A gift for my wife

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kossetx

Joined
Apr 11, 2017
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Come June we'll be celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary. We live rural much of the year and spend a lot of time outdoors and outdoors on horseback. My wife likes to carry a fixed blade knife while we're out horsing around and I mentioned one day I was going to customize a fixed blade for her. Of course being a woman she had to have wood from a certain tree. The tree she chose is a post oak by the gate of her families old homestead that is approaching 4' in diameter on the trunk. A fabulously massive and very old tree. The land has been in her family since 1872 so there is really a connection there. I really didn't want to go to the place and REALLY didn't want to mess with that old tree. Guess who won.

When I got there, a limb had broken off and was lying in front of the gate to the old place. It was a massive limb, about 20" in diameter. The second I looked at it I knew I had struck post oak gold. I could see the rips and curls through the bark. I took my saw and cut off a hunk for her knife scales.

Here are the results. A 113, stabilized post oak burl, buffalo horn and brass spacer, swelled butt and swelled bolster to better fit her hand. I think she's happy. Hell, it's only been 35 years...







Next time we're there I'll get a pic of her and the tree.

Enjoy, Pete
 
Wow, what an impressive piece of wood you selected! And of course impressive workmanship. I'd love to see pictures of the tree and branch, I've never seen post oak in-person and a 4' specimen sounds nice.
 
To you and your wife, Pete, congratulations on the thirty-five years! That 113's handle is spectacular! Preston
 
kossetx said:
Come June we'll be celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary. We live rural much of the year and spend a lot of time outdoors and outdoors on horseback. My wife likes to carry a fixed blade knife while we're out horsing around and I mentioned one day I was going to customize a fixed blade for her. Of course being a woman she had to have wood from a certain tree. The tree she chose is a post oak by the gate of her families old homestead that is approaching 4' in diameter on the trunk. A fabulously massive and very old tree. The land has been in her family since 1872 so there is really a connection there. I really didn't want to go to the place and REALLY didn't want to mess with that old tree. Guess who won.

When I got there, a limb had broken off and was lying in front of the gate to the old place. It was a massive limb, about 20" in diameter. The second I looked at it I knew I had struck post oak gold. I could see the rips and curls through the bark. I took my saw and cut off a hunk for her knife scales.

Here are the results. A 113, stabilized post oak burl, buffalo horn and brass spacer, swelled butt and swelled bolster to better fit her hand. I think she's happy. Hell, it's only been 35 years...







Next time we're there I'll get a pic of her and the tree.

Enjoy, Pete
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Congratulations to you both for 35 years! Absolutely a beautiful job on the scales kossetx I think you knocked it out of the park with that wood :thumbsup:
 
Congrats on the 35 years. That is a very special and beautiful knife since it comes from a tree on the family place. Will she use it now, or will she put it up?
 
Thanks for the kind replies folks. I didn't mean it to be about the 35 years but maybe from now on 35th anniversaries will be post oak anniversary? :)

st8yd said:
Very nice, I've got a burl from a Live Oak looks just like it.
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IME, you can't tell PO from WO they are so similar in structure and grain. If you can your a lot better than I am. I haven't cut a whole lot of WO but I pick it up when I see it cut. PO I cut every week.

DocT said:
Congrats on the 35 years. That is a very special and beautiful knife since it comes from a tree on the family place. Will she use it now, or will she put it up?
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Doc, She'll use it. She's not much for saving anything. I kinda hope she doesn't use it for edc, but it's up to her. She also carries the small Bucklite or a cocobolo 102.

I'm glad now she chose that tree. Not only from the family place but family land for almost 150 years. I assume when her family moved there Comanches still roamed the area and this tree probably predates Texas Independence by 100 years. It was a good choice but I'm glad that limb had fallen and I did't have to disturb the tree.

Tapering that bolster was a royal pain but I think it added to the overall look and style.
 
Nice job on the handle. I echo your sentiment that you were able to salvage a piece off of a downed limb instead of having to cut off of the actual tree.
And congrats on 35 years!

John
 
Congrats .. firstly on the 35 years of marriage ... may you have 35 more ... and a very nice set of scales and a well thought out gift ... :thumbsup: ... I hope your wife enjoys it.
 
We do know a member of this forum whose wife does a dandy job engraving. If you do not already know, message me.
 
GORGEOUS knife, and a true family heirloom. May your wife use it in good health for many many years to come!
 
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