LUCKENBACH TEXAS L FROM A VERY NEARBY LIVE OAK*** AND a few more BEAUTIES for BIDS

Auction is OVER!  Yahooo!!  There'll be another coming shortly.  High bidders please consider using paypal by clicking on the little yellow/orange box with the title "make a donation" in the left hand margin of this page and please include shipping ($2.50) to your total.  If you'd like special shipping please let me know.

Thanks !

Jimbo

Ever been to Luckenbach Texas?  If you haven't, you should go.  Everybody's somebody in Luckenbach!  That's what the sign says and I believe it.  Nice folks there.  Of course you've heard the classic cowboy song "Luckenbach Texas"!  No!?  Ok I'll give you a treat,  just click here .  We visited there a few weeks ago and I was able to rescue a stick of Live Oak from the bonfire pile stacked right next to the general store.  Think of it!  A crochet hook from a stick of Live Oak that came from THE actual site where Waylon and Willie and so many other famous Country Artist's have performed.  We went on a weekday and of course didn't get to see anyone famous, but the place is pretty impressive all by itself.  Of course I mosey'd around looking for hook fixins and ended up with this nice piece of  wood that if you hold it up to your ear you just might hear strains of "Blue Eyes Cryin in the Rain".  I won't mention the funny looks I got from folks, me carrying around a hunk of firewood held up to my ear.
Like the area, this hook is rustic.  You see a bit of the original bark on the foot.  You see a few knots here and there a bit of discoloration for character (all smooth, guaranteed).  Ane it's all there to inspire your crochet and have you humming country songs while you're at it.
Technically, this is an 8mm L   hook ( "L" for "Luckenbach" of course); it's Texas tall (8 inches) and is labeled "Lukenbach  L Jimbo" on the base (which permits the hook to stand tall on display).  You'll notice the clever misspelling of Luckenbach on the base, an intentional identifier of  originality in case some low down skunk decides to produce impostors.  Heh, actually that's just a lame excuse for slipping up.  But anyways this hook has big time provenance, especially if you're a connoisseur of Country.  And it can be YOURS if you're the high bidder!  Just email me your bids at jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com and I'll post them as soon as I get to this keyboard.  We'll make this one run till 10pm Tuesday night, November 25th.  Tying bids will be resolved in favor of the first received.  I do take "Proxy" bids if you choose to do that as well but if we get a tie on highest prosy bid, resolution will again be in favor of the first received but I'll notify the lower bidder of the situation.  Bids increase by $5 minimum.
If I get time I'll edit this post to include more hooks, so please check back if Luckenbach doesn't quit tickle your fancy.

Consider your fancy tickled!  I've added more to the pot and these are some of the best yet and they're ALL made of wood grown right here in the USA!  Ok maybe the egg hook isn't but I just couldn't let it languish in my inventory this close to Christmas.
Lets take a look (check close to see the letter lables in the photo)

Hook A is the Egg hook and it's an amazing and extremely rare beauty.  I don't often make an egg hook of an exotic wood because there's a large amount of waste, turning a solid block down to a small hook size; so the expense is high.  But the figure of this wood, and another buyer for the other end of this block made it happen.  This is if I'm thinking right, Cocobolo and the grain is drop dead beautiful.  It's an H and is about 5 inches long.

Hook B.  What can I say?  The photo's not enough, really to show you the amazing grain contrast in this genuine spalted Deadman Crick Apple "O" (12mm) 8 1/4 inch long beauty.  It's going to be a challenge crocheting with this hook cause you'll just want to sit there and look at the wood.  Distracting?  yes.  Eye catching?  Yes is an understatement.  Smooth? Unbelievably so.  Unique?  You'll never come even close to anything like this in the known universe if it didn't come from the same log.  Take a look at the little bowl on the left in the picture.  It's made from the same log.  Now I've a couple more hook blanks from this same log, and they'll make different size sister hooks, but this one's here now and is ready for your bids.

Hook C is a rustic Q (16mm)  in Deadman Crick Bramble. I call it Bramble cause the branches are typically all gnarly and have these deadly inch long thorns that never fail to take a drop or two  blood sample when I'm sawing away.  It's worth it, though, when I find a piece that's straight enough and willing to become a hook.  Ever use a Q hook?  Well this one might just make the top of your list.  The head is shaped specially to let the yarn move smoothly onto the 16mm shank.  Looks rough because I left some of the bark on, but I purposely did that because it's just amazingly beautiful.  Bark if you've noticed is among Mom Nature's best artwork.  Another hook you can get lost in looking at, but don't forget it crochets beautifully too.  Oh yeah, this one's 7 3/4 inches long.

Hook D's another Deadman Crick Apple beauty, and another amazingly beautiful piece of Mother Nature's artwork.  The grain goes between subtle waves and swirls around a knot that's as pretty in my veiw as a mounted gem.   You don't see the knot in the picture and I didn't have time to take another shot (I'm rushing to post these cause I have be away today and tomorrow).  But trust me, this is a spectacular hook.  Oh and it's 5.25mm (a snug H) and is  7 3/4 inches long.
(oops!!!  I got some labeling backwards, which is extra embarrassing since I've had to be away while bids come in.  What WAS hook E is really hook F (the Luckenbach hook).  I'll edit it below to be correct....


Hook E ?F  I tell you it just keeps getting better and better.  This one is WAY beyond my camera's ability to capture subtle beauty and texture.  It's storebought wood.  Got it from my guy at Windsor who told me it's an "Oregon Mountain Mahogany"  Color is the only thing about this wood that reminds me of mahogany because this is as close to Ebony in density as I've found.  It took several sharpenings of my lathe tools and dulled my carving knives but it's well worth the resharpening effort.  I seriously considered leaving it unfinished because the surface just glistened all by itself.  I relented and applied finish, though just because I never know what kind of humidity the wood will be in.  Grain pattern, color, chatoyance, utterly amazing smoothness, this hook has it all in spades.  And it's a unique size... 11mm  and is 7 3/4 inches long.  Bet you don't have an 11 mm hook, eh?  Well you could if you're high bidder.

Hook F E is the Luckenbach hook.  See my comments above about this rare piece.  I doubt there's ever been a crochet hook made from wood that's been exposed to the music of Waylon, Willie and the boys.

Okey dokey, lets get'er goin!

Bids:
Hook A
Carla changes her mind and goes with A for $35
Susan's a first time bidder!  Welcome!!  And her bid is $45

Hook B
Anamaria goes $25
Monte bumps it up to $30
Carol goes to $40
Diana raises $45

Hook C
Yvonne likes gnarly: $30

Hook D
Mona's here with $20
Dalton raises:  $25
Doug's not messing around.... $40
Dalton bumps it up to $45
Robert with $50

Hook E(Lukenbach!!) Carla breaks the ice with $35
Robert goes $40
Nancy's here with $50

Hook F
Anamaria forgives my confusion and bids $25
Diana bumps to $30
Cathy takes it to $40
Diana's right back with $45

*** With Carla's permission, I've decided to extend the auction a week.  Hate to do that but I've been called away for a spell and won't be near a computer to end the auction.  Hope you'll understand.  The auction will close Wednesday, Dec. 2 3 at 10pm.  Hopefully I can add some hooks to the lonesome Luckenbach hook for a bit more selection.  You can still send in bids but I won't be back for a spell to post them and I apologize for that.