 |
The show me your Witco thread. |
tikicar
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 19, 2005
Posts: 106
From: York, Pa.
|  Posted: 2007-01-09 4:30 pm Permalink
Whoever sent me the PM about the fabric on my chairs in the tiki room. Sorry I accidently deleted it before I replied to it. The bottom cushions are just leopard fabric from the fabric store. The back rest cushions are covered in a material we got in Hawaii a few years ago. It has volcanos and Tikis. The Hawaii fabric stores have some cool stuff. I wish we had it around here. The chairs are just cool mid century chairs we got 11 years ago on vacation in Florida at a garage sale. Thanks for your question and again sorry for messing up deleting your PM. scott
|
saxotica
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 03, 2005
Posts: 213 | Posted: 2007-01-11 2:23 pm Permalink
I was in a store yesterday trying to sell some of my stuff. The owner wanted to show me a carving she had recently bought from a fellow who said he made it. Much to my surprise and delight, it was a Witco just like this  only he had painted it white! I told her what the deal was. How much would this piece be worth if the guy hadn't painted it?
|
jamco
Member
Joined: Jan 15, 2007
Posts: 10
From: Chicago, IL
| Posted: 2007-01-16 5:29 pm Permalink
This is my 1st post as I have been lurking for a few weeks... love the forums! I have this piece I found at a thrift store a few years ago, and after seeing this Witco thread I thought I'd post these... Is it Witco? I don't know.. at least very similar.
It is a boat form with what looks like either half barrels or some crab traps or something next to boat. There is an eye hook at one end of the piece, leading me to believe the orange backing was attached later(?) any thoughts would be great... thanks!
_________________
-------------
Chicago Hala Kahiki lover
[ This Message was edited by: jamco 2007-01-16 18:14 ]
|
bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2007-01-16 6:07 pm Permalink
Interesting! I am sure the backing is original. This is a very late Witco, from their last years, between 1974 and 1976, when they tried to "keep up with the times", with lighter wood items..such as these (!):
..not for everyone but the hardcore Witco collector or historian 
|
jamco
Member
Joined: Jan 15, 2007
Posts: 10
From: Chicago, IL
| Posted: 2007-01-16 7:05 pm Permalink
Wow.. those are great pieces.. thanks for the feedback, you seem knowledgable on this.
Now that I read back in the forum.. this backing is probably the original because it does have those long staples that go throught the back right into the piece, as mentioned by previous posters.
I think I need to invest in the Book of Tiki asap.. I'd be interested in seeing more examples.
[ This Message was edited by: jamco 2007-01-16 19:10 ]
|
uncle trav
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 27, 2005
Posts: 1532
From: Kalamazoo
| Posted: 2007-01-20 06:44 am Permalink
I picked this guy up this summer at a flea market. My first thought was Witco so I picked it up for five bucks! Now I'm not so sure. The piece is 18" tall. No markings and never had a hanger on it for wall hanging. I thought it may be cut from a larger piece or not witco at all. It also has shell eyes. Anyone have any ideas? It's a keeper either way. Thanks.
_________________
"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann
|
Termite
Member
Joined: Jan 20, 2007
Posts: 4
From: Dallas TX
| Posted: 2007-01-20 07:33 am Permalink
Jamco, what do you think the eye hook was for? Is there a missing piece? Maybe another lobster trap or an anchor or something hung off of it? I'm curious.
|
jamco
Member
Joined: Jan 15, 2007
Posts: 10
From: Chicago, IL
| Posted: 2007-01-20 07:53 am Permalink
Quote:
|
On 2007-01-20 07:33, Termite wrote:
Jamco, what do you think the eye hook was for? Is there a missing piece? Maybe another lobster trap or an anchor or something hung off of it? I'm curious.
|
|
It's hard to say, and there isn't even another hole on the other side, so it never hung by those. Maybe one day I'll find out. I just picked up a 1976 Witco catalog on Ebay, there might be similar pieces in there (similar time period?) who knows!
