Duff Tweed Carvings

Duff Tweed's 1969 Wall Street Hobo mixing it up with the Brokers

2011-11-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hi. Glad you could come and stay for a while. Hope you enjoy your visit. It's a little early, but Happy Thanksgiving 2011 to you. Even though times are tough, we still have so much for which to be thankful. May your hearts be warm, your tummies full and may you be in the company of loved ones.

We are thankful that we created this blog for more reasons than we ever imagined. When collecting, one becomes part researcher, part historian and part trader. One has to be knowledgeable in their chosen field in order to build a collection worth having. We have found the most wonderful part of collecting is in meeting fellow collectors and hearing their stories. This entire blog has been built primarily on word of mouth and online research. That is, people sharing their stories and recollecting their direct and indirect experiences with Duff Tweed. We're proud to say that all the Duff Tweed collectors we have come across each have one thing in common; they are extremely NICE people. Each collector has been willing to share their time, their experiences, their Duff Tweed carving(s) and their memories to make this place what it is today. Once again, we have communicated with yet another nice and informative Duff Tweed carving collector. Leo wrote to us today from Florida and this is his story how he came to own Duff Tweed's 1969 Wall Street Hobo.

Leo, who now lives in Florida is 79 years of age. He got his Duff Tweed carving back in 1969, when he was 37 and here's how he did so. It's amazing to think that was over 42 years ago! His piece still looks great!!!

After helping his stock broker friend John Rutner, of the stock brokerage firm of Rutner, Jackson and Gray here in Los Angeles, John asked Leo what could he do to repay the favor for helping close a business deal. Leo didn’t really want anything, but while standing in John's office he noted and asked for the Duff Tweed carving hanging in Mr. Rutner's office. John happily gave it to Leo and that is how Leo came to own the Wall Street Hobo pictured below. Leo worked for Hentz and Co. , another stock brokerage firm located in Los Angeles. Hentz and Co. first merged into Shearson Lehman then merged again to become Morgan Stanley/Smith Barney. Bet you never heard of Hentz and Company, but we all know Morgan Stanley/Smith Barney.

Now let's take a look at Leo's Wall Street Hobo from 1969. Leo's timing of sharing this piece is superb as it directly coincides with the craziest stock market and economic fluctuations we have seen in decades.

Leo took these pictures with a 2 to 3 megapixel camera, so we apologize for the light graininess you see in the photos, but we're so pleased to have them to share with you.

Duff did not often sign the front of these specially prepared backgrounds, which makes it somewhat special. Additionally, Duff personally dedicated this piece to John Rutner. Below are the pictures Leo shared of the back of the piece.

The back reads as follows:

1/19/69

Dear John:

I am delighted you are able to give this bum a home!

I hope you never imitate him!

Thank you for your appreciation.

Sincerely,

Duff Tweed

(Duff included his address and telephone number at the time . . . did you notice there's no three digit prefix before the telephone number?)

Sending a big SHOUT OUT to Leo in Florida for his willingness to share his prized Duff Tweed 1969 Wall Street Hobo carving and the history behind his piece. We appreciate you Leo! Enjoy your carving in the best of health!

Looking forward to bringing you more Duffy delights as time marches on!

All the best!

-Joe

Tennis with Duff Tweed on Halloween? Brenda says YES!

2011-10-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome back and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It's an interesting and a bit unsettling period of history we're experiencing in the world. The 99%ers are camping out at financial hubs all over the world demonstrating for a more equal distribution of wealth. After watching the stock market plummet since April, it's showing some of the largest growth ever seen in history. However, if you're broke, how do you take advantage of the growth? World economies are sliding negatively and Republicans are abusing the media for their own personal benefits. It is truly amazing what democratic President Obama has made happen in the midst of a Republican majority in the House of Representatives. Real change is coming and I hope we can all weather the storm. OK, enough shaking you up . . . let's move on to a new Duffy collector who has made their presence known.

We received an email today from Brenda who owns Duff Tweed's Tennis Player which is officially titled, "Damn I'm Good!". Below is the first picture Brenda sent us:

Brenda mentioned she had researched Duff Tweed's carvings ten years ago and was able to find nothing on the topic. Brenda also confirmed that current sale prices for Duff Tweed carvings are ridiculously inexpensive and attributes it to the lack of common knowledge about this wonderful artist. Below we have included Brenda's email note along with a second picture of "Damn I'm Good!"

Fifteen years ago my partner worked for a company that went bankrupt after 30 years, the owner had three of Duff Tweeds carvings and gave them to the three girls who had been there the longest, he had 2 of the golfers, and the tennis player. We have the tennis player, picture enclosed. About 10 years ago I went online looking for Duff Tweed or any info with nothing to be found. Don't know why, but I thought about it again today and lo and behold I found you. I just knew this couldn't be the only carving around. So glad someone has taken the interest in this mans work. Being a woodworker myself, I find it beautiful to look at. I just wanted to share this picture with you and let you know there are more of us out there. Just a note, the selling prices in ebay are disgusting, people are apparently not aware of the history they have.

We don't think Brenda could have said it any better. These Duff Tweed carvings are hidden treasures! Some are hiding in your grandparents attic and others are hidden away in storage units.

We thank Brenda for sharing her carving, her knowledge and the history on how they obtained this particular piece. We really love how most of these carvings are passed down from friends and family to younger generations.

Now for a Lil' Halloween fun. Our neighbors came up with such an apropos Halloween theme this year, we just had to share it with you. Earlier we referred to the 99%ers who are camping out at various financial centers all over the world. The world majority is tired of such an unequal balance of wealth and it's starting to feel like 1776 all over again. The claim which seems to be fact is that 1% of the people control 99% of the wealth. Or conversely 99% of the people live and exist on 1% of the wealth and resources available worldwide. While this is the most serious of issues, our neighbors planned their Halloween theme to honor the 99%ers! Thank you Spencer and Amy!!! A truly creative and wonderful gesture!
Check out the pictures below:

The 1%ers!

We mixed it up a bit for Halloween, but managed to share another wonderful collector and a good sentiment this Halloween for the kids! It's all about the kids! They are the future! Don't trick 'em, treat 'em right!

Thank you sincerely for your visit and can't wait to share our next Duffalicious tale!

All the best!

-Joe

Duff Tweed's Three Painted Western Musicians

2011-09-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

As promised, we're back and truly excited to share the newest additions to the Duff Tweed Carvings collection.

Before you see the latest and greatest Duff Tweed carvings added to the collection, we thought we'd share the little we do know about these carvings.

They were purchased from John in N.W. Pennsylvania. John drove a hard deal, but we just had to have these and are so grateful for his willingness to allow us to add them to the collection. Apparently, John picked up the set of three carvings through an auction house in 1991. If I understood him correctly, a friend of John's went to the home a family in the midst of divorce in Phoenix, Arizona in 1991. The original owner of the carvings allowed John's friend to go into the basement of their home and take what he wanted, surely for a small price. In any event, his friend sold them through a local auction house and when John saw them his only thought was, "These are Disneyesque, they must have some association with Walt Disney." John's suspicions were confirmed when he learned the artist was none other than Duff Tweed, the hero of our blog! Rah Rah Duff! Hehehe.

So, without further fanfare, here are Duff Tweed's Three Painted Western Musicians.

Don't you just love them? We are personally into golf and as a result interested in golf carvings, but something about Duff's western carvings display action, motion, humor and just an artistry that is richly and solely Duff! They're duffaliscious and we believe Duff put more effort into creating the western carvings even though he played and enjoyed golf. With that said, asking us which is our favorite is like asking a four year old what they're favorite ice cream flavor is at Baskin Robbins. We love them all and each new carving discovered is like finding buried treasure. Enough said. . . enjoy the remainder of the photos below.

Hope you enjoyed these carvings as much as we have. Sending out a big SHOUT OUT to John in PA!!! Thank you!

Until we meet again . . .

All the best!

-Joe

The Man who knew Duff Tweed: Ron Urschel

2011-09-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

Glad you could come back and visit. Sit back and enjoy for a few. . .

One of the toughest things we have experienced at Duff Tweed Carvings is getting real, factual information about the kind of person Duff really was. While we greatly appreciate the art this man has created over the years he was here, we desire to know more about the man himself.

This is one of two sets of the Slaughterhouse Four created in 1959 by Duff Tweed. Ron Urschel owns this set along with a hand written letter from Duff explaining the group is really from Alberta, Canada.

So, a few weeks ago we came across an old string on a Disney memorabilia site we had read several times before. We had even responded to the string adding our own comments in relation to the value of a particular set of carvings Duff did back in 1959 titled The Slaughterhouse Four. This particular set has all four carvings attached to one single frame. After re-reading the string, we realized that the person posting it had actually spent significant time with Duff Tweed at his home in California. We contacted the gentleman and he was more than happy to share his memories of Duff.

Ron Urschel today.

Ron Urschel, now 62 years of age used to spend hours of time with Duff Tweed when he came to visit the family at their home in Burbank, California. There is actually some history here as well. Ron’s father Earl, who gained his aeronautical experience via the U.S. Airforce was a B-17 bomber pilot. Mr. Urschel worked for Walt Disney as a pilot for the company. Earl Urschel (Ron’s father) was actually covered by the famous Greg “Pappy” Boyington on many of his earlier missions. If you don’t know the name Greg Boyington, then read Black Sheep Squadron and you’ll know what kind of guy Pappy was; fearless and loyal. I suspect Ron’s father Earl was equally loyal and fearless. Ron shared that his Dad absolutely loved flying.

Ron at 50, skydiving. Had to add this shot for his Dad's love of flying.

To give you a feel for the time, Burbank was the place to be. It was actually the place where movie and television stars moved to get away from it all. Ron and his family not only knew Duff Tweed intimately, but also were friends with Guy Williams (Zorro), Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Gabby Hayes, George Reeves (original Superman) and Kim Graham (Playboy model) to name just a few.

Ron in Quincy, California in 1961.

When Ron was a youngster (about 5 years of age), Duff would come and visit the family where they then lived in Burbank, California. His father Earl was now with Fairchild Aviation which was after he stopped working for Disney. Ron recalls they had palm trees in their backyard and Duff would put Ron on his lap and try to teach him how to draw the trees. Ron shared that the lessons never stuck, but the time with Duff definitely did. Ron remembered how Duff used to bring what they called black paper to write on because the colors showed up more vividly. Duff did teach Ron how to draw Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and several others. He also continued to work with Ron on how to paint those palm trees.

We were curious . . . what kind of person was Duff ? Was he serious, was he easy going? Ron shared that Duff was a private person. He walked around with no worries and was quite a happy-go-lucky person around people he liked and those with which he was comfortable. He confirmed what another neighbor previously shared about Duff and his work; Duff actually had a lower level of self esteem when it came to his carvings. He never made a big deal out of them. They were more of a hobby that became a means to support his lifestyle. Duff always wore blue jeans and a western shirt or t-shirt. Interestingly, Duff played the guitar and apparently was quite good. This explains his many western musician based carvings.

Betty Urschel, Ron's mother at age 85. Mrs. Urschel received the first of only two Slaughterhouse Four sets carved by Duff Tweed and placed on one frame in 1959. Below is the letter Duff wrote where explained the Slaughterhouse Four were from Alberta, Canada.

Ron made it a point to let us know that it was his mother who actually appreciated Duff’s carvings. She was very complimentary of his work, so in 1959 Duff made only two sets of the Slaughterhouse Four which existed on one frame. Duff sold the first set to a friend in Alberta, Canada for $500. The second set was gifted to Ron’s mother Betty and father Earl. Duff included a letter to Betty and Earl dated December 16, 1959 (see below) where he explains that the Slaughterhouse Four are actually ranchers that worked on his Dad’s ranch in Alberta, Canada and not in Mesa, AZ as later pieces have indicated. We can now only guess that the Slaughterhouse Four started as ranch hands for Duff Tweed’s father in Canada and them moved to Mesa, AZ.

