Description

Many people ask if I carved this one by hand, which I take to be a compliment. In actuality, it was fully turned on the lathe using an offset turning technique. Normally you turn pieces between centers; with offset, you use off-center points at either end instead of dead center. This makes it a challenge, as it’s off balance a bit, and you have to be extra careful where you put the tool to get the cut you want. It also takes a lot longer to shape and to sand.

In this case I think it turned out really well, giving the piece a bit of a rustic but elegant look. It shows off the grain of the locally sourced hickory well. It’s 5-1/2″ tall and takes a single tea light or votive, and would look right at home on a rustic table in a cabin in northern Wisconsin. And if you don’t have one of those, it’d still look stunning in your house!

The title comes from the Greek letter sigma, which I feel is kind of what the overall shape of the piece resembles.