TimS124 wins:Geo Washington Horse Chestnut-

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ed4copies

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
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Mar 25, 2005
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Location
Racine, WI, USA.
AUCTION WILL END Friday at 9:30 Eastern time--New York
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Years ago, I worked out a deal with Bill Jewell, who was the founder and backbone of Historical Woods of America. Bill was a stickler for details, every piece of history that he collected, he was certain to find all the information possible.

This blank is a piece of the Washington Horse Chestnut. This tree was the last of thirteen horse chestnut trees planted by George Washington. The age of the tree was confirmed when it was removed in 2004, this is definitely "witness wood". This particular tree was named by Washington as representing the colony of Georgia.

The blank comes with a certificate of authenticity provided to me by Bill Jewell, before his untimely death a couple years ago. This particular blank was professionally stabilized, that is the reason you see Bill's initials on one end.

This is truly a "one-of-a-kind" blank. I purchased it for $150., for the purpose of resale.

Now, it can be yours!!

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Bidding is now open and we will close this auction Friday night--time tba!
 

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magpens said:
Ed, what is the size of this blank, please ?
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EXCELLENT QUESTION!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!
.915 X .91" X 5.535" PLUS OR MINUS THREE THOUSANDTHS!!:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

There is a good size crack, which will play into the turning. Be prepared to nurse it along with thin CA. I believe the stabilizing will hold it together, but I don't want anyone to purchase it and be surprised.

Most of the horse chestnut is really bland. This will make a spectacular looking pen AND have the "pedigree".
 
I wonder if the winner will have the heart to actually put this piece of history on a lathe and drill/turn it !!!! :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Maybe resell the drill swarf and turnings ????
 
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Great question. It depends if Ed puts up the Cherry Tree blank next. If he does I could drill the Chestnut. If he does not, not sure I could drill.
 
magpens said:
I wonder if the winner will have the heart to actually put this piece of history on a lathe and drill/turn it !!!! :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
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As a stick, it looks like a hunk of old wood.

Personally, I have turned similar "ugly wood" and marvelled at the beautiful pen that emerged. The sense of achievement IS substantial.

Not everyone has the guts to put it on the lathe-----even fewer have the talent to make it a pen.

I always factored that into my pricing of the finished pen---for me, this one would be well north of $500, slightly south of $1000, but you do have to be able to sell and have the right customer in mind.

This piece will make SOMEONE a nice chunk of change!!

Who will bid $175??
 
Tom T said:
Great question. It depends if Ed puts up the Cherry Tree blank next. If he does I could drill the Chestnut. If he does not, not sure I could drill.
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Bill (Jewell) and I often joked about the cherry tree!! (It is very dubious whether that story is true) Thanks for the memory!!
 
I have made a couple of these and and find it truly challenging to put the drill and lathe to work. I remember the first one - I must have measured 20 times before I cut it and drilling was agonizing. But when I put it on the lathe I back away a dozen times before I cut it and was sweating profusely! I think even the bland ones come out beautiful! Ed is right - they will sell to the right customer for that $500-1000 mark
 
just to keep things looking fine and making everyone smile.
AND
since I spent some time there for my Uncle.

I will bid $23,797.70 Yen


Everyone have a wonderful day.
 
Hey guys!! I don't want to take any of the fun out of the auctions!!

In real auctions, the auctioneer is a continuum of chatter, all you need to do is scratch your nose to confirm your desire to bid the amount HE has stated.

In the virtual world, the bidders can make a bid that represents any increment over the existing best bid.

PLEASE!!!! Somewhere in your bid, give me the amount you are bidding, in standard form. Otherwise, someone could assume you want to really make a point!! For example, I will bid $23,797.70 Yen

By using the dollar sign and decimal point, your bid should be read as nearly 24 thousand dollars---that is what you wrote! Even if we put that into a currency converter, and eliminate the dollar sign, the comma registers and the value is two cents.

I think your intent was to bid $200---but please don't make me do research to interpret bids---it could lead to very different results than you intended!!!

Somewhere in your bid, include the amount as $ddd.cc US Dollars===THANK YOU!!
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This applies to everyone, bid by presidents if you wish, just add the conversion somewhere, please. Keep all information about money easily readable!! THANKS!!

 
I have some green paper thingies in my wallet with George's picture on them...I think having a blank from a tree he could've hugged is worth quite a few of his pictures... :-)

I'll go $350.
 
I don't know, the last time I had some green paper thingies in my wallet George's picture on them, my wife was running to the shopping mall with it. Lets see what $360.02 will do.
 
Dang...I forgot about the wife's stash of George's pictures! Thanks for reminding me....ah, found some more (shhhhhh, don't tell her that's where this increase came from)...

$375

(sure hope that many George photos fit in a small Priority Mail box when it's time to pay for this :smile: )
 
I'm going to have to stare at it in person for a while and really ponder what it will become! I have a couple ideas but until I've stared at it live I won't know for certain what it wants to become. :smile:

Photos will follow of course!
 
The blank and certificate arrived while I was at the Oregon Woodturning Symposium this past weekend. That's a very nice looking piece of wood!

I have a couple ideas for it, but I'm not ready to commit yet....
 
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