Eventually Ron’s folks parted ways and his mother Betty ended up with the Slaughterhouse Four. Betty in turn gifted the set to Ron who will keep it FOREVER! I would too. Ron has had his Slaughterhouse Four set appraised and shared with us that the value is $20,000 or $5,000 per carving. We discussed this in short, but we both believe that value will be accurate as other communities and collectors become aware of Duff’s work and his strong affiliation with Disney.

Before we say goodbye, we’re sending out a HUGE shout out and sincere thanks to Ron and wife Sue Urschel for sharing Ron's time, pictures and precious childhood memories of the time he spent with Duff Tweed. As an aside, Ron smokes some of the best jerky and salmon around. If you’re a smoked jerky or salmon fan, we’d be happy to put you in touch with him. Ron included a picture of wife Sue Urschel, which we would also like to share with you in this post.

Sue Urschel, Ron's wife.

It truly has been our pleasure to share these Duffy tidbits with you.

Catch ya soon partner.

All the best!

-Joe

Duff Tweed’s Two Laughing Golfers and Sailor with Life Preserver

2011-09-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

Hello. Hope you had a wonderful relaxing summer. It’s September 2011 and we’re back to the grind!

In our previous post we shared Ross Carr’s Duff Tweed collection of which we had acquired several pieces. Well, after our original Duffy acquisitions we decided to add another three carvings to the Duff Tweed Carvings collection. We had very specific reasons for adding each of the three carvings to the collection.

Duff Tweed’s Laughing Golfers

The moment we saw these two happy duffers, we knew they had to be added to the collection. We have never seen these two particular carvings anywhere and they have increased the count to fifteen individually unique golfer carvings done by Duff Tweed. Some time in the near future we will do a post and share all 15 different golfers so you can see them together. However, for now we will continue to share our “never before seen” Duff Tweed carvings, which continue to pop up out of the “woodwork”.

We really appreciate how Duff painted these guys and the expression on their faces is just perfect.

We love the striped pants in the picture above. Just classic!

Now we have one more surprise for you. The Duff Tweed carving below of the Sailor with Life Preserver is one we already have in the collection, but we added this one for several reasons.

First, you’ll immediately notice that Duff signed the front of the piece in RED ink. We have seen over one hundred of Duff’s carvings and not a single one was signed in red ink. What really got us interested in the piece, was what had been added on the reverse side.

When Duff dedicated his work to his buyers, he typically drew one (or zero) Disney character illustration on the back of his carvings. Take a look below and check out all three close-up illustrations completed in red ink of some of the most recognizable Disney characters of that era. As it is a rare experience to come across any of Duff’s Disney illustrations, we truly feel honored to have added this wonderful piece to the collection.

Please come back soon and visit as we have two more posts coming soon. The first is an interview with Ron Urschel of Nevada who used to have Duff Tweed come visit him when he was a young child. You won't want to miss it. The next post will be of three never before seen Duff Tweed carvings which you also won't want to miss. Until then, wishing you all a wonderful Fall 2011!

All the best!

-Joe

Ross Carr's Duff Tweed Collection

2011-08-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

Weeeeee're baaaaack, and obviously you are too if you're reading this. Welcome back!

One of the advantages of having a blog on a particular subject is that persons with similar interests have a way of finding and contacting you. We were recently contacted by a collector who shared he had 13 different Duff Tweed carvings and was looking to sell all but one of them.

The collector is Ross Carr and this is his Duff Tweed collection. We at Duff Tweed Carvings have purchased six carvings from Ross so far and are in discussion to purchase another two or three. Upon completing our first purchase, Ross shared two identical golfer carvings we had never seen. Once we have purchased the other carvings, we will edit this blog to include the newest editions from Mr. Carr's collection.

Now let's start sharing. Below is a set of three golfers never displayed in this blog. All the carvings from Ross's collection are in excellent shape with very clean backgrounds. Ross was obviously collecting years before we got started. Ross and I are both Aquarians and born 6 days apart from one another, so maybe we're destined to collect Duff's work.

Attempted to enlarge picture, but it get's cut off and you can only see two golfers, sorry!

We would normally comment on each piece, but as there are so many, we thought we'd simply share them and let you see the Carr Collection. Ross, like myself has a love affair with golf. Luckily, he collected Duff Tweed's golfer carvings so we get to benefit by adding new and unseen carvings to the Duff Tweed Carvings collection.

Below is another golfer individually framed and signed.

F O R E!

The next and last golfer carving below is one you have seen before in this blog, but he is holding a perfect golf iron as opposed to the not so perfect one previously pictured months ago. His paint is cleaner and unmarked.

He is affectionately named The Happy Golfer.

The last of the carvings we received is the famous SUE THE BASTARDS carving pictured below.

Now, the carvings in the picture below are from Ross's collection, but have not yet been shipped.

Pictured from top row right to left: Golf Caddy - Happy Golfer - Grim Golfer (All in Plexi-Glass), Double Jigger Jack Grant

Pictured from bottom row right to left: Damn I'm Good (tennis), Laughing Golfer in Red, Laughing Golfer in Green and the Sailor/Yachtsman.

A HUGE SHOUT OUT AND OUR SINCEREST THANKS TO ROSS CARR FOR NOT ONLY SHARING HIS COLLECTION, BUT FOR ALLOWING US TO ADD ALMOST ALL HIS CARVINGS TO THE DUFF TWEED AND RUST TRAP RANCH COLLECTIONS. THANK YOU ROSS!

Did you notice we mentioned Ross sold us all but one Duff Tweed carving? We knew you noticed! You're good that way!

Of course, it was our favorite, but honestly, we're glad Ross is keeping it. It was the first Duff Tweed carving Ross purchased and has a great deal of sentimental value to him.

So, without further adieu, here's Duff Tweed's Drinking Fisherman. It's sooooo cooooool!

"Calling John the Fisherman"...sorry for my Primus quip, but it's a fav.

Hope you enjoyed this post and all the wonderful carvings shared with us by Ross Carr.

Looking forward to sharing more Duffy tales in the future.

All the best!

-Joe

Duff Tweed's Wall Street Journal Hobo via Joel Rothschild

2011-08-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hello. Welcome new collectors and frequent visitors!

July 2011 was a crazy month for Duff Tweed carving collectors on the West Coast. We here at Duff Tweed Carvings were inundated with offers we received to purchase carvings. We worked with our good friend at the Rust Trap Ranch to take a few off our hands. Gary is building quite a collection over there in Simi Valley, CA. Combined we estimate we have built up one of the largest collections of Duff's carvings anywhere. We would welcome the opportunity to hear otherwise. *smile*

About a week ago, I met a wonderful person with a carving, Joel Rothschild. He is also an award winning author. His god-mother was an avid collector of art and was very busy collecting local artist's work during the period of 1955 to 1970. Fortunately for us, she learned that Duff Tweed lived locally in Pasadena, California and purchased the Wall Street Hobo below.

The carving is from 1969 which is in print on the Wall Street Journal pages in the background. Below is a close-up photo where you can see part of the "6" and all of the "9" just to the lower right of his left ear. The "1969" is clearly visible in the picture above.

This particular carving has Duff's signature and "Pasadena" written on the front and is in excellent condition. All the Wall Street Hobo's with Wall Street print in the background that we have prior to this one do not have a signature or "Pasadena" on the front. Additionally, if you go back and look at the other carvings we have of this same figure, you'll see they have orange painted shirts while this one is painted in red.

A neat thing about collecting Duff Tweed carvings are the people you meet. Joel is a very nice, interesting and involved person. He gives the proceeds of his sales to his charity of choice and has done so for many years. Obtaining art from such people just makes the entire experience more enjoyable and unforgettable. So, here's a big shout out to Joel for allowing us to purchase this carving. Thanks Joel, we appreciate you and your willingness to share this Duff Tweed carving with the world.

The Godfather - Mark Handler - UPDATE 9/10/11: Mark now owns this Wall St. Hobo and Double Jigger Jack Grant

In the spirit of popularizing Duff Tweed, we sometimes share our finds with friends and family. As life (with it's coincidences) would have it, my god-father was interested in this particular piece, so much so that I had picked it up knowing he would end up with it. As I write this, god-father Mark Handler is waiting to receive his first Duff Tweed carving. Yes, we created another collector! Mark is an extremely artistic person, so having him as a collector is a great compliment to Duff's work. Looking back, we have started several people collecting Duff's work. As obscure of a collection as it is, these new collectors have discovered the broad appeal of Duff's work. They know his carvings exist!

So, from god-mother to god-father, this piece passes.

Stay tuned . . . we have another post to follow shortly. You won't want to miss it as a lot of never before seen carvings will be included.

All the best!
-Joe

Newest Addition to the Duff Tweed Collection: The Hotdog Hobo: The Low Bidder

2011-06-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

As we said in our previous post, it has been a busy June 2011 at Duff Tweed Carvings.

We were so excited to add this never before seen (in this blog or anywhere online) Duff Tweed carving we're affectionately naming The Hotdog Hobo. It did cross our mind to call him the Bratwurst Bum, but we do not say "bum" because is denotes an entirely different feel and meaning versus hobo. My daughter's "Community of Caring" would be so proud! *laugh* We found this carving through Todd S. in Pasadena, CA who was selling it for his friend's grandmother. Apparently, Todd's friend's grandfather was either buddies or business associates of Duff Tweeds and this carving was either part of a business dealing or a thank you gift. Duff conducted his work in such a personal manner. Oh, for the old days!

So without further adieu, introducing The Hotdog Hobo . . .

Don't you just love how Duff incorporated so much action in a carving? This Duff Tweed carving is in excellent shape and it's from 1969 making it 42 years old. We're still amazed how excited we get over a new Duffy find. Just when we think we know every carving Duff carved, a new one pops out of the woodwork!

Here's a couple of close-ups for you to enjoy:

O.K., so you would be pretty excited to find this carving, right? Well, how much more excited would you be to find this personal dedication from Duff Tweed including his illustration of Donald Duck?

We love how Duff drew it as if Donald was thanking Dick and Jay. Man, did he have some personality!

A big shout out and our gratitude goes to Todd in Pasadena for allowing us to add this wonderful piece to the Duff Tweed Carvings collection.

Until next time (which won't be long, I promise) . . .

All the best!
-Joe

Duff Tweed Sheds a Little Light on the Subject

2011-06-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

June 2011 is heating up fast!

Temperatures are rising throughout the country and so are the number of available wood carvings by Duff Tweed. We have been contacted by more sellers than in any previous month since the blog was born.

Before we get to the recent additions to the Duff Tweed Carvings collection which will be posted in a subsequent blog entry, we wanted to share a really neat Duff Tweed carving which comes to us from Gary at the Rust Trap Ranch. From our extensive research, we know Duff made carvings of self standing figures. One we know of from a written article was of a man holding two water buckets over his back with the aid of a stick. Gary has been collecting Duff's work years before we were even aware of his existence, so Gary took advantage of an opportunity years ago to pick up one of his first pieces.

Take a look below and check out this cool cowboy/musician lamp carved by none other than Duff Tweed:

We normally crop pictures, but the background at the Rust Trap Ranch looked so Western, the lamp just fit right in! This piece definitely falls into the Slaughterhouse Four era (see older posts). Who knows, this lamp may pre-date the creation of the Slaughterhouse Four wood carvings. The only way to know for sure would to have one of the family members of Duff's estate contact us and let us know. We suspect Duff carved all kinds of different topics with particular interest in Hobos, Golfers and Cowboys. We now know from this piece and some others we have researched that Duff also carved self standing figures.

Here are a few more pictures of the Cowboy Lamp . . .

As you can see, the figure on the lamp looks just like the other carvings from the Slaughterhouse Four. What a great find!

A big heart felt thank you goes out to Gary at the Rust Trap Ranch. Thank you for sharing your unique Duff Tweed carving lamp with us and the countless readers who will find this blog over the years to come.

All the best!

-Joe

P.S. We had just under 3,000 page views as of last month. Thank you for your interest, sharing stories and being a part of the Duff Tweed collecting community.

June Gloom? Not! Two Duff Tweeds Added: Double Jigger Jack Grant and The Frustrated Golfer

2011-06-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back.

