Dave Thinkstoomuch
BANNED
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2009
- Messages
- 1,196
I have been studying up on scrimshaw, getting my gear together and doing some practice work. I wanted to take a shot at learning this art because... well, why not? I like a challenge and I like scrimshaw. I thought some folks might be interested in my journey so I'm going to log it here. You'll learn a little more about me personally as well if you follow this project. I like being one of "Uncle Henry's Lost Souls" and appreciate the good folks round here so this is a way for us to get to know each other a little better too.
For this project I have decided to highlight some Canadian history (for a change round these parts lol) that we also share with our fine southern neighbors, the USA. I wanted to be really "old school" and am going to use some techniques even older than scrimshaw itself. I also wanted this knife to carry much personal meaning and I think I now have the plans finalized. It's a labor intensive, simple yet deep design that will result, I hope, in a very unique one-of-a-kind knife.
First I had to find an appropriate Schrade. My chosen victim is a blank left-over micarta SC506 stainless barlow from the Amex Presidents series:
The next decision was choosing the artwork. It had to be simple but cool and speak to me personally. I have decided on the Agawa Rock Petroglyphs in Lake Superior Provincial Park in Ontario. These 150-600 year old rock paintings made from red ochre paint depict a figure central to the Anishinabe (Ojibway) called Missipeshu, a canoe and two snakes:
The short story is that these creatures were believed to be very powerful spiritual/physical entities that controlled big rapids and storms on lakes. Sacrifices (usually white dogs) were sunk into the depths as a way to ensure safe travel by canoe on large, treacherous bodies of water. The Anishinabe in this region would cycle between the shores of Lake Superior during the warmer months and inland winter hunting grounds. They also believed that through the power of Missipeshu, the four Wind Manitou's and his personal Manitou that a specific class of shamans called "Tchissakiwinini" could receive answers from beyond to all manner of practical questions in a ceremony called "The Shaking Tent".
All this stuff runs deep as an ocean and for those who want to know more check out this link explaining one of Norval Morrisseau's early depictions detailing the creature and the rite.(http://www.kstrom.net/isk/art/morriss/art_miss.html) I have a large tattoo of this Morrisseau but that's another story...
I have visited Agawa Rock and I left a tobacco offering behind for Missipeshu. While I was in the region I collected some red ochre stones and used them to leave similar designs in appropriate spots ranging between between Lake Superior Park and Kelowna, BC as I journeyed cross-country. I am an advanced canoeist and grew up in the same Ontario woods as the Ojibway so I feel a strong connection to this particular past and belief system. All these beliefs and practices were held by the First Nations on both sides of the USA/Canada border long before either country existed and as such are a great common ground of shared history between our two nations.
I used to camp a lot too at Cape Croker Indian Park near Wiarton, ON and enjoyed getting to know the Anishinabe I met. They smoke a mean whitefish! So tasty... Here's a bonus panorama I took years ago showing their Cape Croker fishing grounds and surrounding area:
There is the background now back to the knife!
I isolated the artwork by creating a layer with the outline only:
I then started rotating and re-sizing to try and match the knife. The whole glyph won't fit very well so I ditched the snakes:
Now I have a pattern that will fit the knife well. I may take some artistic license and even out the spikes running down the back of Missipeshu etc for the final pattern.
I will be scrimming the outline in black and then filling with colour. For pigment I will likely use india ink for the black but the color-fill will be extra special. I'm hand-making my own oil-based paint from this very piece of red ochre I collected right in Lake Superior Park Ontario not far from Agawa Rock and a couple drops of my own blood
:
I believe the result will be a pretty cool knife that will be a fitting tribute to these Spiritual Traditions. As I progress I will update this thread.
Wish me luck! I may fail... but I'll go down swinging
For this project I have decided to highlight some Canadian history (for a change round these parts lol) that we also share with our fine southern neighbors, the USA. I wanted to be really "old school" and am going to use some techniques even older than scrimshaw itself. I also wanted this knife to carry much personal meaning and I think I now have the plans finalized. It's a labor intensive, simple yet deep design that will result, I hope, in a very unique one-of-a-kind knife.
First I had to find an appropriate Schrade. My chosen victim is a blank left-over micarta SC506 stainless barlow from the Amex Presidents series:
The next decision was choosing the artwork. It had to be simple but cool and speak to me personally. I have decided on the Agawa Rock Petroglyphs in Lake Superior Provincial Park in Ontario. These 150-600 year old rock paintings made from red ochre paint depict a figure central to the Anishinabe (Ojibway) called Missipeshu, a canoe and two snakes:
The short story is that these creatures were believed to be very powerful spiritual/physical entities that controlled big rapids and storms on lakes. Sacrifices (usually white dogs) were sunk into the depths as a way to ensure safe travel by canoe on large, treacherous bodies of water. The Anishinabe in this region would cycle between the shores of Lake Superior during the warmer months and inland winter hunting grounds. They also believed that through the power of Missipeshu, the four Wind Manitou's and his personal Manitou that a specific class of shamans called "Tchissakiwinini" could receive answers from beyond to all manner of practical questions in a ceremony called "The Shaking Tent".
All this stuff runs deep as an ocean and for those who want to know more check out this link explaining one of Norval Morrisseau's early depictions detailing the creature and the rite.(http://www.kstrom.net/isk/art/morriss/art_miss.html) I have a large tattoo of this Morrisseau but that's another story...
I have visited Agawa Rock and I left a tobacco offering behind for Missipeshu. While I was in the region I collected some red ochre stones and used them to leave similar designs in appropriate spots ranging between between Lake Superior Park and Kelowna, BC as I journeyed cross-country. I am an advanced canoeist and grew up in the same Ontario woods as the Ojibway so I feel a strong connection to this particular past and belief system. All these beliefs and practices were held by the First Nations on both sides of the USA/Canada border long before either country existed and as such are a great common ground of shared history between our two nations.
I used to camp a lot too at Cape Croker Indian Park near Wiarton, ON and enjoyed getting to know the Anishinabe I met. They smoke a mean whitefish! So tasty... Here's a bonus panorama I took years ago showing their Cape Croker fishing grounds and surrounding area:
There is the background now back to the knife!
I isolated the artwork by creating a layer with the outline only:
I then started rotating and re-sizing to try and match the knife. The whole glyph won't fit very well so I ditched the snakes:
Now I have a pattern that will fit the knife well. I may take some artistic license and even out the spikes running down the back of Missipeshu etc for the final pattern.
I will be scrimming the outline in black and then filling with colour. For pigment I will likely use india ink for the black but the color-fill will be extra special. I'm hand-making my own oil-based paint from this very piece of red ochre I collected right in Lake Superior Park Ontario not far from Agawa Rock and a couple drops of my own blood
:
I believe the result will be a pretty cool knife that will be a fitting tribute to these Spiritual Traditions. As I progress I will update this thread.
Wish me luck! I may fail... but I'll go down swinging
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