~Page4 www.sunnewspapers.net FLAIR The Sun /Sunday, June 8,2014


Look whatI found!


By HERB FAYER
 Num COLUMNIST


Real scrimshaw carvings can be expensive


crimshaw refers to carvings done
 in ivory, teeth or bone. Most pieces
 have a pigment in the carving to
highlight the design. Most are sourced
back to whalers who had access to the
raw material and spare time at sea to do
the carvings.
 Collectors need to have legitimate
documentation that proves their whale's
teeth and ivory pieces were made prior
to 1966 per the Endangered Species
Preservation Act and international
conventions that restrict the harvest and
sale of ivory to try to reverse the scarcity
of ivory-bearing animals.
 Because scrimshaw can be very high
priced, you can expect lots of reproduc-
tions and fakes. The reproductions have
very smooth openings at the end of
the tusk or bone where it was attached
to the animal. These are easy to spot
because a real tusk is very ragged and
is hollow at the end so you can see the
roughness inside the shaft. Fakes that
imitate the roughness can be deceiving


and you must know your seller. I suggest
you do not buy this stuff at flea markets
and yard sales unless they are dirt cheap.
Most legitimate dealers will list their
pieces as faux ivory.
 A search on eBay brings up over 3,000
items. Most, as you might expect, are
labeled as faux. Very few of the 3,000
items qualify as valuable, real scrimshaw.
Even some of the faux are priced in the
hundreds of dollars these are typically
mass manufactured by machines so high
prices don't make sense. The other area
to be aware of is made up of artisans
who take old ivory or bone and today do
what look like ancient carvings. These are
collectible because these artisans have
become well known and respected for
their work. Most of it is not priced in the
thousands like real pieces of old scrim-
shaw, but their work can be gorgeous.
 So what would you buy? For decorat-
ing items and things to put on a desk or
shelf you can get some pretty nice faux
items for under $100. The next level by


cost is the scrimshaw made today by
artisans in their workshops. Then you get
to vintage scrimshaw which according
to an article from the Providence Public
Library, ranges from crude scratchings
on teeth or bone to exquisite examples
of fine craftsmanship with the majority
falling somewhere in-between. The Paul
C. Nicholson Whaling Collection in the
Providence Library has a number of both
artistic pieces of scrimshaw and more
mundane but finely crafted functional
pieces. The library's image database
contains a sampling of the finest pieces
of scrimshaw in the Nicholson Collection.
You can see some of their examples at:
http://www.provlib.org/node/390.
 One somewhat inexpensive type of
scrimshaw is the work done both
vintage and now on plain cow horns
and powder horns.
 For a good discussion on scrimshaw
go to: http://www.hopscrimshaw.com/
about/scrimhistory.htm. If you are artistic
you should consider learning how to


 PHOTO PROVIDED
create your own scrimshaw pieces. You
can find some good informational sites
on the Internet that will help you get
started.


 HAVE A QUESTION?
 Herb Fayer has been collecting for over 30 years and
 knows his stuff. If you have questions or comments
 please write to him at drjunk941@gmail.com and
 please tell him what city you're in.


Make Father's Day entertaining a HEROic fete


By ERIN DAVIS
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

 Hero: a person who is admired for
great or brave acts or fine qualities. So
says the dictionary. Sound like anyone
you know? How about the guy who
goes above and beyond to bring home
the bacon (and cook it), fix a flat, build a
fort, swap a bike tire or two, and oh-so
much more. This June 15, don't forget to
celebrate the hero in your house. Make
this Father's Day an occasion of heroic
proportions.

 "H"AIRY, HEROIC, HUMOROUS
 HOUSE PARTIES
 Go full bore this year by extending
Father's Day entertaining to family and
friends. Appeal to the humorous dads
on your docket by hosting a facial-hair
inspired party. Check out Pinterest for a
fruitful array of the ever-popular mus-
tache party theme. In addition to stache-
themed decor, offer each dad a "stache
bucket"containing manly swag like
bottled beer, packaged snacks and chips.
Satiate his sweet tooth with cupcakes
topped with a printable Fu Manchu.
 For a more gritty guy, go all out with
a Beards and Brawn party. Send your
invitations early in an effort to encourage
beard growth prior to the event. Award
a high-end barbershop gift certificate
for the "best or most creative" beard. In
addition to robust snacks like beef and


deer jerky, create a spread of grilled
game try duck, deer or bison. Allow
the boys to demonstrate their brawn by
way of their barbecue skills.
 If your fella gets fired up over the
revving of an engine, revel him with a
NASCAR or sports car shindig. Feature an
evening matinee of"Le Mans"'Talladega
Nights" or "Fast and Furious" Provide
pitchers of lemonade labeled "antifreeze"
and serve with black-and-white check-
ered bags full of popcorn labeled "fuel"
alongside red, yellow and green "stop-
light"cookies. Try to procure an orange
construction cone or two to put atop a
black plastic tablecloth for added street
appeal.

