Open Water Crafts
My name is Jay Caldwell. I retired from the United States Air Force after 26 years of service. After retiring from the USAF; I worked as a biological sampler for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. I started carving bone and antler pendants many years ago. I hand carve bone pendants , in particular “hei matau,” which are stylized Māori fish hooks that represent strength, good luck, and safe travel across water. Each piece is handmade by me. I use sanitized solid cow femur bones, sketch out each design on the bone, rough cut, fine cut, and then sand each one for a fine finish. Finally comes the buffing and attaching an adjustable lanyard. I braid the lanyard myself using 1mm leather cord and then add bone or wood beads to make them adjustable.