Nutcracker Restored
Aug 05Here’s a recent restoration I did for a collector. This is a great piece. It needed the bottom jaw repaired, the nose fixed, and the pin replaced. The pin had been previously “fixed” with a large nail which had the lever all loose and acting like it was broke. A new wooden pin tightened the piece back up so it works as it should now. I also carved the ends of the pin so it blends seamlessly into the piece. I’m very happy with how this came out.
The Finished Groden Restoration
Mar 23
The Gröden has been completed for a while but I’ve been busy and just haven’t gotten out here to post pictures of the restoration. It turned out great and its owner was very pleased. Chipped paint is typical for Grödens from this time period. To keep the piece looking authentic, the aged and chipped finish was matched. Paint was also added to some areas that were overly worn and bare. It matched perfectly and looked like it had always been there.
Here is a before picture….
Before Picture of Gröden Nutcracker
Here are the after pictures…
Restored Gröden Nutcracker
Restored Gröden Nutcracker
Restored Gröden Nutcracker
Restored Gröden Nutcracker
Restored Gröden Nutcracker
The Gröden is now complete. It was a challenging project but it turned out looking like an authentic well aged unbroken Gröden which is rare and hard to come by. It’s going to look great in the customer’s collection.
New Restoration Piece
Jan 09
I am currently restoring a Gröden nutcracker for a collector. Here are a few pictures of the piece in it’s original condition.
As you can see this fellow has a few areas that need to be addressed. The base needs to be reconstructed along with the boots. The area under the mouth also needs repaired. The hat looks as if it needs repaired but after closer inspection it appears to be correct the way it is.
I sculpted a model of the base and boots in clay to get the owner’s approval of the design.
Now that the clay model has been approved it is time to get carving. When the carving is complete I will match the newly carved areas to it’s aged finish and patina.
Check back shortly to see the completed restoration.
Skull Nutcracker Listed On Etsy
Nov 19I just listed a Skull Nutcracker on Etsy. It is the second of Brandon’s new Skull design and it is numbered and signed by Brandon. The Skull Nutcracker turned out beautifully. Here are a couple pictures of it…
If you want to see a few more pictures check out the Etsy listing.
We are building our Etsy Store and will be listing our original items on Etsy as much as possible. The fees are much lower on Etsy (3.9%) than Ebay (9%). Ebay’s fees are almost laughable anymore. My least favorite is the “Final Value Fee on Shipping”. I haven’t yet figured out why they are putting a fee on my shipping costs when they are not providing me with any real shipping services. I have read they began adding this fee because buyers love the Free Shipping option and this way more sellers would offer free shipping. However, free shipping isn’t really a feasible option when shipping overseas and you charge actual shipping to the winning bidder. Shipping is already a big enough expense and I just think it is greedy and wrong for Ebay to be adding to the millions they make by adding this ridiculous fee.
If you are not familiar with the Etsy check it out.
The New Skull Nutcracker Design
Oct 28Brandon has redesigned his Skull Nutcracker. When he first discovered figural nutcrackers on the internet and in books he set out and made his first designs without seeing an example in person. After we acquired a few vintage nutcrackers and after seeing other peoples collections, Brandon decided to recreate the Skull Nutcracker to be more delicate and more in scale with the vintage figural nutcrackers. The new version is approximately 7 inches tall . The old version was quite a bit larger at 8 inches tall.
Here is a picture of the old version and the new version for comparison.
Here are some pictures showing the detail of the new Skull Nutcracker……
Brandon also created the coffin shaped stand for this nutcracker. The Skull Nutcracker is the first of the new design and is signed and numbered #1. It is currently listed on Ebay. This would make a nice Halloween addition to any collection!
Completed Monkey Restoration and Old Woman Sitting on a Log Restoration
Oct 28Brandon has completed two more restorations. First is this monkey…the pin needed to be replaced. I don’t have before pictures of this piece. However, in the after photos you can see that the pin has been blended to match the piece’s patina and doesn’t look like a new pin. It is now fully operational.
Next is this woman sitting on a log. She had some condition issues such as her nose was missing, bottom lip and upper teeth were also in need of repair. The overall finish of the piece was freshened up also. Here are some before pictures….
Here are the after pictures….
These pieces came together nicely and are ready to be delivered.
Check back later for Brandon’s redesigned Skull Nutcracker.