A museum-worthy walking cane made using two ancient woods and beautiful stones. 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 thousands of years. Today it is a strictly 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, one of the ancient giants. 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 I have ever seen before, these "micro ripples" run parallel to the grain. 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 shaft is another ancient wood, one with a more explosive story: Its Jindai Keyaki wood, or one of the Japanese elm species. My source in Japan explained to me that Keyaki is the rarest of the ancient (Jindai) timbers, and its the densest I have as well. The wood is approximately 2600 years old, and was buried under a volcanic eruption from Mt. Chokaisan. A massive, and famous volcano in Japan, Chokaisan had a large eruption 2600 years ago that caused a collapse of its summit and what’s called the Kisakata debris avalanche. The rocks and soil that collapsed flowed north-northwestward and were deposited widely in the current Kisakata and Nikaho towns. The volume is estimated to be 3 to 4 billion cubic meters of earth. It’s under all of this debris that some of the ancient forest has been preserved without decay from lack of oxygen, and some has been excavated.

The Japanese word “Jindai” means “The age of the Gods”, and speaks to the age of the material; its so old that its considered part of mythology! Its a privilege to offer such amazing and unique material in my work. Extremely little of this wood exists and of what does only a tinny fraction of it has ever left Japan.

Finally, this cane has fine lapidary additions with vibrant blue colors, these three matching stones are a semi precious stone called “Pietersite” The blue is deep and rich looking with an excellent chatoyant effect. This rare and beautiful stone is a great way to complete such a special cane.

Total length measures 38” and can be shortened to fit. A perfectly functional cane. weight is average, suitable for most any user to enjoy.

For more information on Mt. Chokaisan and its volcanic activity, visit this Smithsonian Institute web page: https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=283220

The second to last image is of an ancient Huon pine tree, native habitat

The last image is of Mt. Chokaisan

M A T E R I A L S

Handle –Huon pine (Called a pine, but not technically a pine related species) from Tarkine rainforest, Tasmania

Dividers – Brass and Pietersite

Shaft – Ancient Jindai Keyaki

Lapidary - Pietersite from Namibia

Rubber tip

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