And you get bored doing the same thing so -

May 17, 2013 9:21 PM

John Merritt, Wood Carver. SLYT
posted by Lutoslawski (7 comments total)

Triple nested boxes with balls in the inner layer! A length of chain carved from a single toothpick!

Is this guy a witch or something?
posted by figurant at 9:42 PM on May 17, 2013

It's part of a fine tradition. I used to work in a maritime museum, where the linked chain, scissors, and ball-in-cage forms were common productions of sailors at sea with lots of time on their hands. Many of these forms were also done in whale jawbone as scrimshaw. Puzzles, hairpins, corset busks, Celtic knotsetc. It's a great pastime for people with some spatial sense and great fine motor skills.They were called whimsies.
posted by Miko at 9:43 PM on May 17, 2013 [4 favorites]

It's all about keeping your tools sharp, knowing how wood works, and quietly throwing your many screwups into the scrap box and not showing them to anyone.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 10:02 PM on May 17, 2013 [5 favorites]

Is this guy a witch or something?

No witch. Woodcarver. W-O-O-D-C-A-R-V-E-R.
posted by tigrrrlily at 12:39 AM on May 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Well, he is from Punxatawney. Februaries can get long there.
posted by sneebler at 6:12 AM on May 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

I love seeing stuff like this. Thanks.
posted by bardophile at 8:53 AM on May 18, 2013

This explains a lot about Stephin.
posted by titus-g at 4:44 PM on May 18, 2013