| EL JEFE RUBEN |
| Canes, grips and Things The latest projects and recipients |
| I made this cane for my Medal of Honor recipient buddy, Drew Dix. The shaft is made from osage orange and the handle is elk antler shed. The antler is trimmed with turquoise and a carved eagle head fashioned from pipestone and deer antler. The antler crown is inlaid with Drew's unit insignia which he wore in Vietnam where he earned the Medal of Honor. Drew is one of four Medal of Honor recipients from Pueblo Colorado. He is the co-founder of the Center for American Values which is located on the riverwalk in downtown Pueblo, Colorado |
| The cane pictured above displays the Medal of Honor Society insignia. The cane was made for World War II Medal of Honor recipient, George Sakato. George is a frequent visitor to the Center for American Values |
| Another Medal of Honor recipient buddy, Pete Lemon, poses with the cane that I made for him. This cane, like the other canes that I made for our other heroes, has Pete's unit insignia inlaid in the crown of the antler. Canadian born Pete is a Vietnam veteran and is our "adopted" Pueblo Medal fo Honor recipient |
| This cane has a USMC insignia inlaid in the crown and a cross inlaid on the side of the antler. The cross is made from the Twin Towers steel which was destroyed by terrorists on 9/11 |
| This Marine Corps cane was made for the Pueblo, CO Marine Corps League in appreciation for inducting Medal of Honor recipient, Drew Dix, and me into their League as honorary members. |
| 1911 with Texas star pins inlaid into the elk antler grips |
| 1911 grips with the FBI National Academy pins inlaid in the elk antler |
| 1911 with a Vietnam veteran's insignia inlaid in the elk antler grips |
| The right side of this walnut grip with a laser-engraved silohouette of the USS Ingersoll |
| The left side of the grip has "Vietnam" engraved for our '65 tour of Vietnam |
| The grips for this 1911 were made from moose antler sheds |
| This bear claw necklace is made from deer antler tips, elk antler, pipestone, turquoise and decorative beads |
| An old rotting piece of cottonwood became a buzzard. The head and neck were polished with beeswax and inlaid with turquoise eyes |
| Jesus praying in the Olive Garden was sculpted from a cottonwood trunk for the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center |
| I originally made this knife from a file while off the coast of Vietnam. I recently put this antler handle on it |
| This knife exhibit piece is mde from an unusual flat deer antler. It accompanies my antler cane |
| I try to use up every piece of antler so I make jewelry with the smaller pieces |
| My "well-used" cane which is made from deer antler, pipestone, turquoise and an osage orange shaft |
| The crown of thorns is made from barbed-wire on this 6 foot crucifix |
| The bowl of this peacepipe is carved from pipestone. It is trimmed with antler and feathers |
| This cedar rattlesnake has numerous inlaid turquoise pieces and pipestone rattlers |
| Small cottonwood branches were carved into red chile peppers for our ristras |
| We veneered our porch with stone then mounted tile lights and tile numbers |
| Another cottonwood chile pepper ristra for our greenhouse/storage shed |
| Firing up our adobe oven "horno" for baking tasty home-made bread |
| We built the adobe oven and wall from recycled 60 year-old adobes that we transported from the San Luis Valley |
| The fruit of our labor, delicious home-made bread with butter |
| These antler-osage orange canes were made for the WWII Navajo Talkers |
| I hand carved and built this pistol crossbow while we were off the coast of Vietnam |
| The two foot crucifix is sculpted from apple wood, cedar and deer antler |
| I picked up these large redwood slabs in California. The table legs are made from local, gnarled cottonwood |
| This crucifix representing the Holy Trinity is sculpted from one piece of cottonwood |
