bog oak blocks

RedbeardRum

RedbeardRum

Feedback: +5 / =0 / -0
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
115
hey guys,

I have a load of bog oak blocks which I'd like to move.

what is bog oak?
ancient oak tree (thousands of years old) preserved in peat which changed it's color and some of the mechanical properties (harder than your 'everyday' oak) - noble and rare material.

they're healthy, well seasoned and thick (you'll have no trouble cutting them into thick slabs for full tangs), no cracks nor other flaws.
colors range from black to black streaked with silver (pieces in photos have been sanded to grit300 just to show you the texture / color).

dimensions are in millimeters.

concerning the postage, it depends on the quantity - about 10USD for 2blocks.

photos are overlapping, but you get the picture - I'll post the notifications about sold blocks.

questions and suggestions here or over the pm.

stay safe,
Mile


bog blocks: 9USD a piece + shipping








bigger bog blocks: 16USD a piece + shipping
 
Have the pieces been dated? If so, how old are they? Do the blocks come with a certificate?
 
i4Mac, I am just curious how can you have one certificate per block? or one certificate per tree and it is photocopied for each block cut from the lumber?
 
I looked into getting some bog oak carbon-14 dated last year and it was going to cost somewhere around $200-250. It wasn't worth it for the relatively small quantity I had, around 120bf.
 
kurutoga,

I don't know. I imagine there is one certificate which is photo copied. I am just asking the questions because I have seen other sellers who offer bog oak provide a certificate and the age is given.
 
hey guys,

no certificate on the age, it is what it is - a healthy chunk of ancient oak.
you can use it as it is or have it stabilized, will work fine both ways.

mile
 
That looks like nice handle material.


Info for those with questions about this type material:
To date any finding of organic material, a sample is carbon dated and a report is issued. This report is used to date the whole find. Reputable sellers make copies of the report and give one with each piece of the lot.

On a large batch, it may be worth it for the dealer, adding only a dollar or two per block. On a smaller batch, it is cost prohibitive.

When I sell a knife handled with bog oak I have a certificate for, I print a copy of the report on the knife certificate I make. This is a really good selling point.

Just an additional comment - there is bog oak, and there is sinker oak. While similar in look, there is a technical difference.
Bog oak was preserved in tannin laden and oxygen deprived peat bogs. It has a very distinctive black look. The trees are amazingly preserved in many cases. Most bog oak is between 2000 and 6000 years old.
Sinker oak is oak that fell into a river or lake and was buried in the mud for centuries to millennia. It often looks like driftwood when found. It slowly carbonifies in the oxygen deprived silt. Jet is a gemstone made from this type wood. It darkens as it ages, being anywhere from golden yellow, to brown, to black. Older specimens often have silver grey streaks from the silica in the mud. Compared to bog oak, it often has more exposed cracks. In the best specimens, it can be a dead ringer for bog oak. Sinker oak can range from just a few hundred years old to 15,000 years old. Left longer it petrifies ( or rots).

Much of the internet sales of "bog oak" is really sinker oak. The two names are often used interchangeably. It is not much of a concern for knifemakers which it actually is.

The best way to know which it actually is, is to know the source of the find. If it came out of a peat bog, it is bog oak. If it came from a river/lake/quarry/etc., then it is sinker oak.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
That looks like nice handle material.


Info for those with questions about this type material:
To date any finding of organic material, a sample is carbon dated and a report is issued. This report is used to date the whole find. Reputable sellers make copies of the report and give one with each piece of the lot.

On a large batch, it may be worth it for the dealer, adding only a dollar or two per block. On a smaller batch, it is cost prohibitive.

When I sell a knife handled with bog oak I have a certificate for, I print a copy of the report on the knife certificate I make. This is a really good selling point.

Just an additional comment - there is bog oak, and there is sinker oak. While similar in look, there is a technical difference.
Bog oak was preserved in tannin laden and oxygen deprived peat bogs. It has a very distinctive black look. The trees are amazingly preserved in many cases. Most bog oak is between 2000 and 6000 years old.
Sinker oak is oak that fell into a river or lake and was buried in the mud for centuries to millennia. It often looks like driftwood when found. It slowly carbonifies in the oxygen deprived silt. Jet is a gemstone made from this type wood. It darkens as it ages, being anywhere from golden yellow, to brown, to black. Older specimens often have silver grey streaks from the silica in the mud. Compared to bog oak, it often has more exposed cracks. In the best specimens, it can be a dead ringer for bog oak. Sinker oak can range from just a few hundred years old to 15,000 years old. Left longer it petrifies ( or rots).

Much of the internet sales of "bog oak" is really sinker oak. The two names are often used interchangeably. It is not much of a concern for knifemakers which it actually is.

The best way to know which it actually is, is to know the source of the find. If it came out of a peat bog, it is bog oak. If it came from a river/lake/quarry/etc., then it is sinker oak.
Click to expand...

Oaks don't grow anywhere near fens or bogs, and never have, so I have a hard time believing any one of these claims. Sinker logs (hardwood saw logs that sank enroute to a mill) though are being salvaged from sea ports, lakes and rivers by the proverbial ton these days.
 
I'll take blocks 1, 2, 3, & 4. Send me a total with shipping and your payment info. & I'll get you paid. Edited to add that as long as the total is $100 or less. If the total is more than $100 please cancel the order.
 
300Six said:
Oaks don't grow anywhere near fens or bogs, and never have, so I have a hard time believing any one of these claims. Sinker logs (hardwood saw logs that sank enroute to a mill) though are being salvaged from sea ports, lakes and rivers by the proverbial ton these days.
Click to expand...

Not exactly true. In California's Central Valley, there were once vast forests of oaks growing in seasonal floodplain. In winter, these areas would flood in heavy storms; and when mountains snows melted in spring. These were mostly valley oaks, similar to white oak on the East Coast. The rest of the year, these areas were islands or grassy plains threaded by rivers and streams. All this is well documented in numerous historical accounts before and during the Gold Rush.
 
Hey Darrin, I'll put them on ice (no.1 2 3 4) and get back to you tomorrow when I weigh them and get a shipping estimate. I'll see how much I can pack into a parcel worth 100bucks with shipping included.

jimfbte, email responded, no.8 & 12 are also on the rocks.

thank you for your input, Stacy, I appreciate it.
You nailed it in the 'cost prohibitive' section.

300six, these particular pieces were harvested from a log dug out from the river bed of Glina river ('glina' meaning clay) - log was definitely not sawed - it still had pieces of roots on it.
It is a relatively short and shallow continental river which would have no commercial purpose for log transport in a landscape covered by oak trees (perhaps only as a 'motor' for big mill saws).
Most common species of oak in these parts is quercus robur.
Here is the article in pdf about 'abonos' by croatian forest research institute explaining discovering, harvesting and some mechanical properties of this wood found on a couple of sites in Croatia (unfortunately, only summary is in english).
http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/69793

cheers,
Mile
 
300Six said:
Oaks don't grow anywhere near fens or bogs, and never have, so I have a hard time believing any one of these claims. Sinker logs (hardwood saw logs that sank enroute to a mill) though are being salvaged from sea ports, lakes and rivers by the proverbial ton these days.
Click to expand...

I was under the impression these trees are not necessarily oak. They are just called that name for some reason.
 
all is good, numbers 1 2 3 4 7 8 10 12 14 are sold.

kurutoga, I know of ancient kauri of new zealand.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top