CUSTOM PICTURE FRAMES
AND OTHER WORK
BY
SKIP HIPPS
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Last updated  12-12-2010
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Is it unusual for one artisan to host a page for another?  Yes and no.

When they do exactly the same work, then it is most unusual, but when the artisan in question is Skip Hipps and the work
he does (among other things) is astounding, meticulous, beyond anything I could even attempt, just about unique these
days and so good I can't even begin tell you just how much I HATE this guy, then, no... Not unusual.

Let me introduce to you Mr. Skip Hipps of Hawaii and Arizona.  Skip learned most of his knotting skills long before serving
in the U. S. Navy as an electrician’s mate.  While serving aboard ship, he was often called upon to do “fancy work”
because his skill eclipsed even the most seasoned Bos'un Mate's.   He is self taught, and has spent over 40 years
developing the skills and most importantly the technique to produce these museum quality pieces.

I’m pleased to represent Skip and offer his pieces for sale. These few items I’m listing here are tributes to his skill, artistic
taste and talent. You will rarely find anyone who can even attempt this level of work and fewer who can carry it off with
the aplomb that Skip exhibits.  You will rarely find anyone who can even attempt this level of work and fewer who can
carry it off with the aplomb that Skip exhibits.

These pieces took between 1 and 3 months to complete.  They are without question the finest examples of fancy
knotwork picture frames available today!    

Most of the items shown have already been sold, but he will gladly reproduce them, Or design an original work if you
wish.  Original commissioned pieces are never copied unless written permission is given by the owner.

If you are interested in acquiring one of these frames or one to suit your own tastes,
contact Skip directly by email or
through me and I'll get the two of you together.  Skip makes frames from Master's Certificates (8" x 10") up to frames for
major vessel pictures (48" x 60") and beyond.  Literally, no job too big or too small.
Starting out with a "Plain Jane" frame, this frame measures about
14 X 12 inches.  The inside surface is covered with a 20-strand
Russian sennit of which you can see just the edge.  Next is an 8-
strand variegated sennit with an almost perfect triangle shaped
cross section.  I think this sennit is original as I've never been
able to find it shown in any book on knots.

The large sennit on the face is a 12-strand doubled English
sennit.  The outside is another English sennit, also doubled, and
wrapped around the edge.  Between the two is a 4-strand round
sennit.  Around the rear edge, and almost hidden, is a 4-strand
doubled round sennit, worked into a 16-strand Herringbone
shroud knot.  The corners were covered using a strip of 4-
strand doubled English sennit that was "back spliced" and the
ends hidden on the underside of the knot.  

The frame is shown "in the raw" with no varnish or covering
applied, just the raw nylon cord.  Frames can be supplied so for
your own finishing or finished to your specifications prior to
shipping.

$ 1500.00 plus shipping and applicable sales taxes.


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This frame made in 1974, and was nothing more than a test
piece, just to see what the basic design looked like.  It measured
9 x 12 inches. The final frame, based on what you see here,
measured 4 feet x 8 feet, with the knot work being almost 8
inches wide, all the way around.  When completed, it had over
three hundred knots displayed on the front and sides!  The final
piece was delivered for the Masters Cabin on the yacht of a well
known celebrity, in San Diego, Calif.              
                                                                              Today,
that piece, and the yacht it's attached to, live in France.  I don't
have a picture of the final product, and I'm not going to go to
France to take one!  

The test piece shown here is comprised of a 16-strand Russian
sennit on the inside edge, a 24-strand, and 12-strand Russian
sennit on the front, set off with a 4-strand doubled round sennit,
and a 4-strand single round sennit.  The outside edge is covered
with another 16-strand Russian sennit, and a 4-strand round
sennit with the ends covered with a single-strand, 4-bight x 5-
lead turkshead, with 3 passes.  The piece was tied using  No 2
Cove nylon cord, and finished with clear oil based varnish.

The calligraphy was never a part of this piece, and was    
placed here when the picture was taken just because I thought it looked nice.


Frame as shown $1900.00 plus shipping and applicable sales
taxes

Frame in 48" x 96" size with additional decorative knotting
$25,000.00, plus shipping and applicable sales taxes


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                                                                              This
frame  was somewhere around 19 x 24 inches.  I made it to fit a
painting the customer had of his  boat.  

The inside edge was covered with a 20-strand Russian sennit,
edge matched to the 40-strand Russian sennit on the front.  Next
to the Russian sennit on the front are four 8-strand variegated
sennits put down right-side-up, and up-side-down.  You can see
what both the front and back of this sennit looks like here.   The
outside edge was covered with 8-strand doubled English sennit,
and a 4-strand round sennit, worked into a shroud knot at the
top.  The corners were covered using prolong knot mats with 3
passes, and set off with six  5-point star knots each.  

The matching mats on the left and right front were finished with
4-strand Mathew Walker knots, topped with 4-strand manrope
knots, doubled.  Top front center is a single-strand royal carrick
bend, doubled.  The interwoven royal carrick bend at the bottom
front uses two strands and was designed to have a small brass
plaque, with the boats name engraved, held in place on the left,
right and bottom, by the edge of the knot work.  


$3200.00 as shown plus shipping and applicable sales taxes


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This piece, tied in 1980, isn't a picture frame but in fact, the
front of a photo album.

