Thanks Bob

With Thanksgiving fast upon us I find myself considering the many, many things for which I am thankful.  The list goes on and on, but when I get to my craft, Ming-Kahuna, I can’t help but be reminded of all of the fine people who have inspired me over the years.  These folks, mostly unaware of their contributions, have led me to where I am today.  They have unwittingly helped to shape and mould my work that you see before you.  While there was no one in the very beginning to guide me with the creativity and mechanics of what would become a new craft, since then so many have taught me so much.  Many folks, if only through casual comments, have taught me about the pipe business.  At a time when an artisan selling on his own work was unheard of a few before me forged ahead creating what would become how I do business.  Other artisans have inspired me in the beauty of their artistry as well and the zeal with which they approach their craft.  Collectors have inspired and given me insight into my own work through their comments and suggestions.  Each person who has provided their feedback has shaped my craft and how I approach it, and, there have been so many.

Just as important as recognizing those influences is acknowledging them.  While it might be tempting to claim that one has done it entirely on his own, being a one man island, I would maintain that this stance would have to be less than honest.  We each are the sum total of our experiences, and, unless you live atop the highest mountain so many people touch us in so many different ways.  So, it came to pass that the other day while carving an especially nice little freehand in a new material I took notice of that little voice inside my head that guides me.  It’s almost always there, calming me down, allowing me to remain in the zone, while giving me the permission and freedom necessary to create.  While the thought had never occurred to me before to do so, I began to contemplate who that inner voice belonged to.  It wasn’t long before I had my answer.

Many of you probably recall Bob Ross.  Bob had a very successful show on PBS where he would paint a landscape during the course of the show demonstrating how it was done.  I recall many Saturday afternoons over the years watching Bob paint landscape after landscape, brooks, meadows, forest, mountains and sky.  He made it look easy, and maybe that was the idea so as to give aspiring new artists the courage to try (which is 99% of the battle) and some techniques to begin with.  With his happy go lucky patter, presented in tones not unlike Fred Rogers, the show was a sort of soporific mind candy that lulled one into a certain comfort zone, and, I suppose a certain pliability that may cause one to consider trying their hand at his art.  In essence, the man was a hypnotist.

Svengali aside, Bob Ross has stayed with me all of these years, and has become my inner artistic voice, for another reason.  One thing that Bob always stressed was that there is no right or wrong.  So many times he’d say something like “we’ll just put a little bush right here, or maybe a tree, there’s no reason not to, it’s your painting and you can do what you want, there’s no right or wrong.”  If Bob screwed something up in a painting he’d just change it and do it another way.  While Bob’s techniques were quite definite and well defined, there was absolutely nothing rigid in the ways that he applied them.  He gave himself the freedom to go with the flow.  He didn’t sweat it as he knew that there was always a Plan B available, one that wasn’t necessarily inferior to Plan A, only different.  I think that he implicitly understood that fear of failure can be paralyzing.  By taking the “fear of failure” component out of the equation he gave people the ability to give themselves permission to try.  To me, his attitude, and how he conveyed it, embodied the pure joy of art and the freedom of expression that lies at its very core.

Sadly, Bob Ross passed away in 1995.  And while this will sound rather corny, I have to say that a part of him lives on in me.  He has become my inner artistic voice.  He reminds me that there are no rights and wrongs, just choices and directions.  When one thing isn’t working that inner voice, Bob’s, reminds me that there are other directions to go, options that may be equally attractive that can and often do achieve even better results, and not to sweat it either way.  Bob constantly reminds me that what is being done is being done, first and foremost, for the joy of it.  Bob keeps me from becoming set in my ways so that I can experience the freedom necessary for my craft to remain fresh and new to me after the better part of a decade.  Bob, as my inner voice, is the artistic spirit.

Thanks Bob.  Mission accomplished.

More on 9/20 entry and comment.

Hey Neill, thanks for your kind words. Rather than place this as a response in the comments section of the previous 9/20/07 I’m going to offer it as its own entry.  That comment was:

Art, this is a great post. I’m one of those guys who see the fabulous pieces here – and their SOLD status – and wish mightily that they were mine. Clearly, some of your custom work would sell over and over and over again. I’ve come to the conclusion that I just have to tell you what I want and then just wait for it to be made.I especially love that white material that resembles ivory with gold or brass. It is just gorgeous….Great post here, Art. A nice set of insights!!

