[PJN]

Hello everyone,

I am a keen woodworker who collected some beautiful pieces of timber during my 44 years at sea in the Merchant Navy which I am now carving, turning and otherwise trying to convert into useful articles which I hope my family and friends will treasure long after I’m gone. Presently carving handles to go with blackthorn shafts, plus lancewood shafts cut in aNew Zealand. Every piece of wood has a story.

 

[dww2]

Welcome aboard, PJN! I am sure we'd all love to see your work as well as hearing the stories behind the materials.

 

[PJN]

Welcome aboard, PJN!

Thanks for your welcom. Attached are photos of a couple of sticks made from wood collected on my travels. The taller on is made of New Zealand lancewood which the Maori used for walking sticks. They would tie a knot in the stem of a young plant which later provided the handle. Gandalf’s staff in Lord of the Rings ( filmed in NZ) was made of lancewood. The other handle is made from a NZ deer antler with pounamu (greenstone) eyes and Paula (abalone) hat, all collected from NZ. The collar is made from NZ kauri and a piece of brass pipe I stole from our Chief Engineer. The shaft is made of blackthorn.
My current project is using wood obtained from Pitcairn Island, home the mutineers of HMS Bounty. It incorporates brass nail which held the hull sheathing in place and is the part of the ship which remained after the mutineers burnt to avoid detection by the Royal Navy.

 

[dww2]

Beautiful work! The line "stole from our Chief Engineer" gave me a good laugh.

I'm always amazed at how well copper nails survive being in sea water for a century or two. I watch this lovely blonde lady named Nicola White on Youtube doing mudlarking on the Thames and she finds quite a few of those. That should be a really great stick.