Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
9:00 pm
March 22, 2010
Offline
Top knife, I made years ago, the bottom one a recent online auction purchase, it looks old but you never know, I see folding knives on Ebay from Asia that look old but think there too many similiar ones to be true. The handle on the top one is Osage Orange, it was yellowish orange when first made, I carried this knife on and off for years and the handle turned to a great reddish brown color, the only finish was johnson paste wax. The blade was forged from a small Nicholson file, edge quenched in oil. The tin plated steel "Tin can" bolster from a coffee can, the blade pin is silicon bronze welding rod. The touchmark is one of several starburst ones I made.
You may wonder what Gene C does, well I'm retired, sitting here in the shop, typing on the laptop, cat on my lap, surfing the internet for information for a new publication which this Penny Knife image and stuff may have the potential for one or more pages in Hot Shop III if I ever finish it, it's been in the works for about two years now, don't want to rush into it.:happy::happy::happy:
Here is a website that has Osage Orange and other woods for sale.
http://texaswoodcrafts.net/bodark/
The coins are large US cents, 1817 and 1827. Google large cents or holed cents for a good read.
3:19 am
November 8, 2010
Offline
Very cool, Gene. I like how you can still see the teeth of the file.
I'm super weary about buying anything "antique" on ebay.
We have Osage Orange trees in Missouri, though they're mostly in the western/south western counties. Some of the best bow wood that can be had if you can find some with straight grain...
Had a bit mixed in with a load of wood I had delivered a few winters back. It was like trying to split one giant knot, but man did it burn! 🙂
█▐▐█▐▐ ▌█▐ ▌▐
3:36 am
NWBA Member
July 9, 2010
Offline
@ JimB
I grew up in SE Kansas. There were plenty of hedge rows of Osage Orange. I've NEVER seen a straight Osage Orange. The wood is often used for "lasts forever never rots" fence posts. We kids loved to play with the hedge apples, although the sap is really sticky and BITTER!
My son is the Blacksmith
3:52 am
November 8, 2010
Offline
I believe it was chosen for those properties back during the dust bowl era to combat wind erosion. Can't imagine standing in that wind for decades :p
█▐▐█▐▐ ▌█▐ ▌▐
6:08 am
March 22, 2010
Offline
This is a small Osage Orange branch about 2" in diameter from my daughters place in Yakima Wa. The center turns a great reddish brown with sap wood white.
8:17 am
March 22, 2010
Offline
Jeff, we called them, the green osage orange fruit, road apples, not to be confused with the horse varieties which are smaller and darker in color and smell like crap.:smug::smug::smug:
5:23 am
NWBA Member
April 19, 2010
Offline
In Southwest Kansas we called it "hedge" obviously from it's most common usage there.
We used to talk about going home to help the old man cut "hedge" for fence posts.
Wish I had some here in Deadwod Oregon to make tomahawk handles from.Not much here....
Southeast Kansas-I played fiddle for a zillion dances there around Ark City and points East. Shoed lots of horses there.....
6:29 am
NWBA Member
July 9, 2010
Offline
Osage Orange + Hedge. Hedge apples re the gren fruit that falls out of a hedge tree. Road apples are the brown fruit that falls out of a horse. Don't eat either one please!
Wisdom from a former SE Kansas boy.
Kansas, a great place to be FROM. [Image Can Not Be Found][Image Can Not Be Found]
My son is the Blacksmith
12:28 pm
March 22, 2010
Offline
Great place not to be from. minus 11 and getting colder. it got so cold us boys would have pee cicle contests, pee on the ground to see who could make the tallest pee cicle. :bounce::bounce::bounce:
12:01 am
August 1, 2010
Offline
Worked in the Oil Patch of Kansas about 3 decades ago, don't miss the winters one bit. One morning it was 25 below, and THEN there was wind chill. Summers were not so bad.
They say that there are three major routes out of the prairie states.
Marriage, military service and the arts.
Most Users Ever Online: 668
Currently Online:
10 Guest(s)
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
Larry L: 1566
Grant: 1420
Bruce Macmillan: 625
Lee Cordochorea: 595
Lynn Gledhill: 572
JNewman: 520
Gene C: 504
J Wilson: 426
Eric Sprado: 383
Tom Allyn: 340
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 22
Members: 8722
Moderators: 4
Admins: 1
Forum Stats:
Groups: 23
Forums: 97
Topics: 3537
Posts: 20288
Newest Members:
RuoYi, rodeoneerer, NWBABjorn, mddangelo, Nevillberger, Crusty Veteran, redwoodforgeoakland, Jimekalmiya, George_Kelley, Roger HaydenModerators: Steve McGrew: 77, N.W.B.A.: 72, webmaster: 0, bluehost: 0
Administrators: admin: 540
Usage Policy