I really do struggle with this issue as I’m sure many artisans do.  I’m very fortunate to have incredible collectors and established customers who have supported my work for years and continue to do so.  I feel compelled to reciprocate and respond in a like manner offering them my attention and consideration.  To me this only seems right and proper on several levels.

On the other hand, one must also be working hard to encourage new collectors and customers as this endeavor is an ongoing one.  Neill, you may note that this issue mirrors a discussion that we had some time back on Smoker’s Forum which dealt somewhat with putting all of one’s eggs in one basket. And while I’m fortunate to have numerous customers and collectors who greatly support my efforts, that still does little to promote new customers down the road.  I think that there are numerous ways to promote one’s work with potential new customers.  To date my efforts have met with mixed success.

The real problem is that most people new to the pipe smoking pursuit, or hobby, are fairly unlikely to be spending $100 on a pipe, and certainly not $100 on a tamper.  Even $40 on a tamper is a bit of a stretch.  So, efforts to create lines of lesser priced tampers have been a resounding failure and have been, except for TidBits, abandoned.  Another promotional route that I see some new artisans take, and one that I really had to take when I developed this niche, is to give pieces away.  The problem with that is that no one is going to say “no” to a freebie, and the chances of further interest is vastly diminished when there is a price tag attached.  And, no matter how much of an immediate splash that flashy giveaways make on newsgroups, once the prices are back and firmly affixed zero interest (beyond window-shopping) resumes.

So, how does one attract interest to new customers?  I suppose that all goes back to offering your best work and making it available on a regular basis to as many folks as possible while balancing that with supplying your established customer/collectors with that which they require to continue the journey with you as an artisan.  I guess there should be no surprise that the answer lies in striking a balance!

A double-edged sword.

I suppose that the whole business thing associated with being an artisan (or artist, I will use the terms interchangeably as I do both)) should be a simple matter. In its simplest form it all boils down to making something, and folks can buy it, or not.  But, as is usually the case, the devil is in the details.

I’ve been doing this for about a month shy of nine years.  Actually, it’s longer than that, but that’s neither here nor there.  What is important is that the nature of what I do, and how I sell it, has changed drastically over the years, always in a state of flux.  Early on all tampers sold were general sales.  I made it, showed it, and sold it.  Then, as my work became known, special orders became more common.  So did custom orders, the ones where the customer suggests some shape, one such as my favorite example “I want a tamper in the shape of my Aunt Edna’s nose.”  Custom orders have never been particularly well received as my work is about what’s in my mind’s eye, not someone else’s.  The goal is that we share that vision.  I’ve never been fond of the notion of being a human frazing machine where someone else’s vision could be brought to life through my hands.  What I do is about my own vision, and people either buy into it, or they don’t.

That said, special orders have always been different and far more desirable.  With these orders people request that I do work that is my own, maybe tweaking size, or material, or requesting a certain shape that is part of my repertoire. I’m 100% fine with that as what I am providing is mine to provide.  The end result is a Ming, Kaze or Moxie that could have come from my hands uninitiated.  And while there was a time where my focus was away from even these special orders, today they make up the vast majority of what I do.  Many of my customers and collectors give me free reign to make them whatever I want, while others have more specific requests.  Either way they end up with pieces that represent the artistry and craftsmanship that has brought me to the point where I’m at today.  If you think about it, to be able to work on a piece that you know to be already sold is an incredible position to be in, from a strictly business standpoint.  And while any piece that I have created has eventually sold, some sooner than others, such security as a pre-sold piece is a great comfort.  And knowing that any piece that you do for general release will probably sell without going up on the web site is equally comforting.

The problem with the foregoing is that like most things in life that offer a modicum of comfort there is a very distinct downside.  Like the title of this piece implies, the sword is double edged and cuts both ways.  The very distinct downside is that when you take the comfortable route it generally precludes taking a gamble.  Of course the businessman would ask why gambling would be desirable, but the artist knows the answer well.  Art is about taking risks.  It’s about pushing the envelope, to go where you haven’t been before.  It’s not about resting on your laurels as much as it is about building upon them.  There can be no growth without risk, and, truth be told, a risk well taken can provide the rush, the high, that keeps an artist going, ever striving towards some goal that I suspect (and hope) is unobtainable.

