Miles of Alaska Custom page
email me-click on mail box
call me at 1-907-832-5442
write me at Box 363
Nenana Alaska 99760
Special orders
I can make you something of sentimental value to you from your raw material . I make rings knives necklaces belt buckles string ties or? One of a kind special to you. Sometimes it is a bear you killed- or a crystal that means something to you and you want to wear it - and you want it to tell a story. This is my specialty. It can be your material- email me a picture for opinions idea exchange. or my material - from my directory go to the material page of yoru choice
Someone picked out this opal from my raw materials and asked for a fish theme-one of a kind idea. I sold the opal cast the fish for $75. They put it together and used their beads. They sold the finished piece for $150
Bear claw left--showing what I can do with claws and choices for beads between them
I specialize in fossil repair-restorations for jewlery working and museums. Cracked teeth - even missing parts recreated from similar age parts. I'm probobly better then anyone at teeth and claws. Advice on care and your own restoration contact me.
In this example of an order -- someone wanted a special wolf claw necklace. Here are some choices I sent - various price ranges colors and size with a choice of custom cast caps to choose from- pick a claw pick a cap.
Miles at Miles of Alaska
box 363
Nenana Alaska
99760
1-907-832-5442 miles@mtaonline.net
This is the special order page for 'Miles of Alaska'This page
has to do with having me make something special for you
spot fakes - legal issues with animal parts etc
I've been creating one of a kind pieces since the early 70's. I used to number all my pieces but stopped keeping track when I got to number 10,000. That was over 10 years ago. I am capable of doing a great number of things but am good at a few - known for some things and prefer certain projects. To get what you want it is good to understand few things.
I live in Alaska- one of the highest economies in the world. Labor is expensive here. This means if the work can be done by someone else it can be done cheaper elsewhere oftentimes. For example if someone asks me to drill a hole in raw material for them or slice something for them. I feel anyone anywhere can do that . I suggest such a person simply buy the raw from me and have someone local do that. If business is slow and I am in the mood I can or might do it but in general such work is at the bottom of the list of things to do today.
My custom art that no one else can do is where I shine. Or dealing with a rare raw material - doing restorations etc. RAW MATERIALS WORK Shipping is costly to and from Alaska so if something is heavy and inexpensive it is not a good idea to have me deal with it - the shipping will kill us and is not competitive so I prefer to deal in light materials, or small amounts or expensive rare, or something local few other places have. For example I am the best source for lynx and wolf claws skulls bones, and Jade and Nowitna river agate and fossil bear teeth. but not a great source for exotic woods, exotic out of the country horns --even though I have them have sources and can get such material I am not the best for large qualities of these. I may have a different understanding of the words 'raw material' then is generally accepted. I am at the source for many things so 'raw' to me means right our of the ground muddy and unwashed and not looked at close. If I clean it weigh it slice it sort to grade it then it becomes less and less of a raw material. If I slice and polish and make flat and square there edges and drill a hole it is not raw anymore. (for example mammoth ivory knife scales is not 'raw material'. Not is a wolf claw boiled clneaed dried glued bone back in, hole drilled in it ready to wear with 2 minutes more work. A raw claw to me kis still bloody and twitching off the wolf. Understanding most will not accept this definition I reluctantly boil clean sort dry and grade and still call it 'raw' (when if fact is it almost a world of art- and takes talent to do it right ) So getting my raw material to suit your needs is a custom order. If I mess it up I'm messing up my material not yours. If I'm going to mess with raw material I want to do it my when not your way. For example I had a customer ask me to cut a Dall sheep horn to his specifications for a special knife he wanted to make. I tried hard to do it and discovered it might not be able to be done. The horn not only curves but twists. Getting it thick and flat is not possible. I emailed and he replied "Oh yea no one else could do it either thanks-- bye" I ruined $100 worth
of material. So I know how to do a thousand things and have done them but am only an expert at some. I have a lot of equipment for a variety of tasks but much of it is used and considered primitive. I have an old bansaw that cuts crooked and wore out belt sander that acts up . It is ok to spend extra time dealing with wore out equipment if I am making art as 'time' is not the biggest factor But when I slice and dice I am in competitor with China where good workers use top of the line equipment and work for $1 a day. That is not what I want to do. So again I can do it if no one else will but you are usually better off just getting the raw and having some local cut it or deal with it. Finding something special for you . It is common for customers to come to me looking for one special item a totem good luck item - or something to replace a lost object, or a special piece of something for a special project they are creating. They want me to give a tour of my shop one item at a time with pictures and descriptions and origin and a story behind every item. Pictures take about half an hour to take edit and describe and upload. If I have to go in my shop and dig through material to find the color size shape I cant be Ebay at the rock bottom low price. Someone has to pay for all that time. I don't like it to be me. (tag your it). So the more effort I put into what you want the more you can expect to pay. If you want
the best price be happy with 'a piece of ivory and not 'a blue piece 3 inches by 2 inches and a quarter inch thick --do you have such a piece'? YUup--probably I have hundreds of pounds the real issue is how long do I want to spend looking for it- and what will you pay for it?
