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Root carving has been going on for thousands of years, and one of the reasons is that the roots of the trees are basically free for anyone that wants to dig them up. Permission is required from the land owner or company who logged the trees, but other than permission, bring your shovel and help yourself. |
Once the roots are dug up, the people who work the forest bring their bevy of roots into the carving towns and sell them to whoever is buying roots that day. Representatives from the different carving companies will examine a persons lot of roots and make a bid. The highest bidder wins. Once the carving house has taken possession of the roots, the next phase of work on the baskets, bowls, and plates can begin. |
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| The root carving houses maintain an inventory of roots in their "raw state", selecting from their inventory the particular roots and sizes of roots that they need to carve any particular customer order for baskets, bowls, and plates. |
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The first step in processing is a high pressure, outdoor water wash to remove all the dirt and stones from the roots. Then the carvers will select individual roots based on size and structure to carve either bowl.
The lower portion of the root that was mostly underground has the most texture, grain, and character, and this is the part of the root that is carved into either a basket or bowl.
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The upper portion of the root where the tree was cut is sectioned off into smaller pieces that are carved into plates, or platters. Because no two trees are exactly alike, the color and shape of each basket or bowl is unique.
The type of soil and growing conditions determines the color, and shape of the final carved basket or bowl. Because each is such a unique carved wood piece, they make excellent wood decor accent pieces.
Corporate gift buying is still allowed to a certain extent, and baskets and bowls filled with fruit, cheese, or other items make excellent gift baskets. The uniqueness of this basket or bowl is that once the contents of the gift are gone, you have left a unique carved wood basket or bowl that is truly a conversation piece. |
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Quite different from a disposable basket or box that has no merit or further use on its own.
Once a carver has selected a root to carve, the rough carving can begin. A chain saw is used to rough the piece into shape.
Then other power carving tools are used to further refine the shape of the piece until it is in its basic final form. Final hand shaping with chisels and the fluting of the basket edges gives each piece its unique final shape.
At this point it is taken off the rough carving bench and moves on to the next step in processing. |
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