information page

here we'll try to answer your questions about the bears

you've found on our pages

from care, to pricing, to checking or cracking

even a few words about me, very few

• care of your bears:
  we use minwax polyurethane for the first coat then add a 2nd coat of marine spar varnish with as high of uv protection as possible......try to keep your bears in the shade if possible.....add a coat of varnish at least once, if not twice a year, or as needed....best Ican tell you ...if it looks like it's dry add a coat of finish............note: I'm picking brains now as to what is the best form of finish......lots of different ideas as to what works best.....I use this on the recommendation of a carver of 30 years.

• pricing of our bears:
  I have a wide variety of pricing .......it's really hard to tell until Ifinish.......a lot depends on the size of the bear or the detail involved in the design.......as you see, I try to put a little extra into each bear to give it a unique look not found anywhere else......not sure I've duplicated many other than the glasses/card holder bears and a couple of 4ft. flag bears, but they still are never quite the same.....each has it's own look.....best example Ican give you is the smokey bear.......told the buyer $150.00-$200.00......sold it to her personalized for $150.00.... email us for an estimate......shipping is paid by the buyer....allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

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• checking...or cracking:
  checking or cracking is part of the proccess of wood drying.....it's going to happen...I always try to work the checking side of the wood to the back of the bears when possible.....when checking occurs it is best to not try to fill it, as it may cause it to actually enhance the check....usually the checking is not drastic enough to harm the overall look of your bear and should last with the proper care for years of enjoyment........just know that some checking will occur before you make your choice.

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• about me:
  my name is Tony Rouse...I live in San Jose, ca...I have a cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains...I've been carving for about 2 years or so...this is a hobby right now...that's the reason for the long delivery time...someday I might go pro?...yes I enjoy making the bears...and yes my imagination is huge...I see myself improving as I do more and more...and my imagination is growing with my improvement...you see a log...I see a bear eating honey...or sledding...or holding a sign....or...or...or...I guess you get the idea...I'd like to thank you for checking out our pages...and I hope you like what we do...please let us know by signing the guestbook...feel free to email us with any questions or to place an order.....

thanks so much...............TONY

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