So where does all of that leave me with what I do with you, someone who might consider buying my work?  This question is very much on my mind, and especially so after a conversation yesterday with a friend/customer of mine.  He called to talk and to place a special order for a bamboo tamper, a request that he left me to do as I wish.  In passing he said to me that he loved the work that I have been doing lately but that everything that he saw was already sold. He was right on that, and I had no good response other than to say that I try as hard as I can to keep offering pieces for sale that folks can actually buy.  With so little of what I do even getting to the web site unsold the task of providing general release pieces becomes exceedingly difficult.  On the other hand, I’m just a little confused here.  If I go to my web site I find twenty-three tampers available for sale in a fairly wide variety of shapes and materials.  No, they aren’t brand new pieces, but I can assure you that they are as good as anything new that has or may come out.  So, I suppose that part of me notes that there is a good group of tampers sitting right there for sale, so I’m really not going to sweat it too much.  On the other hand, I understand human nature and understand two important aspects of the human condition: 1.) new is always better, and 2.) folks want most that which they cannot have. Those two aspects of human behavior go a long way towards defining my predicament.  Then, when you consider the fact that if people continue to perceive that you have nothing to offer then they will lose interest and go elsewhere, you can begin to see my position, one smack dab between a rock and a hard place.

So, what’s the net/net of all of this?  I’m not quite sure and I’m hoping that some of you might offer me some guidance on all of this.  I do know that I’ll continue to provide customers with unlimited access to place special orders.  The stability that they offer me allows me to continue all of this without great monetary concerns.  I also know that folks who have not placed special orders in the past are most welcome to do so now and in the future, or to contact me about what I might have in the works.  I also know that I’ll continue to work hard to develop my craft with new shapes and materials, taking risks and pushing the envelope, both with special order pieces and pieces that will be offered for general release.  Further, I’ll work harder towards offering more pieces for general sales, but at the same time I will continue to point out that there are already great pieces constantly being offered on my web site that also represent the best of my work.  Newer isn’t always better, sometimes it’s just the same as the older stuff, just newer.  And while folks may often want what they can’t have, there is a perfectly good Plan B available in existing pieces being offered, work guaranteed to please just the same.

Bottom line?  There are several ways to acquire my work if you are so inclined.  My goal is to make each of those ways a completely enjoyable experience. Your suggestions as to how I might approach this issue are most welcome and appreciated.    

das weiner im shnitzel

Despite having an undergraduate degree from a university with one of the top psych departments in the country, my knowledge of Sigmund Freud is rather limited, more in line with that of folks with no formal training in the science. My department was heavily behaviorist, where Skinner held court and Freud was the jester.  But, despite the disdain with which Herr Freud was held by my mentors, I still understood the proposition that sometimes a cigar is far more than a cigar.  Of course, when one makes long cylindrical objects made to be inserted into an orifice, the ground is set for the raising of eyebrows, winks, and nudges to the rib cage.  Say no more.

I well recall the early days exploring my craft and the shapes that were created.  I’d proudly hold the tamp up to the light, bask in it’s magnificence, and think to myself  “Holy crap, you can’t sell that”, they’ll make you move your workshop out next to the airport by the “book stores” and nudie bars.”  So, I’d take one last look, have one last laugh, and throw the offending tamp into a big tin can where it would be sheathed until the day came that I could transform it into something else.

Since those early days I have learned to accept my shapes for what they are, and if someone should see something, shall we say, “phallic”, well, then so be it.  The engineering of the pursuit sort of sets the stage for such, and there is precious little that I can do to change that.

Unfortunately when it comes to my full size non-tamper sculpture there is no such excuse.  The task doesn’t dictate the shape.  There is no reason for there to be a weiner in the shnitzel.  A cigar can just be a cigar.  “Johnson” need only be a last name, and “Dick” only need be a first name. Funny, one of my best friends in high school’s name was “Dick Johnson.”  You get the idea, so I’ll let this part of the story peter out.

At any rate, when I began my full size sculptures, under the auspices of Ming Destiny, the first piece that sold would’ve made old Sigmund blush.  Fortunately the purchaser was a psychoanalyst who fully appreciated the underlying tones of the piece, but, since then I have been ever vigilant, sort of the pee-pee police, making sure that my shapes stay above the belt.  Then, yesterday, all hell broke loose.

