Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: Primalartz on March 29, 2013, 02:19:58 am
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Hawaiian Makau pendant composed of Stellar Sea Cow rib bone, mohagany, Paua shell. Zebrawood and mammoth ivory beads. Every bit of it was made by hand using only hand tools with the exception of the beads which I previously made using a rotary tool method
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Very nice work
Matt
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Thanks, here's to surviving the Mayan apocalypse !
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Made this for a Native American dancer, cow bone and mother of pearl
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awesome work, very talented. How long have you been carving?
Matt
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About 6 years, I studied anthropology and archeology in college and I became fascinated with the Maori tribe of New Zealand and their bone carving. I could not find a pendant nearby to purchase so I fashioned a crude fish hook out of an antler and I've been hooked ever since
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Some more bone and Paua shell
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Very cool!! 8)
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Beautiful work. :)
Pappy
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wow! lovely!
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NICE work! What kind of tools do you use? I've carved some bone, usually use a dremal, but tend to get carried away and screw it up in the end. I'd love to make some of those "fish hook" necklaces for my boys. Again, GREAT work! dpg
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My mainstay tool is a jewlers saw which I use a spiral cut scroll saw blade in it. After the shape is cut out I use needle files and carving knifes. Then if I don't want to go the hand tool route I use a foredom rotary tool. All you really need is a vice and a jewlers saw and some files. A good source of bone is pet store dog bones cut from the shank. Trace your design on the bone, cut it out. Then smooth the lines with the files. Finish to about a 400 grit sand paper, and then the best thing to use to get that glass like gloss is a three sided fingernail polisher
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Intricate cutting using jewlers saw
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nice work Primalartz!
since you really are great with that saw you might google Seneca Bone Combs.
Actually all our iroquoian/Huron(wendat) people made combs, but it seems the Seneca combs were being made up into the historic times
and more have survived...I've made a few, and they all seem to end up as gifts!
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Thanks, I just checked out the combs that's right up my alley. I'm currently a one arm bandit till my shoulder recovers from surgery. All of my carvings end up as gifts or I trade for materials to keep my hobby going
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Your bone work is Impressive to say the least. I've made a few myself . Gotta try the two peice one. How are you Attaching them together?
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hope your shoulder heals up quick, Primalartz.
just in case people don't know what combs we're talking about here's one i made
for our Bear clan. bears are considered keepers of the medicines..the herbs and healing plants.
in the past both men and women used these, some were worn in the hair or scalplock.
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Thanks, I use ca glue for high stress seams. I normally refine pine pitch to use but it does not hold up for gluing two different materials together
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Very nice comb!!! What type of bone did you use
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I find it so amazing that native cultures separated by 1000's of miles share similar ideas. The Maori of New Zealand wore carved bone combs they called heru which symbolism usually represents healing or protection
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yep you are right about that.
I've spent 3 weeks among Maori friends in Aotearoa (NZ) and we have a lot of common traditions.
They're proud of their heritage and don't take racist attitudes very well.
Maori connect very deeply with the west coast cedar carvers like the Tlingit,
and respect a person who can introduce themselves and sing in their own indigenous language.
they don't use drums there, so they really enjoyed hearing the waterdrum I brought that i sing with.
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the bone i used was from a cow leg bone, but traditionally my ancestors used moose.
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That is awesome, I would loved to have been there for that. I have a great respect for native cultures that stand up against Cultural assimilation and preserve their heritage and language. Also I really enjoy hearing the waterdrum as well.
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Beautiful work.
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Great art guys! Thanks for sharing!
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Much appreciated!!! I'm dabbling in jade now
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wow, excellent job, very nice...!
Jade is such a hard stone, but its also strong, the nice thing is one can really get detailed with it!
New Zealand Maori friends sent me back loaded with their green stone they harvest on the south island, I really haven't
carved anything with it yet :(
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It is defiantly hard and dulled most of my diamond files. I wish I had some pounamu. This one was from a slab of British Columbia jade and is quite dark
-Frank
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Man that is beautiful.
Matt
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Beautiful carvings.
I have great respect for those who move to America and keep their culture instead of becoming part of pop culture.
-Squirrel
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Beautiful work Primal! What would you want for trade for anything you make?
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Thanks y'all ;) I'm always up for a trade, anything from raw materials to finished items.