3" Persimmon Slabs

[WDH]

Had a guy call me and offer to sell me some 3" persimmon slabs from a tree taken down at a crossroads by the GA DOT.  He found me on my website where I have some persimmon lumber listed for sale.  He said that he hated to see it cut up into small pieces and hauled the landfill.  So, he had it slabbed 3" thick (he is a bowl turner) and wanted to keep some and sell the rest.

I have done well with selling persimmon to the hand plane makers, a croquet mallet head maker, a golf club maker, and a luthier.  It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive, but I wanted to see the slabs.  It was a large tree, about 25" in diameter according to the seller, and that is a big one.  There were about 20 slabs ranging in width from about 14" up to about 22" wide and 3" thick and in length from 4' to 7'.  Here is what I found when I got there.



 



 

I have never seen figure like that in persimmon.  It is in the Ebony family, so I knew that it would have a black pith and black spots at the branch nodes.  This stuff looks like black flames.  Anybody seen figure like this in persimmon?

I don't buy lumber, I saw, dry, and sell it.............  I bought them all  .

[gfadvm]

Very pretty!  That was well worth the trip! I can't find any persimmons big enough to saw here. Ours get about 6" in diameter, really tall, and then die:(

[WDH]

Apparently it is not commonly commercially available.  I get quite a few calls for it. 

[okmulch]

Very nice find, Danny!

[fishpharmer]

Not everyday you get a chance to buy the world champion persimmon ;) 8). Wow! Thats nice!

[Larry]

The most black I've seen in persimmon is about a 2 - 3" circle in a 12" log.  I know such logs existed, as a past forum member told me he used to saw a lot of it many years ago with black hearts.  If I remember right he said the market was golf clubs. 

[Bruno of NH]

Nice score !
Jim/Bruno

[Jemclimber]

That's beautiful!! Are you going to resell or do you have a project in mind?

[customsawyer]

You aren't making me feel any better about what we did with that persimmon at my house. :(

[WDH]

Jake,

We let it slip through our fingers like picking up sand on the beach.  We need a good flogging with a persimmon limb. 

Jason,

I will keep some for a few projects, and most likely kiln dry, plane, and sell the rest. 

[Magicman]

I don't buy lumber, I saw, dry, and sell it.............  I bought them all  .

Yup, there is a proper time to adjust your business plan.  You did good!!!

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Danny, been in the South all my life. I have never seen Persimmon like this.
Any chance of me buying a slab from you?
I have more than enough here for legs. Would make a great hallway table.

[WDH]

You can have the one that looks like a goat  :D. 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

You can have the one that looks like a goat  :D.

I do see one slab with the profile of a cat on it. 

[Peter Drouin]

I don't have trees like that here. With the black, It looks like it was dead stacked and forgotten about and stained. I just don't see what you guys see. :-\

[WDH]

OK, Pine Man  ;D. 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

OK, Pine Man  ;D.

Ooooooo.......he told you Peter.  :D :D :D :D

[Peter Drouin]

OK, Pine Man  ;D. 

That be Pine AND Hemlock Man. ;D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

OK, Pine Man  ;D. 

That be Pine AND Hemlock Man. ;D

:D :D :D :D   I still will buy a slab.....cause I SEE IT!


 

[WDH]

Hemlock Man (with shake). 

I like it  :D. 

[mesquite buckeye]

I don't have trees like that here. With the black, It looks like it was dead stacked and forgotten about and stained. I just don't see what you guys see. :-\

They grow like that, although the amount of black and striped stuff seems to vary. The wood is a pain in the a.. to dry without it pretzeling a bit. Once you get it dry the wood is hard and really smooth and can be brought to a fine polish. I really like it, but it has its limitations. Moves almost as bad as red gum eucalyptus.

Pretty neat. One of two native true ebony species. The other one , Texas persimmon, grows in south Texas south into Mexico. Really more of a big bush or small tree. That one is supposed to be blacker. I have grown them but never cut one. Purple/black fruits, nearly 1" that ripen in the heat of summer. Very yummy without the astringency of the widespread American persimmon.


Ebonies are cool. ;D ;D ;D 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

[Peter Drouin]

Hemlock Man (with shake). 

I like it  :D. 

But I can see the shake And know it's junk. I can look in the dooryard and find black wood, I don't have to go miles and miles away to find it. :D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I don't have to go miles and miles away to find it. :D

I do.....I will still buy a slab Danny.  :D

[Peter Drouin]

I don't have to go miles and miles away to find it. :D

I do.....I will still buy a slab Danny.  :D

Maybe if your nice he will send you a Little peace in a box like buckeye did, No whate, we'll have a contest.  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D ;D

[WDH]

You could send him a pine and hemlock slab  ;D.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

You could send him a pine and hemlock slab  ;D.

And I'll take a Shake with that.  ;D