The rough carved piece that you see above was four years in the planning.  The block of clear acrylic was like none that I have ever seen in its clarity.  Shape after shape came up for consideration and summarily dismissed.  I wanted to do more than a rain drop sort of shape, a shape for which I have come to be known, but by going beyond that I had the pee-pee police grabbing for their helmets and billy clubs every which way I turned.  Then, I came up with this shape, sort of a drop morphing into my Arashi tamper shape.  What could the harm be in that?

When the dust had settled the only word that came to mind was “D’oh”.  I had done it again. I even emailed a couple of friends to make sure, and the responses were unanimous:  “you’ve carved another…”

 Well, so be it.  Old Sigmund was right and I’m just not going to fight it or care anymore.  And while this piece will look a lot less reproductive once the shape is further refined and sanded and buffed to perfect clarity, it is what it is.  I’m through caring and dicking round with this issue.

Freud, was right.  Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.  That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

What the day may bring…

This morning  when I awoke I gazed out my bedroom window at the sun rising over the Blue Ridge chain of the Appalachian Mountains.  As the sky brightened I found my pulse quickening.  The beginning of the day is a treasure to me, those moments when the realization comes to my clearing head that I will be free to make whatever I wish, beautiful things that will become part of someone’s life.  Those moments are priceless to me and often bring the inspirations and thoughts that will define my creativity for the day.

Yes, there are dozens of special orders that will demand my attention, and each of them will have their own time, the exact right time, but I always allow time for my creativity of the moment to be expressed unchecked.  Creative inspirations are like dreams.  They become more diffuse as time passes, like fog melting away in the warming sun, eventually vanishing, returning to some cerebral reservoir, never to be seen again in their present form.  They are an opportunity that if not taken will be squandered, never to be duplicated, as unretrievable as the delicate crystalline form of a single snowflake.  

As even a slight breeze will change the pattern of the world around us, the unavoidable intrusions of the day disturb the balance of the moment.   Faced with the impending day, that time upon awakening is sacrosanct, incredibly fragile moments when the intangible is given bedrock and form so that it can come to be, and find its way to my hands, then to your hands, and the bowl of your pipe.

In its simplest form, that is the essence of what I do.       

Where did they go?

My email inbox indicates that some of you have noticed that the number of available tampers at my web site (www.ming-kahuna.com) is much fewer in number that it has been in the past.  Well, that is true, but, the fact is that the number of pieces up now is more typical of the assortment that has been available at any one time in past years.  The current decrease back to more typical levels reflects the fact that a larger portion of my work is devoted to special orders.

If you have followed the course of my craft over the years you will know that I have had a love/hate relationship with special orders. And while I’m still not thrilled with custom orders (ie., make me a tamper the shape of my Aunt Edna’s nose) I love special orders (ie., make me a Pug in Panache).  There is a big difference.  One is someone else’s vision, the other is re-creating my own work.  So, having finally come to terms with this issue, a very, very large portion of my work product is special orders.  I try and display some of the special orders on my site, often as works in progress, so that my customers can keep tabs on what I’m doing and maybe have some ideas for what they themselves would like to order.  I hope to be able to do that more and more as right now it doesn’t happen nearly enough.

That said, as more of my time is devoted to special orders fewer pieces are offered for general sale.  This is unavoidable as there are only so many hours in a day.  Despite this, rest assured that I am making a conscious effort to maintain a portion of my production for general and show sales.  And while many tampers offered for general sale sell within minutes of going up on the site, that is not a reason to not consider the other fine tampers that are offered.  Some tampers sell quicker than others.  Some of my finest tamps have taken the longest to sell.  One never knows.

Ouch!

Unlike the early years of Ming-Kahuna, being nicked by any number of whirring sharp things is now a rarity (knock on wood).  In fact, for the first couple of years, before my hands learned the necessary moves and acquired the required coordination, my hands were like hamburger, hurting like a tooth ache all of the time.  Then, as the correct muscles developed, and my hands learned their task, the frequency of injuries bacame less and less down to the point of being a rarity. 

But, as you know, when it rains it pours, and there was old Murphy standing in my shop with umbrella and galoshes smugly watching me gash my hands not once but three times over the course of three days.  Had I thought it through I would have walked away from the shop for a day or so, but my hands were hot, carving as good as it gets, so I worked on.  As luck would have it the injuries were/are located where they don’t interfere with carving, but they make sanding a nightmare. So, I have carved a bunch, but sanded and buffed very, very little.