Congrats on your $5 find.. can't beat that price! Are there any big staple holes on the back? maybe it was attached to a fabric board for the wall, the staple holes would indicate that.
|
the drunken hat
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Dec 20, 2003
Posts: 331
From: Modesto, CA
| Posted: 2007-01-20 10:18 am Permalink
here are the few pieces that we have:
thanks for looking!
_________________
i ain't drunk.......i'm jus drankin. albert collins
|
KAHAKA
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 03, 2003
Posts: 756
From: San Jose, CA
| Posted: 2007-01-20 12:37 pm Permalink
Drunkethat, you don't need all those wood things. You guys have too much. Tanya and I will take some for you so you don't have so much. I think that wood fountain thing will do.
Thanks in advance,
Kahaka
|
jamco
Member
Joined: Jan 15, 2007
Posts: 10
From: Chicago, IL
| Posted: 2007-01-24 4:17 pm Permalink
[quote]
On 2007-01-20 07:53, jamco wrote:
Quote:
|
On 2007-01-20 07:33, Termite wrote:
Jamco, what do you think the eye hook was for? Is there a missing piece? Maybe another lobster trap or an anchor or something hung off of it? I'm curious.
|
|
Thanks to Keigs for the incredible Witco catalog I just received! Unfortunately, I did find my piece (pic in post a few comments above this one) in this 1976 catalog, it is called the Lobsterman and my piece has an entire missing figure that is supposed to be attached to the front of the boat!! This figure is quite large and is MISSING aaargh... oh well... I still appreciate how it looks.
Thanks again Keigs.
[ This Message was edited by: jamco 2007-01-24 16:19 ]
|
Tiki Kollektor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 29, 2006
Posts: 107
From: A Cave in Manhattan
| Posted: 2007-03-18 2:03 pm Permalink
A couple more Witco finds -- I was surprised to find them at the big NYC "Pier Show" antiques show this weekend. Good thing I've got high ceilings!
And this one came off eBay a few months ago:
And it's confirmed -- Witco works well with Arts and Crafts Movement stuff!
|
Psycho Tiki D
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Oct 13, 2006
Posts: 1783
From: The river Styx, can you pay the toll?
| Posted: 2007-03-18 3:40 pm Permalink
So far this is the only Witco I have purchased...
Notice I said "so far"?
Psycho Tiki D (I know I am and I will purchase more Witco)!
[ This Message was edited by: Psycho Tiki D 2007-03-18 15:44 ]
|
verbatone
Member
Joined: Mar 20, 2007
Posts: 2 | Posted: 2007-03-20 2:42 pm Permalink
Hi, First time poster, long time reader/searcher. I saw this beauty (and what a beauty it was with its pink paint job) about two weeks ago as I walked into a thrift store. From across the store I knew it was a Witco, but a PINK witco? Couldn't be, but one never knows. As I got closer though, I knew it was not original paint, and to top it off, someone had painted the cloth without removing the frame nor the outrigger so there was pretty pink paint all over the sides of the cedar pieces. Well I knew if I didn't buy it, who knows what would happen to it, so I got it and decided to restore it. On with the pictures.
The original pink beauty
Confirmation of a second (horrible) paint job.
reclothed and painted back board
and at last the finished product.
My only regret and suggestion for someone who's trying to do the same thing would be to paint the backing board before putting the cloth on. I was painting the fabric with a brush and roller, but it was difficult to get the paint onto the backing board which Witco painted white. Given this, there are a few small spots where you can see white throught the osnaburg fabric. I believe Witco probably used a paint sprayer to paint the fabric, so they could get a deeper coverage due to the paint mist being able to hit the backing board.
Hopefully no one else finds the need to get paint off the cedar, but if you do, zip-strip does a good job and isn't too caustic. I just used a toothbrush and wet cloth to scrub the paint off after the zip-strip did its job.
Now I have a question, should the cedar be oiled? I see other pieces which are darker and are shinier than mine, I presume this is due to the oiling. Enjoy and thanks, -verbatone
|
atomictonytiki
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: May 14, 2002
Posts: 1267
From: Bangkok
| Posted: 2007-03-20 4:58 pm Permalink
Has anybody ever found a witco outside of the USA?
|
