My first pendant since Benzart's Coon Tiki Lesson!

Aloha Coon Tiki Bretheren, and everyone else as well!

For the past few weeks, I've been spending my break time at work trying my darnedest to successfully do another hook-knife carving like we did at Coon Tiki. I realized that I was forgetting all the great stuff Ben taught us, so I thought I'd better start hookin' again!

The first two attempts were unsuccessful. I kept messing things up, or the wood would shred the wrong way, or a cut would "take off" across the face of it and ruin the dang thing. Well, they say that third time's a charm, and I finally finished this one to a tolerable degree of "yeah, I guess it's o.k.". Here it is:

Gee, can ya guess what my inspiration was? :P

I had a really nice ageing going on, but then I sprayed it with lemon oil, and all my subtle "wear shading" vanished. Maybe if I dry it out in the sun, I can wear it down again. After that, the hole gets drilled, the lanyard goes thru and then it gets slung 'round my anxiously waiting neck!

Mahaloz!

Very nice! Reminds me of a Mug out of Stockton Cali :)

Mahalo

McTiki

It's more than OK--it's Greeeeaaat!

Hey nice one Lee! I like the style. It doesn't look like you lost anything from Coon Tiki! Make some more! You may be surprised how good they get after you make a few more.

Nice!

Great carving! How large of a piece is it?

That is one sweet pendant.

Well done Lee. That's one of my all-time favorite designs. You executed it beautifully.

It looks like you're getting the hang of that hook knife. Nice looking "witco-ish" piece - reminds me of the spitting fountain, but with a bit of your spin to it.

If memory serves you're on the list for the west coast chop? I look forward to chillin' and carvin' in sunny sandy ego with ya

Thats got a nice individual style - top work

Yes, he looks great, I L:ove all the detail. I can see you have been practicing with the hook. Excellent.

Oh...that is a fabulous carving

Good job Lee. I like him! I have also been doing pendants with the hook knife. Will add pics to my thread soon. Keep 'em coming.

Wow, Nice hook work Tiki Lee's! I have to say that unfortunately I never really caught the "carving small" bug. It seems like I was was too hung over and it hurt my head to squint at the incredibly small detail while trying to make my side look like Ben's. Plus, I felt certain that I was going to Ginsu my finger and bleed all over Swanky's nice in-laws' carpet. Anyway, my problems aside, it looks like you've kept the Coon-Tiki torch burning and managed to produce a masterful piece with an interesting Witco look to it. Enjoy SoCal Coon-Tiki 2, my friend. If I could make it I would be there too.

Aaron

Hey, Thanks A Bunch for all the great compliments! I really just expected a couple of "o.k.'s" and that would be it. Wow, thanks again!

Cap'n Skully- he's 4" tall, and about 1 1/2" wide. He started out as a much bigger rectangular block of bass wood, & just kept getting smaller and smaller.

Polynesiac- Yeah, I took a bit of the Witco fountain, a bit of the Mainlander mug, and a bit of the Hugh Hefner "pool room" masks and threw 'em all together. I just can't get that Witco style out of my head. I grew up around so much of it and I love it all so much.

Benz- maybe, when we get together at Left Coast, you can teach me how NOT to break so dang many blades when carving out big areas of wood. I broke THREE blades carving out the "vee" on top of his head!

8ft- post your pendants soon; I can't wait to see 'em!

Aaron- I wish you could be there, too. I'll miss sleeping with ya! :lol: (ya had to be there)

I just finished going over him with a wire brush to bring out the grain. After that, he got two light coats of Satin Marine varnish. Now he looks nice and old (again with the "old!") and ready to be drilled for a lanyard. He doesn't look much different in pictures, though, so I won't post any more.

Thanks Again for all your support! Next Stop: Left Coast Oki-Finoki Chop Schop!

-loha!