Hand carved Houhere (lacebark) greenwood hairpin with charcoal finish.

Hand carved Houhere (lacebark) greenwood hairpins cured with charcoal and tung oil.
The autumn gardening required a branch of the Houhere (a native New Zealand tree) in the backyard to come down. I cut some pieces off this branch use for some greenwood carving. When wood has been freshly cut and is still wet it can be easily carved by hand using only hand tools. To stain the wood I grind hardwood charcoal with water on a piece of marble to create a smooth paste. I paint this onto the wood when it has dried a little so that it can absorb the mixture. I can then start the curing process with Tung oil. The wood must be oiled daily for up to a month so that the moisture escaping from the fibres can be replaced with oil and prevent cracking.