Minimum order
I do not have a minimum order as such and try to keep things open and loose and offer variety. Much has to do with my mood, how busy I am and if I think the job is interesting or something I am an expert at and what the chances of not getting paid are or selling the item if the customer hacks out or what the cost to me is if I fail. I have more time on myhands during the dark 50 below winters and less time in summer when I am outdoors a lot on expeditions finding fossils, out on the river working with my boat, surveying homesteads and such. If you require pictures and quotes and discussion and it's a $5 deal well you have to understand it may well get put to the bottom of the pile of wonderful things to accomplish today . I have to make money that is pretty much the bottom line. I don’t want to get rich - just get by and help people out and stay in business doing what I love
Art
I prefer to do special order art since my style is unique and few can do it - it is in demand and I have the most chance of pleasing the customer. Keep in mind-- I spent 25 years alone in the wilderness. I created over 10,000 one of a kind art pieces. I am therefore not used to taking orders or following directions. I tend to do things my way and arrange my life so I can. Artists tend to have ego issues in general (you're supposed to smile) So 'naturally' I think my designs are better then yours. I'm not short for ideas or designs and do not lack for imagination and inspiration. I'm not good at creating your good idea. If you like my art and want something I do not have in stock or want me to use your special material that is what I am best at. I can take a rock you found or stone that came from special ring or a claw off an animal you hunted etc and make it not something wearable and use a theme suited for you. But look at my art- it needs to be a design I am good at. Keep in mind for example I do not do straight lines. It's a rule. I do not do flat or square. I do not do people much (If I do it is primitive mountain Indians like that). I do flowers birds animals and scenery.
This is how I usually do my best work I arrive at the shop with a blank mind without knowing what I am gong to make. I start fooling with materials till I find myself making something. It is like the material plays a role in 'what it wants to be' I am not the master over the material the material is the master. I 'bring out' what it wishes to be. So. How can I do that when a customer tells me what material what subject how big and how it should look? That becomes a dilemma. To some extent we need to be flexible. It is therefor much better if you something I have I already made and buy it. It is also hard to make something just like what I once made. It was a one of kind (usually) the exception is a with the casting from moulds. I'll do my best but keep in mind what I'm good at.
Prices for special orders. I sadly discover it cost me 3 times as much to do a special order yet few want to pay 3 times the price! I actually often get less for a special order instead of more! 'Because' few customers can visualize the item finished and put a high value on it. I want the cluster to be happy with it and I might goof it up and I cannot hardly quote a high price ahead of time not knowing how it will come out for sure so I quote on the low side and often realize 'Wow if this was mine I could sell it for $500 but I only quoted $100." Great for the customer not so exciting for me. It is hard to agree on a price for something that is an experiment - unique one of a kind and we do not know for sure how it will look. Another reason to encourage customers to pick something in existence already in my inventory. It is difficult to quote $100 - discover it is a materpeice and then tell you I want $500. (smile) Customers are happy to get $500 pieces for $100 but let me quote $500 and have it come out worth $100 and I bet I hear about it! So I'm not as excited about special orders as I once was. But yes some are exciting and challenging and rewarding and often it is a great thing to do.
I'm one of the best in the world at what I do. Ideally I should be doing what I'm the best at. It does not always work out that way (smile) There are only so many people in the market for $5,000 necklaces that are museum pieces. So I do other things. Sort of like even th4 best chef in the world gets asked now and then to make a peanut butter sandwich. The bugger is when he gets told what kind of bread- and whick slice the jam goes on and how thick and how to cut it in half. (smile) At some point he migh just say ":Hark? Isnt that the president calling? I need to get ready for a banquet!"
I'm approaching retirment. Money is ok- but I'm in it for the giggels. I do what I like when I like. I have time to go fishing boating trapping --live a basic simple subsistance life without a lot of expences and like it that way. I'm not looking for stress and obiligations and deadlines. I might be 'fast' if not much else is going on or it might take a month. Most of my customers are very happy when they get their order. I've been doing this for over 30 years. I give a lifetime guarantee on my work and many special orders are lifetime pieces. Just keep in mind the advantages and disadvantages to unique one of a kind. You could say I'm a 'famous' artist in my field. My work is known all over the world. I've been in several magazines - on the cover a few times, and my work is in demand. I can to some extent pick and choose my projects. I do not make more money because um well I'm not sure-- maybe because I value freedom above money? So I may or may not take on yoiur project. Email me and ask.