Glad you could take a moment to view two already seen carvings, but newly added to the Duff Tweed collection. We thought June might continue to be a slow time at Duff Tweed Carvings, but it is promising to be a great month!

Just acquired today from Lee in Palm Springs, we're proud to present Double Jigger Jack Grant and The Frustrated Golfer. This is actually our third carving of Double Jigger Jack Grant or Charlie Briley depending on which version you believe. Additionally this is our second copy of The Frustrated Golfer.

First let's take a look at this Duff Tweed carving of The Frustrated Golfer:

As you can see, his golf club is missing the head and a piece of the broken shaft in his right hand is missing, but the carving is in excellent condition. We also noted that it is painted in exactly the same colors as our first frustrated golfer carving. As always, the facial expressions are different. Lee from Palm Springs shared that his grandmother had owned these and was the neighbor of an old Disney animator when she lived in Pasadena, CA. We can only assume that neighbor was Duff Tweed himself. Lee found the carvings in his grandmother's attic and we met in Los Angeles while he made a day trip here. A big shout out to Lee for contacting us and taking the time to personally deliver them. Thank you kindly Lee!

What is really neat about this carving is not what's on the front, but what was added on the back:

Not only did Duff sign the back with his address and telephone number, but he drew a Goofy/Pluto figure as well. You can see in the photo how pristine the paper and handwriting is on this piece. A real Duffy find!

Here's a close-up of the Goofy or Pluto character:

So coooooooool!

Now let's take a look at our third Double Jigger Jack Grant carving:

We just love the checkered/plaid jackets Duff painted. This carving is in almost pristine condition with a small chip in his hat and a scrape on the "Old Mule" bottle, but they truly are minor details. Often we have discussed the fact that Duff hand carved each carving. Hard to fathom when you see how many carvings are out there, but once again we have included three different carvings below of Double Jigger Jack Grant for comparison purposes. You be the judge.

The carvings look the same, but look closely and you'll see variations in the eye brows, eyes, ears, etc. These look so much better in person. These pictures do not do Duff's work justice.

Hoping to have more Duffy tales to share in the weeks to come.

All the best!

-Joe

A set of two Duff Tweed's Wall Street Journal Hobos

2011-05-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome and hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend!

Yesterday, we had some Blue Angels or similar fighter jets flying overhead here in Los Angeles. Loud would be an understatement. We also saw a lot of sky writing with the same symbol; a circle with an "x" through it. My wife and daughter thought it was a "hug" and a "kiss", while I thought they were playing a high tech game of tic-tac-toe, but it turned out to be a promotional campaign for the new X-Men movie.

Check it out. . .

Additionally, today is Clint Eastwood's 81st Birthday, so we'll attempt to slip in some "Eastwood" related comments and liven up the blog a bit. Happy Birthday Clint, you're the man!

Today we will share two different carvings that our good 'ol friend at Rust Trap Ranch (R.T.R.) has recently acquired. These come to us from Mike in Paso Robles, California. We spoke with Mike and he had a somewhat tragic Duff Tweed story to share. Apparently, while Mike was on the phone with Rust Trap Ranch, he was describing one of the Wall Street Hobos and it literally fell out of his hands and broke (so sad), so the price dropped immediately as well. "A good man always knows his limitations." Mike first contacted us via email and shared his two pieces with us inquiring if we might like to purchase them. We of course responded, "Go ahead, make my day!". Well, when Mike did eventually get back to us, he shared that he had already sold the two carvings to someone else.

That someone else was Gary at Rust Trap Ranch and he has agreed to work out a deal so we can add one of the two pieces to the collection. We are truly appreciative! We have been working with R.T.R. to build both of our collections and not compete for them. Gary's collection has grown significantly in the last year. He also owns a set of the Slaughterhouse Four previously owned by Roy Rogers. "I know what you're thinking. Did Gary add six carvings or only five? Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I've kinda lost track myself. But being this is Duff Tweed Carvings - the most powerful Duff Tweed blog in the world, you've got to ask yourself one question--Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk!"

First, we'll show you the piece that broke, but this picture was taken prior to the damage:

Apparently the foot broke off, but R.T.R. will have it repaired. This is an excellent quality version of the Wall Street Hobo as it is the clearest and darkest painted wording we have ever seen. Most of the words painted on Duff's carvings are significantly faded. This one looks brand new!

Next we have another version of the Wall Street Hobo leaning on a post. This is the only picture we have of this particular carving and we have never seen this one before. It's becoming apparent, Duff carved a lot of hobos.

This carving has pieces of the Wall Street Journal in the background and is signed "DUFF TWEED - PASADENA". The paper has many water stains and the hobo could use a shower. You probably noticed that neither piece sits on a frame. In speaking with Mike, we learned that he acquired these through buying the contents of an abandoned rental space. We continue to see people finding these carvings stacked in old boxes in attics, at Salvation Army's, in rental spaces and in the homes of people 70+. It's interesting and greatly appreciated how the older generations continue to give back to the younger ones.

We know we mixed it up a bit in today's blog, but it's been a while since we wrote or had anything Duffy to write about. In closing, we'll leave you with one last Clint Eastwood quote:

"And so, as our friends south of the border say, adios amigos."

All the best!

-Joe

What Do The Pink Pony and Duff Tweed Have In Common?

2011-04-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

Batter up!

Here's the pitch:
What does the Pink Pony restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ have in common with Duff Tweed?

Swing, hit and it's a home run! This truly is a home run.
So often we attribute names and hunches to the pieces Duff has carved unless they are noted on the back of his carvings.

Now, as Duffy collectors know, we refer to the carving as "Double Jigger Jack Grant", however the Pink Pony auction in 2010 identified this carving as Charlie Briley. Charlie is the common thread between the Pink Pony and Duff Tweed. It's possible Charlie and his wife Gwen owned this carving along with a set of the Slaughterhouse Four that both sold in auction, but this presents a wonderful opportunity to share some history about a very neat baseball steakhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona and the owners; Charlie and Gwen Briley.

The Pink Pony: Yesterday and Today

The Pink Pony Steakhouse in Old Town Scottsdale is still welcoming spring training fans and hungry people world wide into what Sports Illustrated called, "the most famous baseball bar in the civilized world". " When Charlie bought it back in 50', Dizzy Dean was a good friend", says Gwen Briley, Charlie's wife of 30 odd years, and the proprietress of the Pony since Charlie's passing in 2002. " Pretty soon, all of Dizzy's baseball buddies were hangin' out. Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Joe DiMaggio,Roger Hornsby, Willie Mays. You name em' & they were here." Billy Martin promised Charlie never to fight in the Pony, or at least start one.They still tell the story of the night Five Hall of Famers, Mantle, Lemmon, Mathews, Boudreau, and Banks were all in having dinner. Players were traded; league commissioners would gather, Gene Autry had his own booth, called the Millionaires Booth. It still remains the most requested spot in the house. When you enter the Pink Pony, you literally walk into history. Home plate from the original Scottsdale Stadium hangs on the wall. Charlie, and a few friends, put up the money, and the land to build it, then donated it to the City. He bought the first Ambulance for Scottsdale. He was quite the character. And that Character lives on. Little has changed. Little has to. The Pink Pony was named a Historical Landmark in 2004. The other reason to come to the Pink Pony Steakhouse is that it features a large menu including Prime Rib, Chicken, Fish, Pasta, Chops, Lobster - you name it. Prices range from $12. to $60. Great cocktails and a Fine Wine list. Ask the bartender about the famous bat collection behind the bar.

Scottsdale's oldest restaurant, the Pink Pony, closes August 2009

Gwen spent half of her life in the Scottsdale steakhouse. Her husband, Charlie, started it 60 years ago and nurtured the Pony into what New Yorker writer Roger Angell called "the best baseball restaurant in the land."

A lot of the old-school baseball guys who used to visit, from Dizzy Dean to Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin, are long gone. Charlie died in 2002.

Charlie Briley, owner of the Pink Pony restaurant, and Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean

Charlie Briley with Carl Yastrzemski at Fenway Park in the early 1960s.

Gwen, 76, carried on the tradition with her son, bartender "Downtown" Kenny Brown, and her husband of three years, entertainer Steve York. But the world, and baseball, have changed.

Baseball is big business. Places like the Pony seem like relics in an age of $100 million spring-training complexes.

"The players don't come in anymore," Gwen said. "They go to the yuppie places."

Battered by the recession and an especially slow summer, she closed the Pony a week ago and put the building up for sale.

"At our grand finale, the whole place was crying, crying and drinking," Gwen said.

Scores of big-name Valley restaurants have taken it on the chin in the deep economic slump. But the Pony's demise stands out because of its longevity and its place in the history of Cactus League baseball.

Charlie Briley and the Pink Pony, which was Scottsdale's oldest restaurant, provided the watering hole for fans, players, coaches, team executives and scouts. It was a place where trade proposals were sketched out on cocktail napkins and baseball talk went on until last call.

Briley's baseball connections started in the 1940s with Del Webb, a New York Yankees owner, who went on to build Sun City.

"Dizzy Dean used to go quail hunting with Charlie all the time," Gwen said. "Dizzy got all the baseball guys to come into the Pony."

Claudia Ogden, with some investment money from Webb, opened the Pink Pony in 1949, according to a Scottsdale Historic Register report on the restaurant. Ogden consulted with artist Lew Davis, who created the restaurant's name and created the pink logos.

Charlie was the Pony's first bartender. He bought it from Ogden in 1950.

Ponying up

In 1955, Charlie and other Scottsdale business leaders came up with $56,000 to build a wooden baseball stadium a mile from the restaurant for the Baltimore Orioles and a succession of other teams.

"He was absolutely one of the select few people responsible for spring training in Arizona and what it's grown into," said Don Carson, owner of Don & Charlie's, another Scottsdale spring-training hangout. "I'm saddened that it closed," he said of the Pony.

Mickey Morabito, the Oakland Athletics traveling secretary, called it the end of an era: "Places like that aren't opening up anymore." On his first Arizona trip in 1980 to join the A's, Morabito was taken straight from the airport to the Pink Pony. "Billy Martin was having dinner and holding court in a booth," Morabito said of the A's manager. "He liked to keep an eye on everything that was going on."

Dark bar, 9 stools

The Pony was a dark bar, an icy martini and good steak.

Framed jerseys, photos and cartoon caricatures of baseball greats fill the walls. There are 19 black booths, nine barstools and a copper moonshine still that Briley got from a judge in his native state of Kentucky.

On the back bar is a collection of Louisville Slugger bats signed by players on every World Series team from 1972 to 1997.

Some of the cartoons, drawn by Disney artist Don Barkley, have been given either to the people who posed for them or to their families, Gwen said.

The rest of the Pony's baseball collection, including home plate from the original Scottsdale Stadium, will be appraised and sold.

The 8,242-square-foot restaurant has been valued at $3.25 million. Gwen said she has talked to potential buyers and hopes someone will step up to the plate to take over the restaurant and possibly operate it as the Pink Pony.

In the meantime, the Pony's 35 employees are out of work. That includes longtime chefs Silvio and Alberto Flores, who are brothers, and Jesus Perez, a busboy for the past 16 years.

Gwen said she is sad to give it all up, even though it's been a struggle in recent years.

"Charlie told me he was going to make me a lady of leisure when he married me," she said.

"I never worked so damn hard in my life." But it has had its rewards. "It's been a blast," she said.

"I'm grateful for every moment I've spent here."

Whether the carving is actually called Double Jigger Jack Grant or Charlie Briley is of no consequence. This is a worthwhile story with some nice baseball and a little Disney history too! This restaurant represents the time, the era and the feel of what life was like 50 years ago. It also tells us Duff spent some time in Arizona as the Slaughterhouse Four band also originated out of Mesa, Arizona.

Slaughterhouse Four carvings by Duff Tweed

Just wanted to add one more picture of Charlie along with two of his Rotary counterparts. Combined they represented 120 years of "service above self" for the Rotary Club. Impressive!

Ralston Pond - Dwight Thomas - Charlie Briley

Charlie was quite a guy and I would not be surprised one bit if Duff had decided to make a caricature carving of him.

