Friske, Wyman – Bingham or Traverse City, Michigan

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Wyman Friske was born in Leelanau Co., Michigan (Grand Traverse area) in October of 1957 and now lives in Traverse City, Michigan and is married to Angela W. Friske (Born 1963). Wyman wrote me that he has been carving for 40 years and is still in 2007 carving. He is quite proud of a 12 foot fish weather-vane located in Fishtown (Leeland, Michigan). Wyman does not make spears, but he does collect them and you can contact him at boddumfeeder@earthlink.net.

Wyman got started carving after collecting decoys for some years. His great grandfather carved a few fish and when he started an antique store, he sold them for a good $$$ and then started carving himself. He told me that his customers like his folky-working fish.
One of Wyman’s favorite carvers is Oscar Peterson and he even owns a 10′ pike from Oscar.
He starts out with cedar stock or deer antler and he splits his wood stock with a broad axe and try to follow the grin around big knots for his tail curve.  He now carves weather vanes also.
He signs his fish with a 2f  logo.
He told me that he built the world’s largest working decoy in the historic town named Fishtown – Leeland, Michigan.
He wrote me and said “I started carving fish decoys because I ice fish and I like to try for the best fish action. My customers liked them because it was local product and a piece of folk art they could take home for a souvenir  I’ve probably carved 300 or 400 fish and about 40 weather vanes.  I like the Ma / Pa style decoys. I like to find fish decoys that some old polish guy over in Cedar MI might have tried to build and is really folksy and funky. To me – its one of a kind.” Wyman went on to say ” Personally; I feel that I have taken decoy carving to another level. My 12′ weather vane (Decoy) in Fishtown, Michigan gets a lot of attention. It has been there 2 years (since 2005) and has gotten a lot of recognition to save Fish-Town forever.”

You can contact him at:
6824 E. Fouch Rd
Traverse City, Michigan 49684
 231-947-3245

Information provided by Wyman Friske
8/2007

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