There is something special about making a tool with your own hands, especially when that tool carries memory, craft, and daily use. My new pounamu hāpine tool began with a voucher, a piece of stone, and a long connection with harakeke weaving.
A special opportunity in Hokitika
I recently spent a wonderful morning carving my own hāpine tool from pounamu at Bonz ‘N’ Stonz in Hokitika. Pounamu is New Zealand greenstone (nephrite jade).
I received a ‘carve your own’ voucher from Bonz ‘N’ Stonz as part of my Avant Garde Award prize at the Hokitika Driftwood and Sand Beach Art Festival in January, for my sculptures Visitor from the Deep and Uplift.
What hāpine harakeke means
Hāpine harakeke is the process of softening harakeke (New Zealand flax) leaves or whenu (weaving strips) by drawing them over a smooth edge, in a motion similar to curling ribbon. This removes excess moisture and makes the strips more flexible and easier to weave.
Previous pounamu tools
Soon after I began weaving with harakeke, my mentor, the late Tungia Baker, gave me a small piece of pounamu to use for hāpine. I used it for many years until it broke. After that, I resorted to using the back of a pair of closed scissors. Many people use the back of a knife, but I preferred scissors.
On a walk on Hokitika Beach in 2020, I found a beautiful piece of pounamu that fitted nicely in my hand. After a few days of handling it, I realised that with a bit of sanding it would make a fantastic hāpine tool. My husband sanded an edge on it for me, and I couldn’t have been happier. Eventually, though, I dropped it and it broke, so it was back to using the scissors again.
Carving my own hāpine tool
I had been thinking for some time about getting someone to make me another hāpine tool from pounamu but hadn’t done anything about it. Then this opportunity arose to make my own using the Bonz ‘N’ Stonz voucher.
I took along the scissors I had been using, to show what I wanted to make and how I would use it. Steve was very helpful and found a piece of pounamu that had about the same profile as my scissors.
After drawing some guide lines on the stone, I set about carving the piece, something I had never done before. It was a bit scary at first, but I soon settled into the process. I kept checking the fit in my hand. Once the tool had its basic shape, I moved onto a fine grinding wheel, added the edge, and finished with the final polishing.
This revealed the most amazing colours and markings in the pounamu: raukaraka. Raukaraka pounamu is a rare and distinct variety of New Zealand greenstone (nephrite jade), with olive-green shades blended with striking yellow, gold, and orange tones.
A very special taonga
I am delighted with my new hāpine tool. It looks and feels wonderful, works beautifully, is much sturdier than my previous pounamu tools, and carries the added meaning that I made it myself. It is indeed a very special taonga (treasure).
Thank you to:
- Driftwood and Sand for running the iconic beach art festival each year.
- Steve and team at Bonz’N’Stonz for their sponsorship of the Avant Garde Award prize, and their guidance and support during my first pounamu carving experience.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Feedback always welcome.
Watch a hāpine harakeke video: https://www.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsIdgXlu9dA