We found all this to be quite interesting. We hope you enjoyed it too!

Until next time, keep your eyes open for those hidden Duffy treasures. They're there, you just have to be paying attention.

All the best!

-Joe

Roy Rogers' owned Slaughterhouse Four auctioned for $1,500 at Live Auctioneers.com April 9, 2011

2011-04-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

Howdy Partners and Fellow Collectors . . .

This week Duff Tweed's Slaughterhouse Four carvings sold in auction for $1,500 or $375 per carving! Due to the fact that this particular set was previously owned by Roy Rogers, we believe the higher sale price was in large part attributed to his ownership. Keep in mind there are additional fees associated with purchasing through an auction house, so the final cost to the new owner is considerably greater than $1,500 in total, not including shipping

Here's what the auction house had to say on this set of four Duff Tweed carvings:

Roy Rogers' Set of 4 Duff Tweed Carvings RR

Lot #357 Sold For $1,500 – April 9, 2011

Live Auctioneers.com

"Slaughterhouse 4" carvings By Duff Tweed for Roy Rogers Personally, One Has a Handwritten Letter Describing the Characters Carved From Real Life Characters From Mesa Arizona, Slim Reese, Old Dad Peterson, Fat Henderson and Jack Harris. Each measures 20" x 26". Were displayed with Roy's guitar collection in the museum.

If you would like to go see the auction results and additional pictures of Roy Rogers' Slaughterhouse Four, click here: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/8796271# You will have to sign up at Live Auctioneers.com, but it’s free! Not sure how long they will keep the auction results with pictures posted, but we did capture one picture above of the set Roy Rogers previously owned.

It is very exciting for us and I am sure for all Duff Tweed carvings collectors to see increasing values on these wonderful treasures. The fact that the set of four was personally dedicated to Roy Rogers by Duff Tweed only adds to its intrinsic and monetary value.

We and the collectors we know, collect Tweed's carvings because we love Duff's work and not for some future monetary payoff, although the fact that they have been selling for more only confirms the quality of his artistry.

If I were reading this entry, I would be asking myself, did Duff Tweed Carvings bid on the set? Our answer is, No. We already own two full sets of the Slaughterhouse Four. A fellow collector previously mentioned in this blog (Rust Trap Ranch) placed a strong bid for the set and we did not wish to compete with that friend. It was Rust Trap who originally alerted us to this auction. We felt he should be given every opportunity to add them to his collection.

We would like to congratulate the winner/new owner of the Slaughterhouse Four carvings and welcome you to write to us and share. That's what we do here, so please accept our humble invitation.

In closing, it has come to our attention that some of the new readers of the Duff Tweed blog didn't realize they could go back and read all the old posts. Just click a year and all the previous posts display by month written. Please do so in your free time as we have shared history, pictures, past sales prices on Duff's carvings and more.

It's warming up out there, so hope you're all getting out and enjoying Spring 2011!

All the best!

-Joe

Duff Tweed Carvings Auctioned on Ebay - 2-13-11 - Wall Street Hobo's and High Roller

2011-02-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Presidents Day Weekend 2011!

We're back with three auctions that all ended on Ebay on February 13, 2011.

A fellow Southern California collector and friend purchased the first two carvings and we at Duff Tweed Carvings were fortunate enough to have purchased the third which was a brand new addition to the collection.

First, let's share what my friend at the Rust Trap Ranch added to his collection. The first piece to sell was Duff Tweed's Wall Street Hobo with Glasses dated April 6, 1972. We own the same hobo without the glasses. Really think the glasses are a nice touch. Great expression too!!!

We also really appreciate the background he chose for this carving. Very similar to that of Duff Tweed's Limited Edition of "The Cheater" (Cheating golfer limited to a set of 100)

Duff did sign and include "Pasadena" on this one (as he did most of the time), but what makes this particular carving more special is...

... he signed and dedicated the piece on the back to the buyer which reads:

April 6, 72

Dear Dick:

I am happy you are able to give this character a home!

Thank you for your appreciation.

Sincerely,

Duff Tweed

Please keep in touch.

257 East Belhouse Drive (hard to read)

Pasa.

669-8581

INFO ON THE EBAY AUCTION: 4 BIDDERS - 10 BIDS - SOLD FOR $128.50 + $16.99 s&h.

Here are a couple of more pictures from different angles:

---D---U---F---F--- ---T---W---E---E---D--- ---C---A---R---V---I---N---G---S---

The second carving added to the Rust Trap Ranch was Duff Tweed's Wall Street Hobo-Investor. We also have this piece in our collection, but up until now, we haven't differentiated the names between each different carving. The Ebay seller Southtexaspicker, came up with "investor" and we think it suits the carving and expression well. . .

He doesn't look too happy with his investments. Something we could all relate to a year ago! Now we're at a

historic high with the Dow at 12,391 and climbing.

We did note there is some damage to this piece as the nose looks as if it has been scraped and it appears there is a crack through the right side of the carvings face. The piece still looks great though.

Once again we have the good 'ol "Duff Tweed - Pasadena" signed in the lower left along with the same great background normally seen in the Limited Edition series.

Finally, we have yet another dedication from Duff to the buyer of this wonderful hobo carving:

The dedication reads as follows:

March 17, 1981

(Hey, that's St. Patrick's Day and we know Duff liked to sip his gin!)

Dear Paul,

Glad you can give this character a home!

Sincerely,

Duff Tweed

P.S. Thanks for your appreciation!

INFO ON THE EBAY AUCTION: 4 BIDDERS - 10 BIDS - SOLD FOR $137 + $16.99 s&h.

Congratulations are due to the Rust Trap Ranch. He committed, bid and hung in there until the end. We have noticed the prices starting to inch up on these carvings. Let's hope it's a trend of new collectors discovering Duff's talent!

THE MORE, THE MERRIER!

---D---U---F---F--- ---T---W---E---E---D--- ---C---A---R---V---I---N---G---S---

Now for the third and final carving auctioned that day on Ebay. . .

We were fortunate enough to add this carving to the Duff Tweed Collection. The seller on Ebay listed it as The Low Bidder and the frame on which it sits is titled the same. However, this carving is not the Low Bidder. It is called the High Roller. Not sure if it was placed onto a different frame and background by a previous owner or if Duff simply named it as such for this particular carving. In any event, we are thrilled to have this new addition to the collection.

Looks like he literally bet everything including the shirt off his back. He doesn't look to happy, but we're happy to have him. He's in excellent shape too!

As you can see below he is clearly named "THE LOW BIDDER!" and is signed by Duff Tweed with his patented "Pasadena" added for good measure.

While it was very exciting to add a new carving to the collection, this is also the very first carving which has a Disney character (Donald Duck) drawn on the back of the piece along with Duff's dedication to the seller. These pieces with such Disney character drawings typically sell for higher prices as the artwork increases the value of the piece.

The back of the piece reads:

March 17, 1981

Dear Mike:

Thank you,

Duff Tweed

449-8581

INFO ON THE EBAY AUCTION: 4 BIDDERS - 14 BIDS - SOLD FOR $139.50 + $16.99 s&h.

It appears Mr. Tweed was quite busy on St. Patrick's Day 1981! Wish I had the opportunity to have bought him a few drinks!!!

Cheers to Duff and may you all be keeping warm and dry this nasty winter season. Yes, even us in Southern California have heavy rain and cold temperatures this week.

All the best!

-Joe

1-1-11 or Two! I Say Two! - Duff Tweed "damaged" Hobos

2011-01-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! May you have health, wealth and happiness this year and always!

2011 is here and so are two hobos new to this collection.

We intended this post to be the last in 2010, but instead it is the 1st on 1-1-11. Has a better ring to it!

For starters, we always give credit where it's due. The expression, "Two, I say two!" is my mother-in-laws saying. When I first met her she used the expression all the time. Years ago we took my wife's mother shopping for a gift. She chose a nice looking purse/handbag. While getting ready to pay I notice there were two purses at the register. So I asked my wife about them and my mother-in-law sings out "Two, I say twoooooo.". We all laughed out loud! I've learned many things in life and one of them is, "never argue with your wife's side of the family" (that's her privilege). Needless to say, the saying became a family favorite.

So now we have two, I say two hobos carved by Duff Tweed. Each has sustained damage, but since both were new additions to the Duff Tweed Carvings collection, we happily purchased them. These came to us from Ken B. in Oklahoma. He actually purchased three Duff Tweed carved hobos that came stacked in a dirty wood box at an estate sale for $5.00 total. Those amazing deals are out there and they appear to be all over the United States and Canada. We purchased two of the three hobos as we already owned the third one. That third hobo was also damaged and sold on Ebay for approximately $15.50 plus shipping and handling. We paid ALOT more for the two we purchased, but there's a price to pay when building a collection. This makes over thirty unique carvings that now exist in the collection.

Below is what we're calling the Hungry Hobo. His right hand shows damage to his fingers. The rest of the carving is in perfect shape. His left hand is on his stomach and he is crying out. He could also be swearing his promise to someone as he has his hand in the air. At least that's what we see! These appear to be earlier Duff Tweed carvings.

Nice tongue and tooth below!

Next we have the "I Ain't Got No Money Hobo". It looks like he was asked for money, he didn't have any to give and someone took a chisel to his face. It's a real shame, but you can still get a great sense of how this pieced looked in it's original form. We took one look at him and heard David Lee Roth singing,

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I ain't got nobody"...

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm soooo sad and lonely!"

We feel extremely fortunate to have been able to have added these two Duff Tweed Hobo carvings to the collection. A big sincere thank you goes out to Ken in OK!!! Thank you for your contribution to the collection!

For those who are curious about the third damaged hobo which sold on Ebay in December 2010 for $15.50, here's a couple of pictures below:

Really hope the buyer of this Duff Tweed enjoys him. It was the only one of the three carvings signed by Duff and had his home address and phone number on the back.

We're looking forward to a wonderful year full of new collectors, stories and of course additional Duff Tweed carvings!

All the best!

-Joe

Duff Tweed's Three Golfers Sold on Ebay - Short and Sweet

2010-12-26T16:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to all. Hope you have enjoyed them.

Feeling a bit tired and lazy after Christmas, but wanted to share a recent sale of a signed and dated 1964 set of three carved golfers by Duff Tweed. One of the cleanest sets we have seen!

The seven day auction on Ebay ended December 22, 2010 for a total of $161.50 plus shipping. There were four bidders who placed a total of 10 bids. The carving was sold out of San Diego, CA. Duff Tweed Carvings did not bid on this set as we own several and really wanted to see another collector end up with this set of three golfers.

Below is a picture of the set copied from the Ebay listing:

This set is done in Duff's classic colors and looks to be extremely well cared for. It even has both original wood golf clubs which are missing from many sets.

Please come back soon and see our latest and greatest find. We are waiting to receive two Hobo carvings NEVER SEEN IN THIS BLOG. One has significant damage to the face while the other has some small damage to his hand, but they're new to us!

We're always excited to share new Duff Tweed carvings as we discover them and would happily welcome your finds and stories!

See you soon!

All the best!

-Joe

Quest for the Best: Duff Tweed's Double Jigger Jack Grant - Sue the Bastards - The Low Bidder

2010-11-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome back! Yes, we've been busy at Duff Tweed Carvings and have three new carvings to share. All three carvings are compliments of Alex in Downey, California. Alex purchased these three pieces directly from Duff Tweed in 1968 and shares the following:

I bought them from Duff in 1968 in Pasadena and they have been in storage ever since. I remember he had several for sale that day and I asked him which were his favorites and why. He pointed to these and when I asked why,he answered "because their faces tell it all". I bought them immediately. Unfortunately I moved around the country for a while and never had a worthy place to display them.

-Alex

First we have Double Jigger Jack Grant in a really cool black and red jacket.

Jack loves is hootch and in this carving he is drinking Old Mule.

Look at how clean and pristine this carving is. Alex took great care of all three carvings.