It measured about 18 inches square and , starting on the inside, is
comprised of  a 12-strand French sennit, a 4-strand single round
sennit, an 8-strand square sennit, another 4-strand round sennit,
then a 28-strand Russian sennit.  The outside edge is made using
a 4-strand doubled round sennit, and a 6-strand doubled English
sennit.  On the left and right sides, are prolong knot mats, and on
the top and bottom, you can see two small narrow turks heads I
used to cover the ends of the round sennit.  

The center piece is a 6-point star, made with three strands, and
three passes.  The inside edges, and corners are covered with 3-
strand doubled English sennits, worked into 6-strand doubled
sennits at the corners.  The end of the six strand sennit was then
covered with 4-bight x 3-lead, flattened turksheads.  

As requested, it was delivered in the raw, and has never had any type of
finish applied.  Today, I understand it rests in a glass case, and has never
been used as an album.

At the very center is a rather nice piece of walrus ivory
scrimshaw which was unique to this piece.  It may or may not
be replicable but it is
NOT included in the price below.  If you
wish, I can incorporate your own item as a center or we can
explore the possibility of having the scrimshaw reproduced at
additional cost.

$2500.00 (less scrimshaw) mounted either as a frame or
picture album, plus shipping and applicable sales taxes.

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An unusual (gee, what a surprise!...ed.) frame for a round painting
by
Robert Lyn Nelson, "Beloved Residents of Kauai'i"
(available from
Shipstore Galleries of Kauai'i, Hawaii) and
commissioned specifically for that painting.

This round picture frame measures 25 inches across, with a 20
inch opening.  Approximately 1500 feet of 1.8 mm nylon cord
was required to lay up seven sennits used to cover the frame.      

The inside edge of the frame is covered with an 11-strand
doubled herringbone sennit. The front is covered with an 8-
strand variegated sennit, a 21-strand doubled herringbone sennit,
a 4-strand doubled round sennit, and six 5-point star knots.

The outside edge is covered with a 15-strand doubled
herringbone sennit, a 4-strand tripled round sennit, tied over a 4-
strand round sennit, and completed with a 6-strand herringbone
turkshead, and two 4-bight x 5-lead turksheads.

All of the herringbone sennits have been backspliced.  I could
have used a knot to cover and hide the bitter ends, but I prefer to
go the extra mile and splice them. I find the result worth every
hour!  

The frame is finished with two coats of clear polyurethane, and
may be cleaned with a damp cloth, if needed.

Of course, I can vary the frame in both size and colour to suit
your needs or desires.

Frame as shown (
LESS ARTWORK!!!)
$3000.00 plus shipping and applicable sales taxes

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      The "Wedding-Cake" Frame


Measuring 23" x 19" outside, it is made to frame a picture 18" x
14"

A 10-strand doubled herringbone sennit covers the inside edge of
the frame, followed - working outward - by an 8-strand
half-round sennit.  Only the top edge of this sennit is visible,

A 40-strand Russian sennit serves as the base for the display
knot adorning the frame and the front is edged with a 13-strand
French sennit.

A 12-strand half-round sennit starts the sides.  In this case, the
back or bottom of the sennit is visible.  

A 20-strand doubled herringbone sennit edged by a 4-strand
round sennit covers the outside edges.  At the very back edge is
a six-strand, three-pass cross-pointing around a rope core which
is finished and joined with a herringbone shroud knot at the top
center of the frame.  

A 4-strand round sennit finished with Matthew Walker knots,
single-walled crowns and manrope knots frame the shroud knot.

Top front is a 4-strand round sennit tied into a masthead
sheepshank and finished with manrope knots.
















Each front and inside corner is covered with a single-strand
cross-shaped mat, under which is a small section of 4-strand
sennit to give the corners more shape.  Edging the corner mats
are 5-point starknots.  The outside corners are covered with a
knot I designed for the purpose.

At the bottom is a doubled Royal Carrick mat which serves as a
holder for a brass nameplate to be engraved by the owner.

Approximately 2800 feet of 1/16" cord was used to make the
frame and it required over 250 hours

The frame is finished with a clear water-based polyurethane
finish which allows easy cleaning with a damp cloth when
necessary.


Frame as shown $3000.00 plus shipping and applicable sales
taxes
.
















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THE CERTIFICATE FRAME  - (Landscape)   (12-12-2010)

This frame was sized to display a normal 8 1/2 x 11 certificate or
license with room for a mat to support the displayed piece.

Other than the corner mats, the frame is made entirely of sennit
work.  The inside edge is covered with a 7 strand doubled,
herringbone sennit.  A 17 strand doubled, herringbone sennit
graces the front with an 8 strand half round and a 4 strand round
sennit covering the edge.

A 17 strand French sennit covers the outside edge and is finished
off with a 4 strand doubled round sennit connected with a
herringbone Turks head at the top of the frame.

The corners are covered with a single line mat tied in hand, based
on the Sailors Cross.

The frame required just under 1000 feet of line to complete and
is preserved with custom blended shellac.

  $450.00 @ as shown, plus frt and insurance.





As with any frame, decorative details may be added or
removed at the purchaser's instructions.  I will adjust the
price accordingly after consultation

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ALL of Skip's work is guaranteed for the life of the frame
against defects in workmanship or materials.
Note:  Line colours may
be varied as in this
example to suit the
owner's tastes!
(Descriptions below and on following pages are by the artist... Had it been me, I would have been CONSIDERABLY more effusive!)
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