Certificate of Authenticity

[Fireengines]

From time to time, I run across "wood with history." For the most part these woods are from creatable sources but, other than an exchange of emails, there is no Certificate ofAuthenticity (COA). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

I spend a great deal of time documenting the wood'ssource. I search company reputation,city demolition permits, and follow the chain of custody. I think if I can fully document the wood's source and historic relevance it is fair to issue my own COA. Insome cases, I harvest the wood myself.<o></o>

There are some cases when you have to take the word of the seller and do your research to verify the story. In one case, it's taken me two years toverify the wood's history and, with the help of the Naval History and HeritageCommand, the vendor, the Navy League, and a veteran who served on the ship, I am 99% sure of the wood's history.<o></o>

One other point, historic wood is in the eye of thebeholder. As an example, I have someSinker Pine which was reclaimed from the dry docks down in Mobile Bay whichwere used to berth the US Navy Submarines during WWII; pretty worthless unless you have an interestin that part of history.<o></o>

For those of you who purchase wood from a seller who says itcame from a historic sight, how do authentic it and at what point to you feel confidentyou can issue a COA?<o></o>

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Most of it is based on trust and it's hard to be 100% sure. Coa's are always a little uncertain. For a battleship or something, buying it from the locations store seems pretty safe. Fir me, buying wood from a person who directly removed it from the location would be confidence building. But at the end of the day, it comes back to trust. You can usually get copy or make more coa's.

 

[ed4copies]

The certificate is only worth as much as the vendor's credibility.

Sounds like you have done sufficient "homework" to put your reputation on the line. That is what EVERY certificate does---if one is ever proven incorrect, your reputation goes down the tubes.

As you say, there is a chain of possession. Every link has to be verified. Even then, it only takes one unethical person to lie to you and "slip in" substitute wood.

Good luck, sounds like you are pretty safe!!

Ed

 

[SteveG]

If you briefly list or mention on the COA, the method and/or steps taken by you to validate the "history", then the COA may have greater weight compared to a simple statement of origin.