Here are two other carvings of Double Jigger Jack Grant for comparison purposes:

Next we are proud to share Sue The Bastards. Good things come to those who wait! We had watched this item sell about a year ago on Ebay and regretted having not bid on it. Then like magic, it appeared.

Alex informed us that while there are many golfer sets carved by Duff Tweed, Sue the Bastards was carved in a much lower number of editions. As with all Duff Tweed carvings, we're not sure how many Duff created in his lifetime, but owners and collectors are getting a pretty good idea over time.

I wouldn't want to mess with this guy! Below is a close-up.

Last, but certainly not least is The Low Bidder. We have another low bidder/hobo carving, but it is not titled. Additionally we watched one sell on Ebay earlier this year. We'll post pictures of each below.

What a great paint job! You have to appreciate Duff's attention to detail. Check out his left foot where his shoe sole is separating.

Pictured below are all three Low Bidders.

We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Alex in Downey for caring so well for these pieces for all these years. Additionally a big THANK YOU is in order for his willingness to share what he learned about Duff Tweed and for allowing us to add his special carvings to the collection.

THANK YOU ALEX, it was a pleasure meeting you!!!

We'll be back soon with more Duffalicous tales!

All the Best!

-Joe

Duff Tweed's personally dedicated "Card Players" - Found in Canada

2010-11-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

On November 12, 2010 Warren in Canada contacted us at Duff Tweed Carvings. He shared a second set of what we had previously believed to be a one of a kind carving by Duff Tweed. We paid a lot more than Warren did for the set we own and titled it Duff Tweed's Poker Players (Please see previous blog dated July 14, 2010). Warren found his set at the Salvation Army a few days before contacting us for guess how much? We'll tell you at the bottom of this blog, but don't jump ahead as there is too much good Duff stuff in between!

Since Warren was kind enough to contact us to share his great find, we have named this blog "Card Player's" as he so aptly titled them. In this manner we may differentiate his piece from ours for description purposes. It will also make it easier for Warren to share his piece with the world!

What we first appreciated about Warren's set of Duff Tweed's Card Players was how clean it was. The characters, frame and background look extremely clean. However, this piece is signed '83 which is three years before Mr. Tweed's passing, and much later than all the other pieces we have shared in this blog.

Warren's piece looks extremely similar to the one in our Duff Tweed collection, but as you look closely you'll notice slight differences in the carves that form expression as well as the obvious differences in the painting. The table cloth looks to be a different color as well.

Pictured above is Poker Player's and above that is Warren's Card Players for comparison purposes. Warren's set has the green felt table and the Duff Tweed Carvings set has the teal felt.

Here are some close-ups of the carved characters Warren so kindly shared with us:

Just below, Warren shares Duff's dedication to Margie who obviously purchased or was gifted the set of three carvings from Duff in 1983:

Above reads as:

Nov 83

Dear Margie - You and Pat made my day! - Sincerely Duff Tweed

Really wish we had met Duff before his passing and had the opportunity to have a personally dedicated piece! How cool! Even better, just to sit and talk with the man.

OK, last comments on this piece. We thought it was pretty neat that Duff who was Canadian born actually made this piece in Pasadena, California, but it found it's way back to Canada. Many of us who are collectors wonder just how many pieces did Duff Tweed carve in his lifetime? That answer may always be a mystery to us.

A big shout out and THANK YOU to Warren in Canada for sharing his piece with the world! Warren purchased his Duff Tweed Card Players for $25 at the Salvation Army. Sweet Salvation! Fantastic find Warren! :-)

Keep bringing us your incredible Duffy finds and stories.

Happy Holidays and Happy Duffing!

All the best!

-Joe

You've Gotta Give a Hand to Nikki - Duff Tweed's GunSlinging Cowboy

2010-11-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

It's stories like this that inspired me to create this blog. I always do and will continue to applaud those willing to share.

Recently, I received an email inquiring from what wood were Duff Tweed carvings made. The owner of a Duff Tweed carving went on to explain that they were replacing a hand that had fallen off their Duffy cowboy carving. So I replied pine wood was what Duff used and suggested she might not want to replace the hand as Duff himself would not have carved it. I really thought nothing of it and just went on with my daily routine.

Then, today all the pieces fell into place. Nikki, who had first contacted me about replacing the hand sent pictures today and completed the story, so I couldn't help but share her never seen in this blog Duff Tweed Gunslinging Cowboy. I don't know which is better, the cowboy or the story.

So here's how I learned what had happened.

First email received from Nikki:

Hi.
Wondering if you could answer a question for me?
What type of wood did Duff Tweed carve with?
I have a mounted cowboy (the type that were painted) whose hand fell off. Then my dog ate it.
I want to have another hand carved, and was wondering what wood to use.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
~Nikki

At this point I had not seen the carving and assumed it was one of the members of the Slaughterhouse Four. The part that her dog ate the hand, just made me laugh. I replied to Nikki and waited for a response.

Today I received a response from Nikki:

Hi Joe,

Thanks for your reply; attached are photos of my Duff Tweed Cowboy.

History: Two Duff Tweed carvings hung in my husband's bedroom as a child when his family lived in Palos Verdes in the early 1970s. This is where they were purchased. His brother currently has the other one. Bummer about the hand. I'm going to have a new one carved so he's complete. It's nice that the piece does not need to be glued on, it simply slips onto the little post in his arm.
Great blog!

Nikki replied once again after I asked her permission to tell her story. Her dog's name is Rex, and he is an 11 year old black lab. Gives new meaning to the saying, "Never bite the hand that feeds you". I wonder how many years Rex sat there watching that hand dangle til it fell off and he ate it? Sweet victory for Rex; not so much for Duff *laugh*. Rex is now part lab and part Duff Tweed carving as there is no way all that wood came out and will be auctioned on Ebay starting at $99.99 plus shipping and handling. No, seriously, Rex is fine!

Now for the part I know all you collector's have been waiting for, here's Duff Tweed's Gunslinging Cowboy. At least that's what we're calling him until we learn otherwise. :-)

He is way cool! Nikki, thank you for sharing. It's greatly appreciated. UPDATE: This evening I was informed by a previous seller of Duff Tweed carvings that this cowboy was originally designed for Gene Autry. This is one of Mr. Tweeds versions of this carving as he hand carved multiples of most of his wonderful characters.

Hope you enjoyed this newest posting to the Duff Tweed collection and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

All the best!

-Joe

Will the real Jack Harris step forward? - Comparing Duff Tweed Carvings

2010-10-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

Happy October Folks! Halloween is quickly approaching. How time does go by. . .

It's been a great year for the Duff Tweed Carvings collection. This year we introduced you to approximately 26 or so unique Duff Tweed carvings. While admiring the collection, I always take the time to look at the differences in duplicate carvings done by Duff. No two are ever exactly the same. Since the Slaughterhouse Four seems to be such a popular set and theme for Duff Tweed collectors, today you have the opportunity to look at three carvings of the same figure, "Jack Harris" and see the noticable and subtle differences in each carving.

This is the Jack Harris carved in 1950. Besides the cigarette unique to this carving, there are additional ink applications for eye, moustache and sideburns. This Jack Harris' face even looks wider than the next two that follow. He is the most different Jack Harris I have seen to date. Look closely and you'll notice many differences in individual carves between this one and the next two.

This version of Jack is the darkest of the three. He came with a set of the Slaughterhouse Four with three characters on one frame and the final carved character on his own frame. This one and the Jack Harris below look most similar to one another. As you look closely though, you'll see differences in chins, eyes, suspender strap, scarf knots and more.

This version of Duff Tweed's Jack Harris carving came from a set of the Slaughterhouse Four which were all individually famed on worm wood frames. They are smoother than the other ones I have seen. Note the differences from the previous two carvings shown. They look similar, but are not identical.

Take a look below and please compare for yourself:

I could continue to point out every difference from carving to carving, but I think some of the fun in looking at Duff Tweed carvings is finding those differences on your own.

Happy Fall 2010! Wishing you all the best!

-Joe

Ebay Auction: Duff Tweed's Jack Harris – World Champion Bronco Buster and member of the Slaughterhouse Four

2010-10-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

You don’t know Jack?

This Duff Tweed carving of Jack Harris sold on Ebay in auction on October 2, 2010 for $190.50 plus shipping. We captured the pictures below from the sellers listing while it was still active on Ebay. There were a total of 7 bidders who made a total of 14 bids! $190 is normally a very good price for a piece that was damaged and covered in white paint specks. However, this piece is actually pretty unique.

Looking below you can see good ‘ol Jack Harris is sporting a moustache, sideburns and even has a cigarette in his mouth. If you go back and look at all the other carvings of Jack Harris in the Slaughterhouse Four, he does not have a cigarette or any markings.

At first, I suspected someone had played around with this carving, but the cigarette looks authentic and I think Duff was having a good time working on this carving.

The seller noted previous damage as follows: “He has some paint specks on his face, he is dusty, he is missing a small amount of his scarf which stuck out past his shoulder also his right arm has been repaired quite well at one time (re-glued).”

Now, normally one of these would sell for $100 according to recent sales, but this one holds some other unique qualities. The back of this one is signed “Duff Tweed 1950”, making this one of his very early Slaughterhouse Four carvings. I almost wonder if it’s the first.

In addition to the dated “1950” signature, this carving shows wood grain I haven’t seen in any other Duff Tweed carving. Take a close look below at the grain of the wood in the left leg of Jack Harris. It’s difficult to tell if it’s the grain of the wood or if it’s the paintbrush strokes from a shellac or preservative.

What I actually noticed first, but am mentioning last was Jack’s suspenders, chaffs, and boots were all done in a darker color/stain, once again unique to this particular Duff Tweed carving of Jack Harris, World Champion Bronco Buster and member of the Slaughterhouse Four from Mesa, Arizona.

Hope you enjoyed seeing one of Duff’s earlier carvings in what now seems to be a very popular area of interest for collectors, Cowboys and Bull Riders of the West.

All the best!
-Joe

Duff Tweed takes the Bull by the Horns - New Addition - Cowboys and Bull Carving

2010-09-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Howdy Partners!

We have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this Western style set of three carvings by Duff Tweed. Without an official name for this piece from good 'ol Sheriff Duff, we're calling it "Taking The Bull by the Horns". If and when we officially get a name for this piece, we'll correct it. Please read all the way to the end of this post as it contains a retyped letter I received from the family who sold this piece and added it to our collection. It tells the story of how their family acquired the carvings.

There is so much to share about this piece, where does one start? OK, first and foremost, we have never seen this piece before so until we hear otherwise we'll assume it was made in a very limited edition or is a one-of-a-kind. Next, it is signed "DUFF TWEED 63" which is now the second piece in the collection with "'63" noted on the piece. Even better, he signed it in green which we have never seen until today. See below:

The action conveyed in this set is just fantastic. The bull is literally crushing the foot of the cowboy holding his horns and the other cowboy has just taken a kick to the head. Below are three close-ups so you can see and appreciate their expressions (and pain).

Now for the letter from Mike and LeAnn in "Western" hehe, New York:

Dear Joe,

Thanks for your purchase of the Duff Tweed "picture" carving of the two cowboys and kicking cow.

Here is the best understanding of the way we arrived at owning the piece.

Sylvia Jones' father-in-law, Alan Jones was the owner of the artwork. He went to Texas in his younger days and rode with the Texas Rangers. Then, later he traveled to California. He got married to June in 1953. He either bought the Tweed at that time, or may have received it for a gift.

He found Duff Tweed to be an engaging artist, and liked the comical, cartoon nature of this piece. He liked it well enough to display it in his family room for many years. It is certainly a unique work.

We have owned the piece (Mike and LeAnn - the sellers) since Alan passed on many years ago. We liked the work as well and hung it in our son's room where the whole room had a cowboy/western theme.

Our young son is now grown up, and turning 24. He no longer wants the Duff Tweed in his room, and we have been forced to down size. This piece is now yours. Please enjoy it, display it, and share the comical joy it has brought us these many years.

Blessings on you and keep looking up!

