Some strapwork carving

How long, baby how long, has that evening train been gone...

one done

Well, the usual “road to hell is paved with good intentions” disclaimer applies today. I got back to some strapwork carving recently and see that I intended to shoot a new video about it in January. It’s now May. If I had a real job I guess I’d be fired by now. I’ve written a lot about strapwork patterns - one question I get sometimes is why that name? I assume it’s because the narrow straight connecting “bands” mimic iron straps found on some early work. That’s an assumption on my part, so take it for what it’s worth. I always come back to the notion that we don’t have any names/terms used by the makers or even users of these period designs. 

The New England examples are very few - maybe 6 - all associated with Thomas Dennis of Ipswich, Massachusetts and/or his shop/apprentices. But there’s a lot of them from Devon, England. Those are the inspiration for much of my strapwork patterns these days. 

I’ve long known this work is slower than most of the carving I do otherwise. So this week I set out to see just how long it might take. I started with one of the box-ends. The carving happens in a field that’s 6” high and about 13” wide/long. Look at how many tools! 

I really did use them all - just to cut the outline