 "E"AT, DRINK AND INVITE BARRY,
 LARRY AND GARY
 If Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and the
more recent Derek Jeter put a glisten in
the eye of your guy, what better way to
celebrate Father's Day than by treating
him to a baseball game? Make it a family
affair, or invite a few of Dad's closest
friends. Help create a special day by
bringing the best in tailgating goods.
 Pack him some lawn chairs with a
basket full of peanuts, popcorn and
Cracker Jacks. And don't forget the beer.
"Buy him a pilsner or a light pale ale
like Sweetwater 420. It's dry and clean,
light bodied with a touch of hops" said
Jon Richards, a certified Cicerone Beer
Server at The Greenville Growler Station


(in Greenville, S.C.). "They're light enough
on the alcohol so Dad won't have to stop
after three."
 If the Majors are out of your league, no
worries, simply create a ballpark ambi-
ance at home or at a local park. Offer a
hot dog buffet equipped with hot dogs,
buns, chili, onions, cheese, jalapeno,
sauerkraut and condiments. Include sides
like corn on the cob, baked beans and
potato salad.

 "R"ELATIVES AND ROUGH HOUSING
 "Make an extra effort this year for
Father's Day" said Ashley Bailey Farley,
Owner and Founder of LE Events
(Leeventchicago.com), "by bringing
together as many generations as possi-
ble for an afternoon barbecue. Shared
moments of quality time is on the top
of every dad's wish list. Add personal
touches by branding family initials into
the steaks and burgers"
 Be sure to include Dad's favorite side
dishes and beverages. "If you're grilling,
brats and beer go extremely well togeth-
er. Basically, every sausage was made
for beer, and vice versa. If you're having
Italian sausage or Kielbasa without
too much spice, then try serving up
Hefeweizen or a pilsner" Richards said.

 "O"LLIE, OLLIE, OXEN FREE
 If organizing a game of"kick the can"
is too primitive for Dad and his buddies,
how about flag football, baseball or


 PHOTO PROVIDED
Bring together as many generations as possible
for an afternoon barbecue.

volleyball? Nothing puts heroes in the
limelight like friendly competition.
 Gather friends and neighbors for a
midmorning "Hometown Heroes" park
brunch, followed by a sport of choice.
Offer a buffet of Dad's favorites or, go full
bacon with Shrimp and Bacon Kabobs
(recipe at www.aroundmyfamilytable.
com), Bacon Pancakes and/or Chocolate-
Bacon Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche
frosting (find it at www.food network.
com).


BEACH
FROM PAGE 1
Weiner's"AlI Fall Down,"
Emma Straub's "The
Vacationers"and, because
we must re-read it before
seeing the movie, John
Green's "The Fault in Our
Sta rs "


SHADE HAT There's so
much to love about a hat
at the pool: shade for your
face, trendy style and,
maybe best of all, no wor-
ries about a bad hair day.
Choose from a variety of
brims and materials. This
summer, we're sticking
with Free People's Alegre


straw Panama style with
a pretty ribbon trim and
hidden wire in the brim
so you can get that tilt
just right. Get it: $38,
freepeople.com.

SUNSCREEN- You never
leave home without
it until you're in a huge
rush with a crying kid.


Our advice? Leave a few
bottles of your favorite
brand in your beach tote
and make sure they stay
put. Looking to stock
up? Consumer Reports
recently released its
annual sunscreen ratings
and named two best buys:
Walmart's Equate Ultra
Protection SPF 50, $9, and


jIRAYMOND WINDOWS
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 Expert installation available-Ask for details.

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Target's Spray Up & Up
Sport SPF 50, $8.
 THE- SUPER CHIC
CCVER-UP. Sure, you may
head to the beach with a
tank and shorts over your
swimwear, but you never
know when you may
want something a little
dressier. Just tuck a pretty
patterned long kaftan, like
H&M's beachy number, in
your bag (the fabric is crin-
kled, so no worries about
wrinkling) and, should
the party move into the
evening, just pull it on to
look pulled-together. Get
it: $34.95, hm.com.
 07 THE LIFE-SAN
SNACKS. If there's one
thing you don't forget,
make it food. As every
swimmer (or lounger)
knows, a day in the sun
stirs up one heck of an
appetite, but instead of
scarfing up bloat-inducing
potato chips, pack some
healthy bites that won't
leave you feeling de-
prived: peanut butter and
apple slices, dry-roasted
nuts, string cheese, gra-
nola bars, yogurt (freeze
it ahead of time) lime to
squeeze in your water


 MCT PHOTO
Tuck a pretty patterned long
kaftan, like H&M's beachy
number, in your bag (the
fabric is crinkled, so no
worries about wrinkling) in
case of emergency post-beach
outings. $34.95, hm.com.
bottle, And don't forget
to bring a bag filled with
baby wipes the best
napkins for the beach.


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New Showroom!


-Page 4


The Sun /Sunday, June 8, 2014


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