Today for the first time in a while my hands feel fine.  The wounds have healed (mostly) and I think I can resume sanding and buffing.  Carving is all fine and good, but a good part of the thrill of creating is to watch the true beauty of a piece come alive as it is sanded and then finally buffed.  The transformation from a rough dull lifeless piece of shaped material to a vibrant little sculpture is really something to witness.  That’s one reason why visitors are always welcome to visit my shop so that they can witness this transformation, an aspect of my work that is never seen.

So, if you are waiting on a piece I am back in the saddle and your piece is back in the pipeline.  I’ll get er’ done and out to you as soon as I can. I’ll try not to grind my finger against a 36 grit sanding disk  or a Dremel whirring at 35,000 rpms.   That’ll leave a mark.  Believe me, my hands are scarred enough as it is.

 Oh, and one other thing.  I was going back through my Photoshop archives and one thing became apparent to me.  Based on the numbers of peices photographed August is my most productive month of the year, and by a good bit.  Traditionally it is also the slowest month in sales.  Go figure.  Fortuantely this July and August have seen the highest sales since day one.  Just when you think that you have this business figured out….

Introducing: The KazeTamp NorseWing

Back before Caneel was reserved solely for the use of KazeTamp there was a very, very popular shape called the “Ming Wing.”  It was always intended that the shape would go over to KazeTamp for use with Caneel (many of theMing Wings were in Caneel) and Bali.  Last week I decided that the time for the KazeTamp Wing was now.

Since the Wing is a Ming shape as well, I wanted a very distinct shape for the KazeTamp version.  So, I sat down and cut  a piece of Caneel very roughly shaped and started carving what I saw in my mind’s eye. Working with the newer thicker version of Caneel I was free to do more than ever before.  The piece that you see above, to the right, the one in Caneel, is the first KazeTamp NorseWing.  When I realized what I had done I carved a second one in Bali.  While it began with the Caneel piece as a pattern I allowed the Bali NorseWing to vary somewhat in shape.  Both pieces had been reserved by a customer to be sold as a pair, so I wanted some shape variance between the two.  In the end it is the subtle differences betwen a “matched” pair that adds so much interest.

To say that I’m pleased with the NorseWing is a grand understatement.  These aren’t small pieces at 4.3 inches long, and they make a bold statement.  The shape to my eye is decidedly Nordic and the name evidences the fact that the shape is a tribute to our Danish friends and their proud heritage.

Another exciting aspect of the NorseWing is the variations that I have in mind for it.  While I’m 100% satisfied with this initial shape, there will be great fun in doing different things with it, allowing it to go where it may, an evolution with great potential.  But, this first shape shall always be around, offering a strong starting point for what promises to be quite a show.

This weekend I will be carving a NorseWing in Simba (sorry, already reserved) and another one in Caneel.  The new one in Caneel will be offered for sale, inquiries are welcome.  FYI, the first two NorseWings above sold for $177 each.  Future pieces will be priced around that, some slightly less, some slightly to greatly more.  It just depends.  

KazeTamp “Sky Captain” nears completion.

When I began KazeTamp back in November of 2004 and had carved the first piece, Genesis, I then sat down and began to carve some very unusually shaped tamps that I felt would show the future path of the endeavor.   Then, early on, I decided to take an alternate path and to slowly introduce KazeTamp by offering some more identifiably Ming shapes by borrowing back and forth between Ming and Kaze.  The initial piece were set aside for the proper time down the road.  That time has now come.

Recently I have introduced shapes more unique to KazeTamp offering tamps that are full-blown Kaze shapes: Angry Beavers and Deco.  These tamps were begun early on in 2004 and 2005 and have sat incomplete since then.  Now, with Sky Captain, I am offering the first tamper begun back in November 2004 after the initial Genesis piece was completed.  Deco came along about the same time and Angry Beavers a good bit after that, but Sky Captain was really the first time I sat down and decided to have some fun disregarding the envelope.

The briar portion of the tamper has been added in the past year as I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go with the bottom of the piece.  As it turns out the gnetleman who has the first option on the piece prefers that the bottom remain all briar.  As luck would have it the gentleman who has the second option on the piece (should the first gentleman pass on it) would like to see an aluminum or brass tamp surface added, so an aluminum tamp surfce will be added if things should get that far.  But in any event, this is quite a tamper, a real showpiece, currently at approximately 7.5 inches long.

