Posted by Dave Bull at 7:57 PM, March 8, 2009
After seeing the interesting videos linked by Julio yesterday, I headed down into my storeroom to dig out something that looked familiar ...
I picked up a couple of these blocks some years back, but never got around to exploring what they were, or how they were used. But yesterday's video shows exactly what they are!
Here's a view of the pattern:
And a couple of shots of the carving ...
They are all slightly warped, so I suppose were discarded at the end of their useful life. They are a very heavy wood, and although it is difficult to tell, I think they are carved on the end grain, as there is a faint concentric ring pattern visible on the back.
Dave, at least yours are a matching set. I didn't know what I was buying all those years ago and just bought what appealed to me. I don't know if there were matching blocks in the bin or not but now I wish I could go back. I liked the heft of them, the depth of the carving, the precision and like you, I have put them away for later exploration but have yet to do it. I think I paid a $1.50 a block but after watching the video I have a new appreciation for them. Thanks for posting these images.
Leigh