Bog Oak??

[tippit]

A friend from Ireland sent me a piece of Bog Oak.  They claim it has been in a peat bog from 5 to 7 thousand years!  Could be interesting handle material.  Anyone ever work with this stuff?  tippit

 

 

[4runr]

Can't wait to see this stuff Doc!!
You know how I am about out-of-the-ordinary woods.

I have a box almost ready to ship to you again.

[wood carver 2]

I've seen pictures of oak dug up out of the Thames river in London. It was part of a Roman bridge and had been there about 2000 years. It was black all the way through, but perfectly useable once dried.
You'll likely have to get it stabilized.
It should make for some cool scales.
Dave.

[Kevin Evans]

I think its pretty right like that, almost looks like an artifact.

[akaboomer]

Should be beautiful. I would get it stabilized before working it.  I have a piece that I am going to use after I get it stabilized.

Chris

[tippit]

The stuff is next step to being petrified.  It is dry and very hard.  The piece is almost to pretty as is...but I need to see what it will look like on a knife.  I will leave all the natural cracks and Not finish the out side at all...I think  

[Steve Nuckels]

Jeff I think Scott Roush has worked with it!

Steve
--------
Potomac Forge
W.F. Moran Jr. Museum & Foundation

[Arrowest]

Jeff, maybe drop Mark at Burl Source a line as he has been selling it recently and may know how it has been working.  He sells it both stabilized and natural.

[Ray Hammond]

Jeff

I have some that isn't nearly as old as that I don't think but they came from Illinois I believe.  The pieces I have work like plastic, have gorgeous chatoyance and the background polishes jet black.  If its anything like that I've got you'll probably cut what will work out of the interior of the piece and it may not need stabilization.  

I'd sacrifice a piece to the KMG to see what the interior is like

You can see the stuff I received in this photo

 

[gables]

The bog oak I have worked with produces a very sandy dust when worked. My "bog" oak supposedly came from a river bottom which could explain the light gray powder that seemed to fill all of the deep grain of the oak. It finished beautifully but I wish I had sent it for stabilizing before using it. I used a tung oil finish and wet sanded several coats of it to get a smooth grain-filled finish. I have noticed quite a bit of wood movement and poor fit develop over the past couple of years. Some boak oak can be very gray and silvery.

[skullworks]

I've used bog oak out of Russia before. All mine has been a charcoal grey color with an occasional light streak. Not very dense to me. Turns almost black when finished with oil. This is bog oak.

 

[amar911]

Ray,

I love that little bird and trout knife. It may be my favorite of all the beautiful knives you have made, although I like the design of your caper better for typical field use. The bog oak sure looks nice on that knife.

Allan

[Shinken]

GNARLY piece of wood right there!

Should make for some excellent exotic scales!

Shoot straight, Shinken