Sincerely,

Michael and LeAnn

Thank you Michael and LeAnn (and your son) for allowing us to share this piece with the world. Additionally, thank you for your kind words! I feel this carving is one of the most exceptional Duff Tweed carvings I have seen and will greatly appreciate it's presence for decades to come. I have already shown it to several friends and family members who just fell in love with it!
THANK YOU!

After receiving, photographing and hanging the carving, I got into a cowboy kinda mood, so here's a quick joke to close out todays post.

A guy decides to try bull riding, even though he has had no lessons or prior experience. He mounts the bull unassisted & the bull immediately springs into motion. It runs along at a jerky pace, but the guy begins to slip from the saddle. In terror, he grabs for the bull's horns, but cannot seem to get a firm grip. He tries to throw his arms around the bull's neck, but he slides down the side of the bull anyway. The bull runs along, seemingly impervious to its slipping rider. Finally, giving up his frail grip, he leaps away from the bull to try & throw himself to safety. Unfortunately, his foot has become entangled in the stirrup & he is now at the mercy of the bull's pounding hooves as his head is struck against the ground again & again. As his head is battered against the ground, he is mere moments away from unconsciousness when........

the puzzled Wal-Mart manager runs out to shut the bull off.

Hope you enjoyed this post of what is truly one of Duff Tweeds best carvings. I guess I'm partial to all of them, but this one speaks volumes without saying a word, as all Duff's works do.

All the best!
-Joe

Duff Tweed - Three Golfers with Wood Golf Clubs - Latest Addition to the collection

2010-09-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

Hello again and welcome to new readers.

I had no idea I would be writing so soon after just posting "Damn I'm Good", Duff Tweed's Tennis Player carving, to share the latest addition to the Duff Tweed carvings collection. September 2010 has been our busiest month ever! We have no idea how it will end, but it has certainly started with a bang and shows no signs of slowing down.

Two days ago was my first contact with Dan in Los Alamitos, California. Dan acquired this Duff Tweed set of three golfers about one year ago. While working with a friend to clear out an apartment he was asked to get rid of a bunch of items and believe it or not, one of those items was this set of three Duffalicious carvings. Dan immediately took a liking to it and recognized the skill that went into creating these wonderful golfers. We talked today and he was kind enough to allow me to purchase and include it in the collecton. Thanks Dan . . . really appreciate having this one in the collection and here's why.

First, check out these guys and the great vintage paint job on them (below). If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know I appreciate all the different paint jobs performed on each carving and definitely appreciate finding them with multiple color schemes for sets of three. After cleaning these up with a damp rag, the paint showed its original luster.

What got me even more excited (and I payed extra for) was the fact that this is the first set of golfers in our collection that are actually holding woods. All our other Duff Tweed carved sets of golfers have them holding irons.

Next, while Duff did sign many of his pieces, he did not date them all. This is the first piece in our collection to show "63" representing the year 1963. It's actually pretty faint in the picture above (between the two golfers on the right), but I captured and enlarged it below.

I find the further you sit away from your computer screen, the better your eyes focus on this signature.

Now here's a few close-ups of Duff Tweed's three golfers from this set.

Hope you enjoyed your visit today and that we'll be seeing you again soon.

If you get a chace, come back tomorrow or Saturday and I'll have a brand new, never seen before (at least not here) Duff Tweed western style carving. Don't want to ruin the surprise, so you'll just have to come back.

All the best!
-Joe

Tennis Anyone? - Duff Tweed's "Damn I'm Good" - Limited Edition 2 of 100

2010-09-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

September has certainly shaped up to be Duff Tweed month at Duff Tweed Carvings!

Our previous post mentioned we expected to receive several carvings new to the collection.

Today we received a Duff Tweed carved tennis player affectionately titled "Damn I'm Good" which is a carving of the happiest tennis player on earth. Take a look below and let me know what you think:

Besides being a really cool carving, he is number 2 of 100 which is also a plus! Below is the plate from this frame:

Here's the funny or interesting part of this story. I received this carving from Kristopher in Florida. This is the first carving I have seen come out of Florida, but as you know if you have been reading this blog, they come from all over the United States. Here's the funny part, Kris paid $2.75 plus tax for this carving, framed in this wonderful condition. Kris has spent many years in the antiques business and spotted the carving at a thrift store and snatched it up. He then did his research, found me and made 50 times his money. I'm thrilled to have this piece and so happy Kris realized what may be the largest percentage gain he has ever made on a sale. So get out to those thrift stores and see if you can find any of Duff's work. As you can see, I do not care what you paid for it and am happy to pay the going rate!

Make sure to come back and visit again in about a week or so. I am receiving what I consider to be one of the coolest Duff Tweed carving I have ever seen. All I'll say now is that it is in a western style.

Have a great week!

All the best!

-Joe

New Duff Tweed Carvings - "Damn I'm Good" (tennis player) - Yachtsman with Flags - Wall Street Journal Hobo

2010-09-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

This is double posting day!

Greetings once again. After completing the earlier post today on the second set of the Slaughterhouse Four, I stepped out my front door to see three brand new carvings had just arrived. I was supposed to go out golfing, but I am too excited and had to share these with you immediately!

These came from Ed in Napa, California. Ed has to be the quickest deal maker and shipper out there. My first contact came from him three days ago and the carvings are already here. Kudos to Ed for selling them to me and for being a true stand up guy! Ed, you're the man!!!

Ed is also the man because each carving is a brand new one added to the collection. That is, I did not own any of these until today! I am so thankful.

First we have one I thought I owned, but had not seen a picture of it from Ed. He described it as a Hobo with the Wall Street Journal. Since I do not know Duff Tweed's name for this carving, we're calling it Wall Street Journal Hobo. (how original, eh?) This carving is the cool of cool, now one of my favorites!

Similar to "The Cheater" Duff inserted paper behind the carving instead of linen. In this case he pieced together cuttings from the Wall Street Journal dated April 10th and 11th, 1973.

Next I am proud to share what we're calling the "Yachtsman with Flags". Yeah, I know, how original once again, but when I learn the true names for these, I'll update them properly in this blog. This carving was most likely part of a series which included another carving of a man holding a life preserver ring previously posted in this blog. Boy, does he look happy!!!

Last, but certainly not least is "Damn I'm Good" which is a Duff Tweed carving of a tennis player. I have another one of these on its way which I actually have a great story to share from the seller, Kris. I'll share that story in a future post when the other carving arrives.

Thanks for taking the time to view these. Really hope you enjoyed them. As always, your Tweed stories and Duffy pictures are most welcomed and appreciated.

All the best!
-Joe

Duff Tweed's Slaughterhouse Four are back! Plus another "The Cheater" and introducing "The High Roller"

2010-09-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to photographing a second set of the Slaughterhouse Four which was recently added to the collection. These interestingly enough come in a three and one combination. That is, three of the carvings sit on one frame and the fourth (fiddler w/original bow) sits on his own frame. They are darker in color than the four I already have in wormwood frames and all four including frames appear to be carved in pine wood.

These made the trip across the United States compliments of Noah in Brooklyn, NY. My father was kind enough to drive into the city, pick them up and ship them to me as well. Big shout out to DAD:

"Thanks Poppy, couldn't have done it without you!".

As I have continued to collect and meet other Duff Tweed collectors, it's obvious Duff carved most of his adult life. Many of his carvings come with plaques stating they are limited editions of 100 carvings. However, I strongly suspect that Duff never actualy completed 100 of each carving. This happens in many aspects of art, for example where a sculptor will state they have made #1 of 20, but in the end only 6 or so exist. The reason I believe this to be true is the fact that most of the limited editions I see are numbers 1 through 15 of 100. I haven't found any higher numbers of the editions, but will be looking more carefully in the future. If you're reading this and know of higher numbered editions, please write to me and I will thankfully include your information in this blog.

OK, now for some more fun. I have seven new Duff Tweed carvings on their way here. Hopefully they'll be safe in the mail and I can share them with you soon. Four of them have never been seen in this blog and one previously shown here will now be added to this collection.

Additionally, I received two photos of carvings from Kristi in Texas which I offered to purchase, but suspect the family has decided to keep them.

"The Cheater" (golfer) which is already posted to this blog is pictured again below.

The other is of a carving called "The High Roller" which is of a naked man in a barrel. Guess he lost it all! You can see it in his face!

I do not own The High Roller, so I was very excited to get this picture of it to include in the blog. Hopefully the family will allow me to add it to the collection.

Well, I do declare I have said a mouthful here today. So look forward to coming back and sharing some of those new Duffalicious carvings with you as they come in.

All the best!

-Joe

Duff Tweed Figures just sold September 4, 2010 - Slaughterhouse Four & Double Jigger Jack Grant

2010-09-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

Happy September 2010! Hope you had a great summer!

Well, I thought I'd have more to share over the past month, but people have been so busy this summer. Let's hope the economy follows suit. On a hunch, I tried searching Duff Tweed carvings on the internet and saw I was three days late for an auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona. They auctioned not one, but two Duff Tweed framed carvings. I was fortunate enough to capture the pictures of the actual carvings sold and was subsequently quoted the sale prices for each. I will share the pictures and prices paid below.

First we have the ever familiar and popular Slaughterhouse Four. This particular set of four are all on one single frame. Through my research I have been led to believe that there were only two Slaughterhouse Four sets of carvings affixed to one frame, but that there are many more Slaughterhouse Four carvings in existence. I now believe there are more than two sets of the four carvings hung on one single frame. I can verify the existence of at least 6 individual sets of the Slaughterhouse Four carvings, two of which I own. I'll share the second set I just purchased in the next blog post.

Here's a picture of the Slaughterhouse Four that just sold on September 4, 2010:

The person who purchased these, got the deal of the decade. The auction house reported that this set of the Slaughterhouse Four sold for $375. Although I thought the price was low, it is right in line with my quotes of $75-$125 per carving.

Next we have Double Jigger Jack Grant. I really would have liked to have picked this one up as he is once again painted in significantly different colors from the one I own. However, it is important that multiple collectors exist to create market awareness and demand for these pieces. So, kudos to the lucky winner!

Below on the left is the carving that sold three days ago at auction for $100. On the right is the one I own (for comparison purposes).

If you look closely, you can really see the differences between the two similar carvings. I was recently asked by a friend if Duff actually carved each individual carving or are they duplicates. That question pushed me to closely examine each carving I own. In some cases I own four of the same carved character (Golfers, of course). No two are the same. They look extremely similar at first glance, but as you compare shoes, pants, leg angles, arm angles, facial expressions, hands and clothes, there are unique carves in each. The same holds true for the two sets of the Slaughterhouse Four I have. They are all one of a kinds!

New news: I have been in contact with a potential seller who seems like they will end up keeping their two Duff Tweed carvings, but I would like to share them with you in a future post. So be on the look out for "The Cheater" and "The High Roller".

All the best!

-Joe

P.S. UPDATE 9-4-10 : After posting this information I was contacted by James, the grand nephew of Duff Tweed who's family owns many of Duff's works. He confirmed that he owns yet another set of four carvings on one single frame; and yes that set of four is the Slaughterhouse Four. James' set is of course wrapped and protected in bubble plastic. I am hopeful that the Tweed family will share some of their hidden Duffy treasures when they feel it is appropriate. Thank you James for sharing with all of us in Duffyland!

Duff Tweed - Are these Duff's WWII Trench Art carvings?

2010-08-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

To Duff or not to Duff is the question!

In my last post I mentioned a set of six old WWII soldier carvings that I saw on Ebay in early 2010. When communicating with the owner, I learned that they believed they were characters carved by Duff Tweed after they found other carvings by Duff online. I had a difficult time deciding whether or not to purchase them and in the end decided I did not believe them to be Duff Tweed carvings. It was the faces that ultimately made me think these were not Duff's work. However, I have since heard Mr. Tweed did carve soldiers and thought it better to include these pictures in the blog. None of the pieces are signed, but do resemble the Slaughterhouse Four carvings in color and finish.

Below is a picture of "Slim" of the Slaughterhouse Four and a soldier for comparison purposes.

Now you can take a look at the remaining World War II soldiers carved below and judge for yourself. I'd truly appreciate your comments and if you have some knowledge these are authentic Duff Tweed carvings, please feel free to comment at the end of this blog entry or shoot me an email. Thank you!!!

