved and display that grain I love so well.

Keigs how about these? Seen a lot of Witco but nothing like these.

Look to be Witco and their painted in the soft colous as Kailuageoff mentioned.

I like the resurection of the old threads. The pant on my few painted Witco's has grown on me. In this pic of my turtle you can see the painted mask, I spoke of before, in the background. It came with 2 spears painted in the same colors.

Is that the game table set that sold on ebay for like 35.00? (I ripped some hair out after that score was posted) Why and who would paint that? Where is that picture from? It sure does look like some of the early 60's decorating books. I just scored 2 boxes full of 1963 and earlier decorating mags. and books at an estate sale.

I don't know how much more I can take of this "guilding the lily" The lily is beautiful as is! Please don't paint, glue, or stick things into the Witco! My eyes hurt.
Where is that silver lady's room sign. It needs to be stolen. Stealing is wrong but she needs help, a damsel in distress.

Laney, Queen of Witco,
The table is located at the Continental Modern Pool Lounge in VA. Given the distance of the Ebay table and the the lounge, I assume it is the same one.

Tikijackalope, that is a Witco but like everyone else says not a witco paint job. Burn it off and dont inhale the fumes or use some paint stripper.
Flounder, those are called "Hanging Cylinder" #LP22 and that is the original paint. Witco made them 12, 20, 30, and 40 inches long.

On 2004-06-27 18:47, keigs20 wrote:
Tikijackalope, that is a Witco but like everyone else says not a witco paint job. Burn it off and dont inhale the fumes or use some paint stripper.
Flounder, those are called "Hanging Cylinder" #LP22 and that is the original paint. Witco made them 12, 20, 30, and 40 inches long.

Thanks Keigs, One of them is 20 inches but the odd thing is the other is only 11 inches.
Short an inch as usual. :lol:

I've begun to notice woodwork that looks like Witco here and there, like these 2" thick masks. Witco authorities tell me they are not Witco. I think it might be fun to map out a chain of imitation concerning woodwork, just as we've already done to a large degree with mug manufacturers:

[ Edited by: tikijackalope on 2004-07-04 02:45 ]

Did any other contemporary manufacturers (say, about 30-35 years ago) also lightly burn the finished carving?

The burnt finish was somewhat popular for furniture pieces in the late 60's and early 70's, mostly on that giant sized rustic "conquistador" stuff. And all sorts of companies used it on wall decor, candle holders, etc. (Thousands of owls, as any serious junker can tell you.) It was also a popular home craft technique (I've seen old ads for propane torches which mention this use). The burnt wood finish has been used in Japan for a very long time (there's a Japanese word for it and I have not been able to track that damned word down) and you can sill find quality Japanese wood pieces with this sort of finish.

laney suggested:

I don't know how much more I can take of this "guilding the lily" The lily is beautiful as is! Please don't paint, glue, or stick things into the Witco! My eyes hurt.
Where is that silver lady's room sign. It needs to be stolen. Stealing is wrong but she needs help, a damsel in distress.

The damsel and her friend escaped on Independence Day.

No Way! Did you do it! Or did you just offer them some $$$? That pic is the best! :lol:

Thanks, Laney. Do you think she'd work for carpoool lanes? Stealing them would be a good story, but I bought them. Now...to get that paint off. I think I'll try the citrus paint remover + high pressure car wash. I don't have a torch. I'll experiment first on one of the masks as I have more of those. The paint is tacky in the literal sense, btw...feels like it never dried.

[ Edited by: tikijackalope on 2004-10-10 19:24 ]

Thought I would bring this thread back for a variation on previous questions about Witco paint, refinishing, etc.
My question is what do those of you who have Witco bars do to protect the surface of the bar top?
NeptuneTiki told me he had a piece of glass cut for the top of one of his bars, but I'm wondering whether it would be advisable to put on several coats of spar varnish instead.
Glass is okay, but I'm thinking ceramic mugs would scratch the surface. Am I wrong about that?
Leaving the wood unprotected doesn't seem like a good idea. I shudder to think what a spilled Zombie would do to the finish.
Thoughts?
KG

I would go with the glass on top. Don't think mugs will scratch glass surfaces...how rowdy do you guys get?! Get a second opinion.

We're not all that rowdy. Pretty tame, actually. I have glass on the top of my desk and it has a few serious scratches on it even though I rarely use it. I'm thinking the bottom of the mugs might easily scratch glass, but hopefully others have actual experience with glass bar tops.
Other opinions/suggested materials appreciated.

(Since posting this I have come to my senses and realized one should not cover the hallowed grain of their Witco bar with anything that will permanently alter the original surface. I guess it was such an obvioulsy lame idea -- as anyone who watches Antiques Roadshow knows -- that only yumyumkid (a mere rookie on TC judging by number of posts) even cared to respond. Either that or some of you Witco-collecting fanatics were thinking, "Ha, I won't post a reply in hopes he covers his bar with varnish. This will diminish the surviving number of Witco bars in original condition by one, and increase the value of those few that remain, heh, heh, heh.
Well, it's not happening kids. I'm putting glass on my swamp cedar!)

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2004-10-13 15:16 ]