Two Stanaback Specials I picked up at BLADE 2019, the Slab side is scheduled for a visit to Mr. Jim Adams in 13 months for "squirrel scrimmin'". The top, 4 inch blade is one of the Captain's first run of ltd editions, #26. Beefy 1/4" stock, they're built like a tank! I'm growing a strong liking for these. Lori has another on order, too.

I’m really liking those Stanaback specials! Might have to find me one. Nice knives!

That slab side is a problem for me. Thoughts of a 4" blade with stag slabs and the finger grooves keeps lingering.
Walker

Walker, that slab side feels really good in your hand!!

Lori
How do I say this? You are not helping me out here! First Wally posts picture then you add to the info. I'm going to have to look for an intervention team.
Thanks
Walker

My slab stag S Special is my most used knife!

Capt.
All I have left is "calf rope".
These people are not helping me at all!
That full grip special was nice. If it had the grip I "think" I want. I pushed away from it but I may have to order something soon.
Walker

Slab sided rules.

Chief, OUTSTANDING!!! Good on you.
Tom Philumalee, RKCCC CM-099,RKS #3081

Tom....what's up boss how ya been. Thanks for the kind words.
Of course most of them should go to Guido & the Captain for helping me pull this together.
The Captain kept ordering me his special till we got a killer one for a scrim in.
then Guido got it to Italy & back after having Francesco Salvadori scrim it.

Excellent, Chief
Walker

Chief, show us that other SSP you scored at Blade. You know the one that is related to ours. Walker really needs to see that one.

Chief, That's quite the project! There' just something about dat swamp water down there. Great knife work!

Side by side

Oof... whatta beauty!

Excellent pair there, Chief. Those are super.
Walker

Have two coming in chitum brier.
I never like them both so this way I will get one.
I used to have one in elephant ivory, but couldn't get it scrimed. Wish I had it now that I can get it done.

Chief
What the heck is chitin brier? Never heard of it. I know look it up on Google!!
Is it the same as brier root?

this

Looks better on a knife than as a block of wood.
Last time since they didn't match the "Good" Captain looking out for me like he does, talked me out of both of them, "Since they didn't match"! LOL

Now that we are talking about Ivory Stanaback specials......anybody have one in elephant or Walrus?

One more to look at not mine......at least not yet.

I believe it to be Chittum Burl which comes from the American Chittum or Smoke Tree. It only grows in limestone and is said to be only obtainable by chiseling or dynamiting the limestone. Picked this up at my first Blades Show in like.. 2011 or 2012. But.... Been wrong before!

LOL probably right my English isn't so good!

Actually, as a graduate forester, I am very familiar with the Chittum tree. The name came from the Chitt Indians, who didn't give a chit about much, especially the Chittum tree, thus it became a rare wood. Now you know.

Pap

Chief,

Both awesome scrim!

Great idea for my slab side Stanaback Special; thinking a Mount Rushmore scrim.

Tom Flynn

Very nice y'all.
Walker

That Chittum looks alot like Thuya Burl.

I have always ordered it from my suppliers and they have had it listed as "Cheatham Briar", spelled exactly like this and I don't know if we are talking about the same wood or not. Chief's matching blocks I am using looks similar to my Cheatham only his has been dyed. Per chance, they are 2 separate items?
Best, Capt. Chris

Cheatham Briar doesn't exist according to Google. No returns on search.

Here's a 25th anniversary Stanaback Special in Thuya for comparison.

Your Thuya looks similar to Chief's two blocks of Chittum.

yeah, looks closer to Chief's 2 than the wood on the "Who Dat" Saints knife!

The blocks are a yellowish color with reds eyes.
Regardless of what it's called It's hard to find as Pappy stated.
I've had it call Burl & Briar, reminds me of buckeye as it has all the red eye in it.

Thanks Tom, we think alike I was thinking of American Indian version of it.

Can't wait to see the results of all of the above what ever they are called... The end results are the prize!

I have heard that Chittum is a very rare wood; that it almost never burls and if so, only in very small quantity. first pic is of Chittum pistol scales.
Second pic is a custom friction folder with Chittum burl wood scales.
Third is samples from Rare Woods & Veneers in Atlanta.
(They look quite different to me, but the grain is sure beautiful.)

Wikipedia says:
"Cotinus obovatus, the American smoketree, chittamwood, or American smokewood, is a rare species of flowering plant native to Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee. It produces pink-grey flowers in summer, and its foliage turns a brilliant scarlet in autumn; considered by many to be the most intense fall color of any tree. It is highly sought after and cultivated in botanical gardens worldwide."

I think there is one underway.

It's not an SSP but the handle is Cheatham Briar.