This is what I thought – and wrote in my book Chronicle of My First Heart Attack – when I first saw the little pieces of bamboo I had brought from a friend’s ranch:
“… sitting on the rocking chair, I planned my activities. First of all, with the help of a bucksaw, I would cut a very straight section. Then, I would cut four to five wide stripes, in the direction of fibers. Next, I would choose one of the parts and start carving with my little sickle from Paraíba, searching for the basic and primary shape. Once this was done, it would be time for using the rough file to gradually improve the shape of what was coming out. If necessary, I would use the old chisel that would have to be sharpened for that. The pocketknife would be of good use in the finishing stage, when I would be closer to the final shape. From there on, it would be the time to use a recently broken piece of glass to scratch the surfaces until they become nearly perfect. With the help of sand paper, always from the roughest to the finest, I would work on the final finishing. To bend or to unbend the pieces being produced, I would use the flame of the stove…”