[cobalt]

wonder how many here personilse the shank

quite a few use toppers but i have been asked for a initial to be put on.

I have no idea what to charge i just saw it as a challenge he just asked to make it different?

so i have some cow hornso whilst paint was drying on a few toppers decided to have a go .

printted a few illuminated text and having a go . I think thedesign i choose is a bit ambitious but if I make any mistakes I could simplify it

I was hoping if I can do it a bit of scrimshaw style work on it to fit in with the design

A few photos to see if it works or if its going to be a disaster

The horn sliced to about the size

Cut to the dimensions

heated horn using heat gun and being pressed into a mould using of cuts of hazel wood the approx. size of shank

check horn to fit shank

the design

basic shape cut

still a bit of tidying up to do yet to be engraved and polished post more when I get the chance even is it doesn't work out

 

[Rodney]

I know I'll be interested in seeing it. Neat idea.

Rodney

 

[dww2]

Wow. That is so cool. Just cutting that out would have had my nerves frazzled.

How do you plan to attach it?

 

[CV3]

That is going to look good. Nicely done.

 

[cobalt]

no time for anything at the moment Was hoping to engrave it and use a bit of scrimshaw style.

I was hoping to see some of the work carried out on sticks .Alot of ex service men put there own design on there shanks related to what they did in the service.or there service badge

I like a bit of personnel history put into a stick shows the character of the man .it not necessary valuable or complex but just interesting;

Anything related to there work for me is always of interest far better tan a plain stick

Royal air force badges over here look good but I know people put badges on there shanks giving a brief history of where the have been or where they come from.

Sun prised I haven't seen any from the lone star state or a symbol related to there state symbol . some cover there sticks in badges as there are loads available some just go a tad to far but why not

 

[Gloops]

Looking good Dennis, like the style of the "A", have you thought about low relief carving the design on it and then bringing it out by adding black (as in scrimnshaw) , wipng off to leave the accentuated design as in this example :-

Just an idea as the design on the letter is good.

 

[cobalt]

thats my idea gloops it depends on the old hands ifhere steady enough and the eyes thingsnot so clear as they used to be

.But i i make a balls up of it i will just smooth it out and use it

Cutting it is quite easy to do shaping is simple with a heat gun and a crude press mould its the same stuff that your finger nails are made of. Cutting and shaping was done with a rotary tool

 

[Gloops]

thats my idea gloops it depends on the old hands ifhere steady enough and the eyes thingsnot so clear as they used to be

.But i i make a balls up of it i will just smooth it out and use it

Cutting it is quite easy to do shaping is simple with a heat gun and a crude press mould its the same stuff that your finger nails are made of. Cutting and shaping was done with a rotary tool

Know the feeling, the eyes especially, I have one of those desk mounted large magnifying lenses - rectangular with light at eiter end, great for this type of work, also use a head mounted one with interchangeable lenses of differing strength for doing shank toppers , and these can be picked up at reasonable prices.

 

[walkingthedog]

Hi cobalt this is going to be an interesting style looking great so far mate.

 

[LilysDad]

It looks thick. Will it be inlet in the wood or left proud?

 

[cobalt]

yes it is thick 3/16inch but by the time i have worked on it and polished it will be thinner but it will stand proud .It grips the shank at prsent but will attach it with a bit of epoxy resin

 

[cobalt]

testing burning into the horn slightly easy to control the burner than the rotary tool tired using a steel needle to etch difficult to control. It needs a ready polished surface. .stained with ink on test piece then polished back using fine sandpaper.

results so far

polished horn

pattern[

test piece

 

[CAS14]

I am humbled, and feel like such an amateur in comparison. I must spend more time to learn such amazing skills!

 

[cobalt]

Dont be CAS14 if i can do it anyone can.

ite what it will turn out like

the old eyes arnt brilliant and you need a steady hand even if I don't have a wee dram mind you it could help

 

[CAS14]

Well, I have one fair eye left, but I do enjoy making sticks. I have the tools required to carve and create more artistic works. I just have to dedicate the time to learning more. This website has provided many great ideas!

 

[cobalt]

to hectic at present to get into the shop so nothing done .checked out a few videos on scrimshaw so in the next few days i will just go for it regardless .I have plenty of horns to try it out on

have a couple more orders but not sure if i want any more work if its going to interfer with enjoying myself ,although i do get pleasure out of stick making also frustrated when it just dosnt go right .but plenty of drawing to do 1st to get the look rigth before i start

enjoy yourself doing what you like and dont let anything become a burdon

 

[CV3]

I am enjoying seeing your prcess cobalt. It has been awhile sense I tried some scrimshaw. I was trying to do a powder horn for a friend who was into mountain man reenactments. I could never seem to get the use of the ink right. I just had badly stained horn.

 

[JRSC]

Very nice work! I'm contemplating doing some wood burning myself.

 

[cobalt]

How come a 14th century monk could do such amazing example of illuminated script . You just have to look at the book of kells its amazing. We can send people to the moon yet even all those 100`s of ears ago there craftmanship was amazing. and still has value. Some of the people I have encounted cant write? beggars belief

I am trying to achieve .some bright colour text using a form of scrimshaw watched a couple of hours on technique .So skills haven't yet been wiped away people go to amazing lengths to emulate them still.

Her am I planning how to do it , I am still not sure of the approach whether to go down the path of using pyrography or just use a scribe. But I do want to use several bright strong colours without contaminating each colour using fine lines , sounds so simple..Seafarers would get fine detail on objects in what would be called difficult environments . okay they only use one colour mainly which makes life simpler. And that was made from soot . Here we are with modern technology but still way behind there skills.

 

[JRSC]

I can agree. As much as I've studied "primitive" technology, the more I see people back then we're as intelligent as we are now. In fact, I'd say because of our modern technology, we've kind of gotten dumber... lol!