They are neat looking carvings in any event, but for me it's all about the Tweed!

Hoping to have more to share this month. Working on a couple of Duffy deals!
Will share if they come to fruition.

All the best!
-Joe

Another Collector of Duff Tweed Carvings - New to Blog: Tennis Player and Man w/Life Preserver Ring

2010-07-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Hi there, Ho there. . .

Hoping and anticipating August 2010 will be a busy month for Duff Tweed carvings collectors. I have been holding on to the picture below in hopes of a response from Ed (seller of the Poker Players - see post below), but I can only assume he was unable to get in touch with the owner of these great Duff Tweed carvings.

If you are the owner of these and wish to be credited with ownership of these carvings, please write to me and I will ammend this post to include any information you would like to see. I'd love to give you credit for them, especially since you own two carvings (below) I have never seen before. Cool collection!

On the top far left we have "Sue the Bastards" which I have posted previously in this blog, but do not own in my personal collection. We saw one of these sell on Ebay earlier this year.

Then to the top center we have two golfers and a caddy which I do own in both original carvings and resin copies, but not with the wood headed golf club as pictured. You'll notice one player is missing a golf club and the entire set of three is enclosed in plexi-glass. I am assuming the original frame was in a state of disrepair, so the owner had them reframed to protect them from any further damage. They look great!

Then on the top far right we have Double Jigger Jack Grant. I own Jack Grant too, but this jacket appears to painted in retro red and black colors differing from the one I own. Love that jacket!

Now for the two I have never seen.

On the lower left we have a man with a life preserver ring. The piece is signed by Duff Tweed in the lower left corner. I attempted to crop and increase the size of this carving to the left, but it's showing up a little blurry. Gotta love his white and blue striped shirt and matching socks and shoes!

Next we have a really nice decked out tennis player also carved and signed by the man himself, Duff Tweed. I attempted to crop and resize this one too, but it came out more blurry than the picture above. Sorry!

I have heard Duff did many carvings of sports figures and even some carvings related to war. I actually came across a set of trench carvings on Ebay early this year where the owner claimed them to be Duff Tweeds, but after looking at the pictures, did not believe them to be carved by Duff. They did however look more like the Slaughterhouse Four carvings as they were a shiny darker wood, unpainted but with a laquered finish. I kept the pictures of those carvings, so maybe I'll post them in the future and make sure to indicate I do not know their true origin.

So, until the owner contacts me, I am thanking Ed (quack) once again for having shared this picture with us. As I always say, sharing is the key to increasing awareness of these fantastic carvings. They truly are fantastic as they almost seem to come to life before your very eyes. The action portrayed in each piece tells a story all its own. Often I have people interpretting meaning in my pieces. Any piece of art that gets you talking and thinking, is true art!

Happy last day of July 2010! Hoping to share more Duff Tweed finds in August!
Wishing you all the best!
-Joe
P.S. I added link buttons for Google Buzz, Twitter and Facebook along with some others if you wish to share this blog with anyone. Additionally you can now click one of three boxes to share your reactions to the posts: Funny, Interesting or Cool.

Cards Anyone? Duff Tweed's Poker Players - Wood Carved Figures

2010-07-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

This was a pleasant surprise . . .

Yes, another wonderful Ebay find! Luckily for me the item and seller were located in Southern California, so this wood carving was not damaged in shipping. I picked it up less than an hour after paying for it.

One of the aspects I appreciate about collecting Duff Tweed wood carvings is meeting and getting to know the people selling and collecting these obscure items. I say obscure because very few people are aware of Duff Tweed or his carvings, today. We're a pretty select group of people who happen to love this man's work.

I watched two of Duff Tweed's carvings sell on Ebay this year and I still regret having not aggressively bid on them. Both can be found in this blog under previous posts. One was "Sue the Bastards" and the other was "The Low Bidder", so I am thrilled to share this latest Duff Tweed acquisition with you. I love how 3D they appear. They look much better and larger in person.

I picked this one up from Ed in Anaheim, California. A cool, nice guy and a real guy! We're calling it "Poker Players" since it is not titled, but is signed by Duff with his signature "Pasadena" written below. I had read about this carved set of three card players in a Disneyana forum and had written to the owner. When I purchased it this week, we figured out that Ed was the same person to whom I had written.

Ed shared with me that he received several questions on the piece and that each Duff Tweed collector believed it to be a one-of-a-kind. The only real issues with the piece are some water staining to the linen and some poker chips appear to be missing. The carvings are in perfect condition. Each time I purchase one of Duff's wood carved figures, I am amazed at how well they hold up over time.

Below I have taken close-up pictures so you can see and appreciate the expression on each carved figure's face.

Well that's the show for today folks . . . Have a wonderful remainder of July 2010 and hopefully I'll have something new to share in August! Be happy, healthy and safe!
All the best!
-Joe

Newest Addition to the Duff Tweed Family - Chalkware-Resin Caddie

2010-07-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome new bloggies and welcome back to my ever supportive friends and family!

Even though it has been difficult locating Duff Tweed carvings for sale, I managed to stumble upon one of the copies on Ebay this month. I am still unsure of the material they used in these. It appears to be a heavy resin or possibly a ceramic of some sort. While this golf caddie has some small nicks I was so thankful to have found him because he now is one of three resin figures I have that exactly match a set of three Duff Tweed wood carvings I have on one frame.

As you can see below, here is the original set of three wood carved golfers by Duff Tweed. The painting is much different and this one is signed by Duff himself. . .

...and the three below which are the resin copies bear no Duff Tweed signature. So my assumption is Duff must have allowed a company to copy his figures in a resin and then collected a royalty from each sale. The resin figures are really neat because of the retro looking colors they used in the paint job. However, they sell for so inexpensive that I believe they hold little to no monetary value at this time.

As always, your stories, experiences, pictures and anything additional you wish to share would be greatly appreciated. Everyone gets credit for their input and I enjoy immortalizing you in the blog!

One last note: For those collectors who contact me for values on Duff Tweed carvings, I only do so over the phone, so please leave your telephone number when contacting me and I will call you back promptly.

Happy Duffing and have a great July 2010!

Happy Independence Day!

All the best!

-Joe

The Happy Golfer - A Cool Duff Tweed Story

2010-06-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

Have a quick story for you . . .

During my hunt for Duff Tweed carvings, I found a picture of the Happy Golfer carving. I own one, but the head of the golf club on mine has been replaced for the lost original. So I inquired and here was the reply I received:

Hey Joe,
I sold my “Happy Golfer” Tweed carving a couple years ago for $150 bucks to someone from back east. I inherited the carving from my dad who played golf with Duff at Riviera Country Club in LA in the fifties. I realize now that I need to remove the Tweed carving from an old website offering I put up long ago. Yikes! Anyway, You’ve got an original Tweed and there aren’t that many out there, especially the golf themed carvings. He did a lot more cowboy and Indian themed things that are mostly now owned by various private collectors. Good luck and happy “Tweed” hunting!
Later on,
Dick in Northern California

I thanked Dick for his story and shared this blog address with him. He then sent an even better story about Duff and his father. The story relates directly to the acquisition of the Happy Golfer carving.

Hey Joe.
Checked yer website . . . Wow! You’ve found a lot more golf related Tweed carvings than I knew existed, and so cool to re-trace Duff’s history, etc. as well. The folks I’ve corresponded with have mostly been collectors of Tweed’s western themed stuff.

To add a couple more details to the story about my father’s acquisition of the “Happy Golfer” carving. Both Duff and my Father were members of Riviera Country Club (a venue for major golf tournaments then & today as well as a very tough course) during the early fifties thru the early to mid sixties and often played golf together. My father owned a real estate investment company and Duff was a professional artist at Disney. My father was a very good player (3 handicap) and Duff was – well shall we say a “duffer.” According to Pop, they played a round one day and decided to do some betting. Pop gave Duff several strokes and at the end of the round Pop came out on top. Instead of money, Duff offered to give my Dad a golfer carving, which he gladly and happily accepted! This, of course, turned out to be the “Happy Golfer” carving.
Anyway . . . there it is for now. Keep on keepin’ on!

Later,
Dick in Northern California

You have to love the “duffer” comment. I figured Duff had to be a golfer with all the carvings I found related to golf, but it’s wonderful to have confirmation from someone who actually knew him.

I want to extend my sincerest thanks to Dick in northern California for sharing a piece of his and his father’s life with us. Through sharing one of his family’s Duffy experiences, we all benefit from the additional knowledge of this artist whose works and efforts will continue to be appreciated for decades to come.

In honor of Dick and his Dad,
Keep on, keepin' on bringing those Duffalicious tales!

All the best!
-Joe

Duff Tweed - Canadian History at Pickering Plant, 1945

2010-06-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hello again and hope you have enjoyed the Duff Tweed blog thus far. While searching for Duff Tweed carvings and more history about the man, I came across this 65 year old article from the Pickering-Ajax Digital Archive.

Below is some history on the town of Ajax and the Pickering Plant. Following that is the article about Mr. Tweed from the Pickering Plants’ in-house news periodical: The Commando – Ajax, Ontario - June 1945 – Vol. 3 No. 11. Pictured in the article are Duff along with one of his carvings and an additional Duffy carving just beneath.

The town of Ajax is named for the HMS Ajax a Royal Navy cruiser that served in World War II. Ajax is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and the Regional Municipality of Durham.. It is approximately 25 kilometers (16 mi) east of Toronto on the shores of Lake Ontario and is bordered by the city of Pickering to the west and to the north and the Town of Whitby to the east.

Before the Second World War, the territory in which Ajax is situated was a rural part of the township of Pickering. The town itself was first established in 1941 when a Defense Industries Limited (D.I.L.) shell plant was constructed and a township grew around the plant. By 1945 the plant had filled 40 million shells; employed over 9,000 people at peak production; boasted of its own water and sewage treatment plants; a school population of over 600; 50 km (31 mi) of railroad and 50 km (31 mi) of roads. The entire D.I.L. plant site included some 12 km2 (5 sq mi). People came from all over Canada to work at D.I.L.

The burgeoning community received its name in honor of the first significant British naval victory of the war. From December 13 to December 19, 1939, a group of British warships - HMS Ajax, HMS Exeter and HMS Achilles — commanded by Commodore Henry Harwood — engaged and routed the powerful German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee at the Battle of the River Plate, near the Uruguayan port of Montevideo in South America. Ajax was chosen as the name of this war-born community.

After the war, the University of Toronto leased much of the D.I.L. plant to house the flood of newly discharged soldiers who had enrolled as engineering students. War machines were moved out and the buildings were converted to classrooms and laboratories. By 1949, the last year of the University of Toronto, Ajax Division, some 7,000 engineering students had received their basic training there.

Now, here’s the article. I have entered the article verbiage below so you do not have to strain to read it from the pasted picture of The Commando, Ajax 1945.

The Commando Ajax Ontario June 1945 Vol 3 No. 11

Meet Duff Tweed folks—as though most of you haven't. Duff came here with Carter-Halls back in May, 1941, as a material checker. These checkers were supposed to give the name and description of all material coming into the Plant. When Duff was stumped on some complicated piece of machinery and could not find out what it was, he would make out a very complete and accurate drawing and let it go at that. He actually became famous as the "guy who sketched out his checker's report."

In December, 1941, Duff transferred over to D.I.L. and nearly froze to death in some of the unheated buildings that housed Completed Rounds. After one winter of continuous colds, he decided there wasn't enough clothes in the world to keep him warm, so he moved into Stores Building, 2012, where at least there was some heat.

Duff was born in Medicine Hat, but after his father was killed in the last war, his mother moved them to Vancouver. From there on it's too hard to follow Duff until he landed in California where he went to school. Prior to coming here, Duff worked in various night clubs in Canada and the United States doing caricatures of the patrons. He claimed the reason he quit this type of work was that he was going blind from the bad light and the good liquor.

Duff's real hobbies are painting and wood carving and of all things gardening, all of which he excels at. You don't have to take our word for it, just take a look at the picture and figure out how long it would take you to carve it out with a jack knife.

