Carving a Ring or Pipe

[Albert Sailhorst]

In reading diaries, letters and other accounts, a favorite pastime of soldiers and Prisoners was to carve buttons, pipes and rings.

I can not, however, find "instructions" as to how to carve such items. Being ignorant in the use of tools, how would a soldier, with no access to anything other than a pocket-knife, carve a pipe , a ring or a button?
What woods would be good to use?
I'd like to carve something for my reenactor persona.

Thanks!

 

[lelliott19]

Great idea Albert! I dont know about pipes, but according to Mitchell B Houghton:

It was astonishing to see the ingenuity the men developed. With their pocket knives they carved all sorts of trinkets, cups, plates and puzzles out of wood and other material. Time was no object and with infinite patience they wrought many artistic articles that they never could or would duplicate outside of a prison.<>​

The sutler was allowed to sell us large guttapercha coat buttons at five cents each. These we would boil in tin cups until they resumed their original shape. With great patience the worker would cut the centre out and fashion it into a ring. Old gold pens, pieces of silver, brass buttons, and any other bright metal was used in making sets representing clasped hands, hearts and shields and other designs which were nicely engraved and highly polished The sets were riveted in with pins or strips of metal so perfectly that the fastenings could not be dectected. We used sand paper and a greasy cloth to polish. With my two bunk companions for partners I started a ring factory. These men were Johnathan Smith, farmer and blacksmith and R. M. Espy a farmer, both from Henry county, Alabama....​

Source: Two Boys in the Civil War and After. Houghton, W. R. (William Robert), Houghton, M. B. (Mitchell Bennett), 1912. pp. 45-46. https://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/houghton/houghton.html

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

T

Great idea Albert! I dont know about pipes, but according to Mitchell B Houghton:

It was astonishing to see the ingenuity the men developed. With their pocket knives they carved all sorts of trinkets, cups, plates and puzzles out of wood and other material. Time was no object and with infinite patience they wrought many artistic articles that they never could or would duplicate outside of a prison.<>​

The sutler was allowed to sell us large guttapercha coat buttons at five cents each. These we would boil in tin cups until they resumed their original shape. With great patience the worker would cut the centre out and fashion it into a ring. Old gold pens, pieces of silver, brass buttons, and any other bright metal was used in making sets representing clasped hands, hearts and shields and other designs which were nicely engraved and highly polished The sets were riveted in with pins or strips of metal so perfectly that the fastenings could not be dectected. We used sand paper and a greasy cloth to polish. With my two bunk companions for partners I started a ring factory. These men were Johnathan Smith, farmer and blacksmith and R. M. Espy a farmer, both from Henry county, Alabama....​

Source: Two Boys in the Civil War and After. Houghton, W. R. (William Robert), Houghton, M. B. (Mitchell Bennett), 1912. pp. 45-46. https://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/houghton/houghton.html

That's cool!
Thanks for the info!

 

[UCVRelics]

Here are 2 pipes from my personnel collection. These had to have taken a lot of time to do.

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

Here are 2 pipes from my personnel collection. These had to have taken a lot of time to do.
View attachment 303178View attachment 303179View attachment 303180View attachment 303181View attachment 303182View attachment 303183View attachment 303184

WOW!!....I can not imagine me being as artistic or handy with tools as the guys who made those!
Thanks for sharing!

 

[Eark]

Interesting. Have seen later trench pieces, but not CW... what materials besides wood, metal, bone? Horn, antler, Tagua nut was local based. I have a matched set of wooden Lincoln studs, old, origin unknown. Is it ok to post as a compliment to this topic? Experimenting whether it uploads. Quick/poor cell shot of one.. quite large for typical stud set. Lacquered mourning piece below.