A couple of years ago I had a little go at bone carving to keep busy during the winter months. The pictures and text I posted then have since become pretty popular with google. I guess there isn't much info about bone carving on the web. I quite often get emails from people who are trying their hand at bone carving, just like I was, with questions about technique, materials, and tools. I'm no expert but I gladly pass on what I do know. This morning Con asked me about this lashing, the knotted ridge, seen here on my wahle tail carving: 
And here's how it's done: 
First a recess is carved into the bone for the lashing to sit into. This keeps it looking very tidy with the top surface of the lashing flush with the surface of the bone carving. A hole is drilled right through the peice at the base of the recess.The four lines of the main braid go through that hole, then up the back of the carving. (After the lashing is complete these are then braided to go around the wearers neck.) A seperate peice of cord is used for the lashing itself. Starting with a basic lashing at the top, the tail is then looped repeatedly around the back of the carving, and knotted through itself at the front. You keep looping and knotting until you cover the whole recess. the end is then pulled back under the lashing with a small loop left under the lashing for exactly that job. If you pull the tail end right up under the line of knots it makes them standout just that little bit more.I have used this lashing on several carving and it is very strong, and very stylish.
9:19:59 AM 
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