Post-war plans are something we all have to think about pretty soon. Duff is at present trying to obtain permission from Selective Service to return to California and turn his hobbies into a paying business.
All the best! -Joe

Duff Tweed carvings found in Northern California

2010-05-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Time for a new post. . .

Welcome back or just welcome to those of you first visiting. People are obviously finding the blog and enjoying it. I received several emails from Duff Tweed carving owners since my last posting. I’ll share a couple below. Something new. . . I am including the frames in these pictures.

First, I heard from a nice gentleman named Stuart from the Northern California area. He and his mother have enjoyed a set of three Duff Tweed Golfers or what he called a Duff Tweed Triptych. I found this simple definition of a triptych: art consisting of a painting or carving (especially an altarpiece) on three panels (usually hinged together). We discussed my purchasing his piece, but with the prices most of these pieces are commanding today, I believe they have decided to hold onto the piece. I offered more than I had been paying for the sets of three because his set had something different. Stuart was kind enough to send me a picture and then by coincidence I found the same set online. (below)

The above picture displays the first Duff Tweed golf carvings I have seen where the golfers are holding woods instead of irons. The paints used are rich with greens and yellows for primary colors. Stuart shared with me that each carving actually looks like a golfer they personally know and they gave each one the appropriate nick name. Nice idea! Stuart like so many other Duff Tweed carving collectors/owners had believed his piece was worth much more than it actually is today. An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I don’t think Duff was ever represented by an agent. It’s my goal to bring together a collection of Duff’s works to share with the world by allowing museums to show the collection once I have something of meaningful size. I am hopeful Stuart and I will come to an agreement in the future, and if not, the carvings are in a home where they are greatly appreciated! Isn’t that the purpose of art? We do not own art, we just rent it.
Yesterday, I was contacted by a nice couple also located in Northern California; Doug and Kay. They have the Slaughterhouse Four carvings all together in a single wormwood frame. In speaking with Doug I learned he purchased the piece from a woman about 15 years ago as a gift for his wife. The original owner explained to Doug and Kay that Duff Tweed was very close friends with her husband and that he gave the Slaughterhouse Four to him as a gift. I do not see any signature on it and Doug and Kay didn’t see a dedication on the back of the piece. The four individual ones I own do not have Duff’s signature either, but mine does have a signed dedication from Duff on the back of one piece. The woman who sold them the carvings said it was only one of two sets Duff ever made. Since I have been researching Mr. Tweed’s carvings, I informed them that it is probably only one of two ever made on one frame, but I am aware of two other Slaughterhouse Four carvings owned by other persons in addition to the set I own.

We discussed my purchasing the set, but they were led to believe the piece was worth thousands of dollars, which (once again) is not true. There are posts online of people having discussions about the values of Duff Tweed carvings. They’re actually old posts. While I wish they were worth thousands of dollars each, they do not command such prices today. I am hopeful, like many of you that exposure to the public will increase the appreciation and value of these wonderful carvings. After all, Duff was one of the pioneers in Disney and that association alone adds value to his work.
In the end, I suggested that Doug and Kay hold onto the Slaughterhouse Four because the money received would not change their lives that much, but the absence of the carvings would.
Today, Doug replied to me:

My wife likes them. She says they make her happy and you know when the wife is happy, then the husband is happy!
Happy Duffing!
Regards,
Doug
Guess that’s why these two have been married for 58 years now!

I give my sincerest thanks to Stuart, Doug and Kay for your willingness to share. Your sharing has enriched the blog and helps educate all of us Duff Tweed fans! I look forward to staying in touch.

All the best!
-Joe

Article on Duff Tweed - New Additions: Happy Golfer and The Cheater

2010-04-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hello again. Hope you enjoyed the first posting of the Duff Tweed carvings collection. I received some nice feedback from several of you. Thank you kindly for your comments.

Today I have just a few new items to share. When I purchased the Slaughterhouse Four, I was fortunate enough to receive an article that accompanied the four pieces. The article is continued on a separate page, so I have added both pages below.

As you can see in the pictures above, He's working on the Slaughterhouse Four.

...and below is the article continued...

The best part of this article is Duff's humility. He calls himself an artisan vs. an artist stating he's not good enough to be an artist. What do you think? How many of us could carve this well? Duff, you're an artist!

If you read my first post, you may recall I was waiting to hear back from a person who had two Duff Tweed golf related carvings. I had posted "The Happy Golfer" in the April 6th post after capturing the picture online. Well, 11 days later I now own that exact carving which I received with a limited edition Duff Tweed carving known as "The Cheater".

This guy really does look happy!

I was extremely fortunate to have stumbled upon "The Cheater". Not only is it a limited edition Duff Tweed carving (number 7 of 100 total), but the background is completely different from any other Duff Tweed carving I have seen. The background is a compilation of the same golf score card in which the players were Mark Deception and John Gullible.

The Cheater - Limited Edition Duff Tweed Carving 7/100

The Cheater also had a different frame (not pictured) and an attached plate displaying the name of the piece, that it is a limited edition and that it was number 7 of 100. See plate below.

That's it for now. As always, I welcome your comments, pictures from your Duff Tweed collection and your Duffy stories. All the best! -Joe

Duff Tweed - Sharing Collections

2010-04-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Hello. Where to start? Well, as you must have gathered, this is a blog where all of us Duff Tweed collectors and fans can come to share information and learn about the works and life of Duff Tweed.

I am hoping many of you Duff Tweed wood carving collectors will write comments and send pictures of your carvings thus enriching our shared "Duff Tweed" experience. His carvings are cool!

I presently have 15 Duff Tweed wood carvings along with a couple of ceramic/molded copies made when Duff's carvings came into demand. Many of Duff's early carvings were done in the late 1950's and early 1960's. I got started collecting Mr. Tweed's carvings as a result of my love for golf. I was collecting vintage and antique golf items as a tribute to my grandfather who gave me the golf bug. While searching Ebay I found my first Duff Tweed set of three carvings and I was hooked. I paid twice what I paid for future sets of three, but being new to Duff's carvings, I simply didn't know better. A positive result; they are the most pristine set of three that I own and came from the estate of a very well known golfer who obviously cared for them.

Below is a picture of my first Duff Tweed acquisition of three golfers:

The caddie on the far left is actually a carving of Duff Tweed himself. These three carvings seem to have a very light finish on them which makes them more reflective to flash photography.

Below are the same three characters.

As you may have noticed, Duff did all his backgrounds in linen, hand wrote his name and often added "Pasadena", where he lived at the time. Often times, the paper on the back is inscribed by Duff to the purchaser. This particular set has no inscription.

It was about a year later or more until I added additional carvings to the collection. Below is the next set of three I acquired from a woman whose husband was clearing out a house for an elderly gentelman who was moving in with his daughter. I actually purchsed two sets of three carvings from her, but the second set (not pictured) is identical to my first purchase of three golf carvings pictured above with a different caddie. I have another set of three which includes this "different" caddie (pictured several pictures below in this blog).

These were really neat and this is when I diverged from only collecting Duff's golf carvings. You may notice some water damage/aging to the linen. The linen does tend to fade and yellow over time, but what you're really looking for is the quality and condition of the carvings. Remember, these are over 50 years old!

Up close and individual:

Duff Tweed carvings cleverly display actions and emotions. The three above do a great job of just that! Take a look at the frustrated golfer breaking his club over his knee. You can feel that frustration; how many golfers have experienced that emotion? The next guy with the booze bottle in his hand is just classic. He doesn't have to speak for you know this guy wants to be left alone with his hootch. Love that jacket! The third guy puzzles me. He's reading the Wall Street Journal and is contemplating what he has read. Wish we could read the other side and see.

Below we have a more recent acquisition from March 2010. I met a gentelman locally here in Southern California who had four framed sets of Duff Tweed carvings left to him by his father. The reason these treasures are resurfacing is because the generation that purchaed them and looked after them is passing on. As a result, family members are receiving them and selling them to clear out the clutter they have inherited. This is a good time to be adding to your collection or to start one.

Of course I had to buy this one. . .it's golf related!

Below is the red caddie carving I referred to in the beginning of this blog entry. It's the one that is also on another set of three I own, but not pictured due to water stains on the linen background.

For the next two carvings I am going to do a little comparison of Duff's wood carved figures to those copied and made with a ceramic or plaster base. Many of Duff's golf carvings were highly sought after by golf courses all around the United States. I am not sure if he allowed these copies of if someone did them without his permission. The figure below is known as The Happy Golfer.

As you can see there are significant differences in the look and painting of Happy Golfer figure. The originals are wood, have white linen backgrounds, are signed by Duff Tweed and have different frames (frames not pictured). The copies are more of a smooth plaster, have a green linen background (which look neat and vintage), have obviously cheaper, thinner frames and are unsigned. Below are two more for comparison purposes.

You can see here that the painter of the copied version (right) didn't know where the golfers legs ended and his socks began. He looks like he is wearing capris under his golf shorts. Believe it or not, these copies are more difficult to find than originals, or at least that has been my experience.

Another Happy Golfer (see picture below). I do not own this one but have seen it and have contacted the owner. Just waiting for a reply. He looks pretty happy! An inscription on the back reads:

"Duff Tweed, born in Canada, was an artist with Walt Disney Studios where he worked on such Disney classics as "Alice in Wonderland", "Song of the South", "Cinderella", "Lady and the Tramp" , etc. He also represented the Disney Studios on a coast to coast national good will tour on television. His hobby has always been woodcarving and he has done woodcarvings for H.L. Hunt, Gene Autrey, Ernest Breech, chairman of the board for Ford Motor Company, and many well-known people over the entire United States. Duff is semi-retired. He is a humorist, and his carvings are much in demand by collectors."

Pictured below is the other carving I picked up from the gentleman in Southern California, March 2010. It is titled The Low Bidder. Many collectors refer to this carving as the Hobo carving. Mine (left) is not titled, but pictured next to it is another one up for sale on Ebay (April 5-13, 2010). Starting bid on Ebay is $180 w/free shipping. In addition to the different painting on each, Duff did some variations. If you look closely at the characters right shoe, Duff added a piece of leather falling off the shoe. Love his details!

Below is a Duff Tweed carving titled "Sue The Bastards". This was auctioned on Ebay late March to early April 2010. I bid $230 and lost to a bidder who bid $2.50 more. It is by far the most I ever offered on an individual carving. The reserve was not met, so I do not know if it was sold privately or if it will be relisted.

I had heard of Sue the Bastards, but had never seen one. This particular carving went for more because Duff had not only personally dedicated it to the buyer, but drew a Pluto figure on the back as well. As you can see, it is in excellent condition.

OK, I have one more Duffalicious treat for you in this blog entry. It is a collection of four carvings known as The Slaughterhouse Four. I purchased them yesterday (April 5, 2010) from a wonderful couple in Las Vegas. The gentleman was 70 years old and his father had purchased them in 1959. Want to know how crazy us collectors get? I woke up at 2:30 a.m., drove to Las Vegas from So. Cal, bought the set of four and then drove back to Los Angeles arriving before 12 noon. You might get the impression I wanted these; well I did! Best part. . .no speeding tickets!

The inscription on the back of one of them reads as follows:

June 8, 1959

Dear Rose and Irwin:

These four characters were carved from life, they are known as the Slaughterhouse Four and live in Mesa Arizona.

Fat Henderson, I tried to capture his sour "take" - he didn't care too much for Slim's singing!

This is Jack Harris who used to be a world champion bronco buster.

Old Dad Peterson plays the fiddle - he is the Jack Benney of the plains - he works as a camp cook.

Slim Reese has a voce that would shatter glass - Slim plays the guitar.

Thank you both for your appreciation of my work. I hope they bring you continued good luck!

Sincerely,

Duff Tweed

In addition to this magnificent set of four which is the only set I have framed in worm wood, I also received an article from the couple in Las Vegas. I have tried to upload it, but think I have reached my limit on pictures for this entry. I'll be sure to add it in on my next entry. All the best! -Joe