An heirloom quality walking cane made using a historic wood that I consider ancient. The handle is Huon Pine, the second longest lived species on earth after the Bristlecone pine. Huon only grows in Tasmania and individuals can live for well over a thousand years. Today it is a protected species with a mystic reputation. In 2020 I received a block of salvage harvested Huon pine from my Tasmanian contact that had the tightest growth rings of any piece of wood I've ever seen, counting over 500 years in a space of 4 inches. But the block came from a much larger tree and only represented a fraction of its growth, it was significantly older. Almost all ancient material I use lived a normal life and has been dead for a long time but preserved, this Huon pine had a tremendously long life and died recently.

It will be difficult to notice in the pictures but there is also a quilting effect in the grain that is smaller than any other quilting we have ever seen before, these "micro ripples" run along the length of the cane handle. Huon pine is a chatoyant wood and the fine quilting adds to the effect. Really cool wood! You probably cant see the annual growth rings in the pictures either, they are so small.

The divider draws the eye, its a piece of box elder burl with brass layers and lapidary centerpieces of green translucent jade stone. The green jade glows and complements the light yellow colors of the wood. The shaft is spectacular if you enjoy figured wood, its extremely chatoyant and highly figured mountain ash wood from Australia. A special cane with a great story, beautiful materials, and
design harmony. It medium - medium/light in weight, nimble enough for extended use and easily caried by anyone. Total length measures 38" and can be shortened to fit.

The Huon pine has been stabilized, a process that pressurizes resin into the wood cells, which is later cured and hardened creating a denser and weather resistant timber. Huon is a softwood and would not be suitable for cane craft without this process. Interesting fact - Huon is called "pine" but its not a pine species at all!

M A T E R I A L S

Handle – Ancient Huon Pine from Tarkine, Tasmania
Divider - Box Elder Burl - Yew York - harvested myself
Shaft - Curl figured Australian Mountain Ash Wood
Rubber tip

Every Gillis Cane is a photographed original, you'll always receive the exact cane in the images.