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Excellent info Monti and thank you for sharing. As to the type of wood, I am betting it was Bass wood which is softer and easier to work with. I am also betting you meant that. They make Yardsticks out of it. I have a handful off Bass wood trees on my property. I have thought often about making some of these since I work with wood to begin with. I am just worried it will take allot of time since I am a perfectionist. I may try my hand at it one day. Rick B

YUP!
This Old Dago messed up, I did mean Bass Wood, already corrected the post, thanks for catching that! LOL

Thanks Monti, yes my pirate has glass blue eyes

Very Sad Update on Dick Delong!
After the Forum discussion on his work I was going to call him and found out that he passed away in May at 79!
Seems like to many of the Old Timers in Our Hobby are leaving us!
Another Great person in our hobby is gone but not forgotten!
RIP My Friend!
MONTI

https://www.ubel-geer.com/notices/RichardDick-DeLong

i have popeye and olive with QT's in them done by delong. gotta see if i can post a pic here.

don't forget THIS sweetheart!

Very Nice Sample of Dick's work with the MILL's QT Sweetheart!
While Frank Polk in 1950 was approached by Character Manufacturing Company in Reno, was the original creator of Carving Figures for slot machines, mostly the Mill's High Tops I believe, stuck with pretty much a Western Theme, Cowboy's Indians, Etc. Dick and his son Todd would do anything that was either asked of them as custom work or that came to their mind, very versatile in their creations!
Bill Harris of Royal Bell out of Arvada, Colorado had carvers working for him as well, Dale, Tom and Rick if memory serves me correctly and produced many figures that were sold by Royal Bell, LTD. Bill and Rosanna Harris did quite well with them I believe during the 80's and possibly into the 90's, not sure when their business ceased to exist!
Frank Polk's figures however seem to bring the best at auction being the original creator of the figures!
So there are a lot of figures out there carved of various types of wood and they come up once in a while!
But Olive Oil is a Cutie for sure!
MONTI

thank you, monti, you ARE a treasure....in more ways than one. one of these days i gotta take a pic of popeye and put it up here.....baby steps....figgerin' out this damn android for pics....it takes great ones, but a lil hard to figger.

Talking about pictures, I ran across this one of a Bill Harris Collection piece that was made special order for a Board Member of the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas in 1981!
I wonder where this beauty is today!
I believe they made 3 or 4 of these, not sure, may still be in somebodies office at the Golden Nugget!
MONTI

absolutely amazing! thank you!