 The shape of the tamp is a stylized wing with strong layering almost giving it an Art Deco feel.  I gave myself the freedom with this piece (what KazeTamp is all about) to do something rather unorthodox having a lot of fun.  the shape will become more refined as the sanding continues.  I figured I’d show the piece now after some initial sanding as the contours will be largely lost in any photo taken after the piece is finished.

While there are two gentlemen currenly in line for the piece a waiting list is not entirely a waste of time.  I anticipate the price of the tamp to be between $225 and $300, give or take.  It all depends.  That’s just a guess based on my current impressions. 

Angry Beavers

(shown rough carved)

Those of you who have seen the very funny cartoon “Angry Beavers”  will recognize the shape of this tamper.  The rest of you will have to take my word on that.  I can’t honestly say that I was thinking of the cartoon when I was carving it, but the name seemed rather obvious when the dust had settled.  I’m thinking Dag more than Norbert.

This has been a very difficult tamper to carve and finish.  This time tomorrow it will be finished after almost two years of picking on it from time to time.  I’m showing it in a photo rough carved prior to sanding as the contours become very difficult to photo once sanded and buffed.

FYI, a customer has a first option on it with a waiting list having formed should it become available.  (Now Sold)

Another Face of Fu Manchu

(shown rough carved)

Back in the 60’ some deliciously evil movies were made in England, the Fu Manchu series, five films based on the Sax Rohmer stories.  Master criminal Fu Manchu was wonderfully played by Christopher Lee.  His nemesis, best played by Nigel Green, was Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard.  Fu Manchu’s daughter, Lin Tang, heightened the libidos of more than many young men, I can assure you of that.  If you recall these films you know what I’m talking about.  I’ll say no more, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

At any rate, the Fu Manchu movies were somewhat of a forbidden pleasure for me the better part of a lifetime ago, and I have often wanted to go back and watch them again, and this time uncut not as they were seen on local broadcast television.  They were much like Hammer films, period pieces set back in the 1920’s.  I do recall those movies having a pretty big impact on me, and it’s funny what ends up becoming part of your memories so many years later.  So, it was natural that Fu Manchu would inspire a tamper these many years later.

Sometime back I decided to make a tamper for a friend who lives on the West Coast.  With the circumstances surrounding the tamp I was free to make whatever I wanted, so I decided that it was time  to make the Fu Manchu. The idea was to create a tamp that featured the long twisted fingernail that is often associated with Fu Manchu.  Sometimes it was an actual nail, other times it was a metal nail that fit on the end of his finger, presumably poison tipped.  I knew that I wanted it to be in Caneel and be rather twisty.  If you could see the tamper above from the front you would see that it zigs and zags from side to side.  And while this is only the beginning for this shape, sure to evolve and shift over time, it captures what I wanted, suggesting the twisted evil of the master criminal.  A second shorter piece is already carved and ready for sanding.  I have shown this tamp rough carved as the shape of Caneel tamps usually shows up better photographically when rough.

It will be fun seeing where this new shape goes.  It will also be fun paying the film world of Fu Manchu another visit.   

As a rule, no rulers.

I do not have an aversion to precision.  No matter how much I look at what I do as art, I think that there needs to be an underlying precision upon which the art can be based.  For me using a lathe is too much precision that I strongly feel would absolutely end up destroying my style.  Like my avoidance of the lathe, I tend to shun any tool or technique that could constrain what I have come to do.

That said, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a precision measuring device such as a ruler.  In fact, I even have a dandy set of calipers.  You’ll not find those calipers in my shop.  They are right by the computer, where they belong, used for measuring the length of tampers for web page listings.  I may have a ruler in the shop right by one of my drill presses under a stack of sand paper, at least I’m pretty sure that’s where it is.  It seems to avoid me.

Okay, it was not always this way.  There was a time late last century, during the first handful of years of Ming-Kahuna, that I measured absolutely everything.  Everything that I did was dutifully measured, re-measured, and recorded in meticulous notes.  Those notes often were scribed directly onto the wood of my workbench or printed on cards, laminated for posterity, and hung on the workshop wall.  Much trial and error went into coming up with those measurements.  I feared nothing more than losing them.

