Last ships from Tammas’s boat shed • In 9 active baskets right now • Only 340 left
Tammas's Viking Longship Incense Holder
Tammas's Viking Longship Incense Holder
Dispatched within 1–2 working days
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Tammas's Viking Longship Incense Holder
The last fleet · Scalloway, Shetland
Carved by hand on a Shetland harbour since 1979
Tammas Inkster, 78, has carved more than 6,000 little Viking longships in his boat shed. His shoulder won’t let him hold the knife any more, and the shed has been sold. These are his last 340.
“I carved the first one for my wife, because I didn’t like the ash on the table. She put it on the sideboard and said every home needs a ship. After that, the whole street wanted one.”
Tammas Inkster · Boatbuilder & carver, Scalloway, Shetland
What arrives at your door
Incense sticks are not included. The ship holds one stick at a time.
What makes Tammas’s longship different
The dragon rises at the bow with its mouth open, finished in copper. It is the first thing everybody picks the ship up to look at.
A row of round shields runs along the rail, red and blue, one brushstroke at a time. No stickers, no printing.
Tammas drills the hole at an angle, so the stick leans out over the hull instead of over your furniture.
As the stick burns down, the ash falls into the hull. When it has cooled, tip it out and the ship is ready for the next evening.
The overlapping planks of a real Viking ship are carved into both sides of the hull, so the wood grain runs along every line.
During the day it simply sits on the shelf or mantelpiece like a small piece of folk art. Many owners keep two: one to light, one to look at.
How to use it
Find it a harbour. Set the ship on a flat, heat-safe surface – a sideboard, mantelpiece or shelf, away from curtains and anything that can catch fire.
Light one stick. Push an incense stick into the hole in the stern, light the tip, let it catch and gently blow out the flame. The smoke drifts up over the bow.
Tip out the ash. Once the ash has cooled, turn the ship over the bin and wipe the hull with a dry cloth. That’s all the care it needs.
A moulded holder vs. Tammas’s longship
| Typical moulded holder | Tammas’s longship | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Cast resin or plastic | Hand-carved wood |
| Shields & dragon | Printed or sprayed | Painted by hand |
| Where the ash goes | Often on the table | Into the hull |
| How it’s made | Thousands an hour | One at a time, for hours |
| Without incense | A gadget | A small piece of folk art |
“Shetland boats are the direct descendants of the Norse ships: the same overlapping planks, the same double-ended hull. In island homes you still find little carved ships on mantelpieces, often passed down for three or four generations. What Tammas does is rare now: he carves the hull the way boatbuilders did, with the planks running along the grain, and he paints the shields by hand. You can tell the difference the moment you hold one.”
Morag Halcrow · Curator · 26 years caring for maritime collections at a heritage museum in the Northern Isles
Made by hand in Scalloway
Every ship starts as a rough block of wood on the bench in Tammas’s boat shed, a few steps from the water. He shapes the hull with the same chisels he has used since the seventies, carves the planks and the curled stern, drills the stern hole at an angle and paints every shield by hand. A final rub of oil, a last check in the window light, and the ship goes on the shelf. His grandchildren Isla and Robbie pack and post every order.
“A ship should be used,” Tammas says. “Light a stick on a dark winter evening, watch the smoke go over the dragon, and think of somebody you miss. That’s what Ina did with the first one.”
– Tammas
Perfect for
Tammas’s standard
- Hand-carved wood. Shaped one ship at a time, never pressed from a mould.
- Painted by hand. Every shield and the copper-finish dragon, brushstroke by brushstroke.
- Drilled at an angle. So the ash falls into the hull, not onto your furniture.
- Stands steady. A flat keel line that sits firmly on a shelf or mantelpiece.
- Checked twice. Tammas looks every ship over before Isla and Robbie pack it.
If Tammas’s longship doesn’t win you over, one email to info@cedarandtinco.com is enough. Send it back within 90 days and you get your money back. Every order is dispatched within 1–2 working days.
Good to know: Every ship is carved and painted by hand, so the wood grain and the shields differ slightly from piece to piece. No two are exactly alike. Burning incense should never be left unattended. Keep it away from children, pets and anything flammable, and let the ash cool before you empty the hull.
Product details
| Contents | 1 hand-carved Viking longship incense holder |
| Material | Hand-carved wood, hand-painted shields, copper-finish dragon head |
| Size | 26.2 cm long · 8.7 cm tall at the dragon · 5.6 cm tall at the stern (10.3 × 3.4 × 2.2 in) |
| Holds | 1 incense stick (not included) |
| Use | Indoors, on a flat, heat-safe surface |
| Care | Tip out cooled ash, wipe with a dry cloth, keep away from water |
| Made by | Tammas Inkster, Scalloway, Shetland – last fleet, 340 remaining |
| Made so far | More than 6,000 since 1979 |
The Last Fleet
The Last Fleet
A message from Tammas:
I’ve carved these little longships in my boat shed in Scalloway since 1979, more than 6,000 of them, every hull shaped by hand and every shield painted with a fine brush. My shoulder won’t hold a knife steady any more, and the house with the shed is sold. On 30 January I hand over the keys and go down to my daughter in Aberdeen.
Around 340 ships are left on the shelves. That’s the last fleet. I’d like every one of them on a mantelpiece or a bookshelf, where somebody lights a stick in the evening, not in a removal box.
When they’re gone, there won’t be any more.
Free UK Delivery
Free UK Delivery
Free delivery across the UK
- Dispatched within 1–2 working days, sent with Royal Mail, tracked
- Delivery usually within 7–14 working days
- Every ship is wrapped and packed by hand, fully insured
- 26.2 cm long, 8.7 cm tall at the dragon head, hand-carved wood
- 90-day money-back guarantee, just email info@cedarandtinco.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
My granddaughter Isla and I personally answer every email, as fast as we possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to talk about boats, we’re here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (UK time)
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm (UK time)
Email: info@cedarandtinco.com
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Of course. We stand behind every ship 100%. If you’re not happy, neither are we. Just email info@cedarandtinco.com within 90 days and you’ll get your money back, no hassle, no headaches.
How is each longship made?
How is each longship made?
Every ship is hand-carved wood, shaped one at a time in Tammas’s boat shed in Scalloway, Shetland. He carves the hull and the clinker planking, drills the angled incense hole in the stern, paints the nine red and blue shields by hand and finishes the dragon head in copper. The stick sits at an angle in the stern so the ash falls into the hull. 26.2 cm long, 8.7 cm tall at the dragon head.