Fireengines
Member
I have no idea where to place this post.
www.perryandnimitz.com is offering 3/4 x 3/4 x 5 USS California teak wood deck blanks. The price is $225.00 for 15 blanks. Only 150 blanks will be offered for sale. ONLY SOLD IN BUNDLES OF 15. Since there are a limited number of blanks and there is a greatdeal of interest, they will not be on their website.
Here is the story behind the USS California wood:
In 1960 Donald Spar (Chatsworth, California) took possession of a portion of the USS California's teak wood decking to use in his business and transported the teakto the West Coast. The teak was stored in metal strapped bundles in the SanFernando Valley at a commercial property. Some of the wood was used by the Spar family business for flooring andcountertops in mobile homes. The Spar family decided to sell the teak when theproperty where it was stored was scheduled for development.
Mitchell Talcove of Tropical Exotic Hardwoods (where I purchased by wood from) proposedto the owner of P & N that they collaborate on the purchase of the entireremaining stock of USS California teak decking held by Donald Spar. The woodwas purchased by Tropical Exotic Hardwood and P & N in May of 2008. Each company took a portion of this stock. Tropical Exotic Hardwoods has used its entire stock. P & N carefully stored its teak. P & N recently startedcrafting flag boxes, urns and other contracted custom woodworking projects utilizing their inventory of the USS California teak obtained from the Spar Family.
I wanted to find out if this was the original teak wood that was on the California when shewas sunk at Pearl Harbor. I talked to a California veteran who joined the ship's crew when it was in Washington State. He told me the only small part of the ship's deck was replaced during her refitting.
I also emailed the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington, DC and asked the same question. I received the following reply:
"It would make sense that the deck was patched and not replaced. By the time CALIFORNIA reached Bremerton for her rebuilding, the major sources of teak (Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand) were occupied by the Japanese. What stocks that were already in the supply pipeline were probably ordered for the Iowa and Alaska classes as well as for the large cruiser program prior to 1941 or came from a much smaller source in the Caribbean."
Tropical Exotic Hardwoods sold all of their teak to a vendor who makes designer sunglasses. I have a very limited supply and am not willing to part with any of my blanks.
www.perryandnimitz.com is offering 3/4 x 3/4 x 5 USS California teak wood deck blanks. The price is $225.00 for 15 blanks. Only 150 blanks will be offered for sale. ONLY SOLD IN BUNDLES OF 15. Since there are a limited number of blanks and there is a greatdeal of interest, they will not be on their website.
Here is the story behind the USS California wood:
In 1960 Donald Spar (Chatsworth, California) took possession of a portion of the USS California's teak wood decking to use in his business and transported the teakto the West Coast. The teak was stored in metal strapped bundles in the SanFernando Valley at a commercial property. Some of the wood was used by the Spar family business for flooring andcountertops in mobile homes. The Spar family decided to sell the teak when theproperty where it was stored was scheduled for development.
Mitchell Talcove of Tropical Exotic Hardwoods (where I purchased by wood from) proposedto the owner of P & N that they collaborate on the purchase of the entireremaining stock of USS California teak decking held by Donald Spar. The woodwas purchased by Tropical Exotic Hardwood and P & N in May of 2008. Each company took a portion of this stock. Tropical Exotic Hardwoods has used its entire stock. P & N carefully stored its teak. P & N recently startedcrafting flag boxes, urns and other contracted custom woodworking projects utilizing their inventory of the USS California teak obtained from the Spar Family.
I wanted to find out if this was the original teak wood that was on the California when shewas sunk at Pearl Harbor. I talked to a California veteran who joined the ship's crew when it was in Washington State. He told me the only small part of the ship's deck was replaced during her refitting.
I also emailed the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington, DC and asked the same question. I received the following reply:
"It would make sense that the deck was patched and not replaced. By the time CALIFORNIA reached Bremerton for her rebuilding, the major sources of teak (Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand) were occupied by the Japanese. What stocks that were already in the supply pipeline were probably ordered for the Iowa and Alaska classes as well as for the large cruiser program prior to 1941 or came from a much smaller source in the Caribbean."
Tropical Exotic Hardwoods sold all of their teak to a vendor who makes designer sunglasses. I have a very limited supply and am not willing to part with any of my blanks.
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