Then, slowly over the past nine years, I found myself reaching for the ruler less and less.  Finally, one day not so long ago, I noticed that there hadn’t been a ruler in my shop for months.  As it turns out, after you’ve made thousands of tampers, the ruler becomes internal, part of the gray matter programing that runs in my head every time I look at a piece of raw material.  And while I think in terms of inches, on the rare occasion that I do measure, I use metric.  But, either way, if I want to make a tamper that is 3.75 inches long, I can pick up a piece of material and know exactly where to cut it, ending up no more than maybe 1/20th of an inch off.  For example, I know that my original design for the Pug called for the lower barrel material to be two and one eighth inches long and can make that exact length cut by eyeballing it, probably seven times out of ten.  At other times I’m not concerned about the exact length of a tamp and cut the length based solely on my vision of the final shape.  No matter how I do it one thing is clear: a ruler is useful in my shop more as a back-scratcher than anything else. 

Of course, as any artisan knows, calipers make the best back-scratchers.  

 

Thanks

I’ve written a bit about my Dad here in ShopTalk, and one thing that I failed to mention is that he was a very generous and giving man.  As a dentist he would give discounts to folks who he felt gave  through their work well beyond the compensation that they received.  When he retired he received a very rare official thank you from the Pope.  He had never charged clergy for his services, and only asked for the payment for his lab fees, and he had the lab take a deep discount.

I’d like to think that the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.  So, I am going to follow my father’s tradition and offer a discount to the same folks that he, and I,  believe should be shown our thanks for the important and relatively underpaid jobs that they do.

From today forward the following folks will receive a 10% discount on any Ming, Kaze, Moxie, Destiny item that I sell: teachers/librarians, clergy, police/law enforcement, firefighters, veterans, and active military.

This discount is not available on sale items, on reduced items, or with any other discounts or specials.  It applies to retail items up and already available on the site.  With special orders I will price accordingly reflecting this general notion.  It will be up to you to mention the discount, and please do.

Whether you use this discount or not, I would like to thank you for the job that you do.  We’d be lost without you.

Kat Moxie, AKA “Gumby”

(here it is)

Folks, today or tomorrow I will be putting up the last of a series of very special ivory pieces that so far has included three incredible tamps: Raikou Moxie, Ikazuchi Moxie, and Bonito Moxie.  In fact, the piece of ivory for Kat was sandwiched between the pieces used for Ikazuchi and Bonito.

Kat Moxie is one of the most uusual tamps that I have had the pleasure to offer.  There has never been anything quite like it.  I had intended to offer the tamp in Chicago and declined to allow a waiting list form.  I will be offering the tamp at the special price that I would have offered it for in Chicago had I been able to go to the show.  The other three tamps sold for between $515 and $1014, but with the special pricing Kat will be less at $475.  Look for the piece on my web site later today or early tomorrow.

 (Sorry, Kat Moxie is now sold)

In lieu of the Chicago show…

As you may know I will not be at the Chicago show this year.  Family comes first and there is an event that I really, really need/want to be at.  Seven straight years at the show was already a lot to ask for and I was lucky in the past for a lack of conflicts.  Of course I missed my first Chicago show in 1999 thanks to a trial that ended up settling on the courthouse steps.

Despite the fact that I won’t be in Chicago the tampers that you would have seen there will be offered on the Ming-Kahuna web site over the next days or possibly even weeks.  You’re going to see some rather fun pieces including the two tamps that had been slated to be the first two KazeTamps: “Sky Captain” and “Deco”.  You will also see “Angry Beavers” which may give you a snicker if you understand the reference.  You’ll see ten or so Bali pieces and a few fun smaller KazeTamps in Caneel.  There will also be a variety of Jakes in Bali and possibly a surprise Caneel pipe/tamper rest.  Yup, you heard it right, a Caneel pipe/tamper rest!  There are also some TouchStones, one in particular called “The Blues”.  There will also be some Incubus in Caneel and Bali.

From Ming you will see a series of Whispers, three in
Cumberland and one in Caribbean.  There will be a couple of mini-monoliths in Cumberland and Pugs in Mint and Renegade.  A few years ago I picked up some resin impregnated water buffalo horn for a project, so I’m using part of that to make a cool “little” Pug.  You’ll also see some more Tidbits in the Clipper shape. There’s also Blutos in Aziza, Ming, and Kahuna!

That’s all I’m going to tell you for now.  Please stop back daily to see what’s new.  Okay, it may not be Chicago, but for Ming it will be quite a show.

If there’s anything that you’d like to see before it goes up on the site just drop me a note at mingkahuna@aol.com, I’d be glad to give you a preview.