I tried to read all of that.

I got to post 300 and gave up because it's just like the Neverending Story.

4.

Much as I hate to drag this monumental thread back on topic, for those who don't know, the talented creator of this artistry is our very own Steve Manthorp, bummer of innocents, creator of wood (same thing). I'm just hosting those photos.

Oh, and Steve - I meant to say before, but surely getting the cracked ball back to a state where it is admired as a finished product is no different from creating the thing from scratch.

It's wood -> process -> art.

When you submit a piece that has gone smoothly, does anyone stop to ask if it has been an easy or tough process? No. they don't.

There's no need to feel uneasy that you have passed on a ball that was once cracked. You got the raw wood to the comissioned result.

If anything, the recipient should be thrilled that this particular "Manthorp" has had it's own unique history (including this thread).

How does one go about buying one of those, Mr. Manthorp?

Or your carvings, as those are also very nice.

While thinking of a fitting reply, I was trapped by your dastardly signature. Again.

<plays>

Surely that's a euphemism.

<Bzzzt>

Thanks for the kind comments, Dazza. Yes, I've come to terms with submitting TCB to the Jersey Heritage Trust as it is (indeed, I have now done so). But it still grates with me.

It's a phenomenon which I'm sure most of the posters on Teh will recognise. Whatever your sphere of creative endeavour, be it whittling, or interweb-knitting, or guitar thrashing, you can never look at your own creations without seeing its imperfections and mistakes. It gets better over time: on occasion I've caught up with one of my carvings years after I completed it, and I can actually derive some pleasure from looking at it; but when I look at a new piece, all I can see is a bunch of mistakes held together with wood.

Oh, but who hasn't been...

I think all this talk about wood and balls is affecting you.

If we still had shillings and pence, then people would be better adders. And dividers. And multipliers. And taker awayers.

Everything divides by 10 these days, it doesn't make for an active mathematical mind. IMO.