Day of the Jackal

**Whittling** · 22nd June 2013, 11:43 PM

Ok... the final chapter. I finished the stick yesterday and sent some preliminary photos to the client who is happy. Whew!

I ended up using a pyrographic pen to give subtle highlights to areas like the nose, ears and mouth lines that would have otherwise been lost in the grain pattern.

Jackal is blackwood, spacers are huon pine and jarrah and the shaft is part of an old jarrah joist from a demolished Lutheran church in North Adelaide. The handle is wrapped in kangaroo hide leather thong and the trailing end is decorated in glass beads which represent the ancient Egyptian love of primary colours.

The grip I intended was as below in the first photo...

... but it turns out that this design also makes a very acceptable thumb stick.

Thanks to those who accompanied me on this particular journey and for your comments and suggestions along the way. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

**Claw Hama** · 23rd June 2013, 01:14 AM

Lovely job as usual Whitling, commissions are great, they take us to places
we might not normally go. Well done.

**copeau** · 23rd June 2013, 02:19 AM

It's lovely !

Seems that you didn't lost your time with the prototype.
Nice finish as well.

**Whittling** · 23rd June 2013, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

commissions are great, they take us to places
we might not normally go.

You're dead right about that mate! Almost every significant advance in my own carving journey that I can recall, was due to the fact that I couldn't say 'no' to a client and then found myself forced out on a creative limb in order to satisfy the order. The experience isn't always comfortable while I'm going through it but it feels great to come out the other side having accomplished something that one wasn't sure of being able to do on the way in.

**Whittling** · 23rd June 2013, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by copeau

Seems that you didn't lost your time with the prototype.

Thanks Copeau. I don't do prototypes very often because it always feels like I'm wasting time... until they are done and all the glaring mistakes are evident. Which in turn shows me very clearly what to avoid and gives a much better perspective on how to get where I want to go. I guess I'm just basically lazy and even though I know its beneficial to do a prototype, I still begrudge the time and effort. Silly I know... but there it is.

**Robthechisel** · 23rd June 2013, 02:12 PM

Great job Whittling, your customer should be well pleased, nice strong Jarrah shaft as well

**Bushmiller** · 23rd June 2013, 03:37 PM

Terrific Whittling.

Regards
Paul

Thread: Day of the Jackal

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions