Looky here at the handle material I found!

[cudgee]

Thanks guys.

I can't wait to see how that chestnut looks all cleaned up!
Yep, I didn't experience it but my Dad said there was a blight that came through and killed all of the American Chestnut trees.
In the fall, when we would go squirrel hunting, we always took a path where we walked by an old chestnut log. My Dad would always recount the story of the blight.

My Pa used to tell me all about the chestnut trees and the blight. My dad said he ran up on one back when I was just a kid that was still living one day when he was out quail hunting, but I have no idea where it was.

Lots of old rail fences, barns, and smokehouses here were made of chestnut because it would split straight and was easy to work with mauls and splitting axes. It sure is pretty wood when it’s all dressed up like in my one Canal Street knife.

Watched a TV show last night and the chestnut tree was mentioned, everything you have said is correct. Was used extensively in making cabins, barns, smokehouses and such, and for other projects around farms, it was readily available and good to work with. In the 1920'2 the blight went through and decimated the trees, they showed some wood examples, pre the blight and after the blight took hold. It was amazing, the wood that was after the blight had worm holes all through it, and you could clearly see them, so any wood that has survived that has no worm infestation is pre-1920's. They cannot work out why they cannot grow the trees anymore, they are doing research and studies into trying to re establish the tree, but for some reason it will not grow, and they do not know why. Was very interesting.

[Colonel26]

Thanks guys.

I can't wait to see how that chestnut looks all cleaned up!
Yep, I didn't experience it but my Dad said there was a blight that came through and killed all of the American Chestnut trees.
In the fall, when we would go squirrel hunting, we always took a path where we walked by an old chestnut log. My Dad would always recount the story of the blight.

My Pa used to tell me all about the chestnut trees and the blight. My dad said he ran up on one back when I was just a kid that was still living one day when he was out quail hunting, but I have no idea where it was.

Lots of old rail fences, barns, and smokehouses here were made of chestnut because it would split straight and was easy to work with mauls and splitting axes. It sure is pretty wood when it’s all dressed up like in my one Canal Street knife.

Watched a TV show last night and the chestnut tree was mentioned, everything you have said is correct. Was used extensively in making cabins, barns, smokehouses and such, and for other projects around farms, it was readily available and good to work with. In the 1920'2 the blight went through and decimated the trees, they showed some wood examples, pre the blight and after the blight took hold. It was amazing, the wood that was after the blight had worm holes all through it, and you could clearly see them, so any wood that has survived that has no worm infestation is pre-1920's. They cannot work out why they cannot grow the trees anymore, they are doing research and studies into trying to re establish the tree, but for some reason it will not grow, and they do not know why. Was very interesting.

It is interesting. From what I understand, the stumps still live underground and put up shoots, but they just die back.

Pa was born in ‘21, and they’re we’re still in affected trees when he was a kid. He used to tell me how good the nuts were to eat. But they all died in my area when he was a young man.

[1967redrider]

Great find of some resourceful wood. Most of the beams and original boards in our barn are Chestnut. It was so prevalent in our area that even 100 years after the blight, the old stumps are still pushing up saplings. Maybe one day they will beat the blight and restore the forrest back to how it once was.

A guy who owns the house we stayed in Sunday and Monday in Garrett Co. has some saplings about the circumference of a softball that he's hoping will mature. Wish I would have taken some pictures of them.

[cudgee]

I was over at mom and dad’s for dinner after church today and momma asked me if I wanted any of the wood blocks daddy had picked up at a local Amish sawmill back when they were burning wood. She was threatening to just burn them all up and get them out of her way.

Daddy said you can’t do that, there’s some old chestnut down there! That’s when I peeked up. Evidently someone had brought some old barn beams in to have them sawed up and daddy got the scraps.

Now I got em! Once I get the grinder going I intend to use these for some handles!

64BB170B-27C3-4CEE-A942-6EB562129643.jpeg

American Chestnut is all but extinct and was once a major part of daily life in these parts. So this was very exciting for me.

They ain’t pretty now, but dressed up they will be!

After reading all the posts and what else i have heard about this wood, cannot wait to see what you do with it. If it has no worm holes through it, it is probably over 100 years old. Now it is is a really great find.

[Reverand]

When I was a boy there was one old chestnut tree standing out in the woods behind our house. It had been dead for probably 50 years, had no limbs left on it, but kept standing until about 30 years ago it finally fell in a storm.
Out Cub Scout troop Had hiked out to it, and 8 of us held hands in a ring and could not reach all the way around it.

About 20 years ago I helped my Dad to tear down, move, and restore several log houses. Some had Chestnut logs in them, and it is a very beautiful and hardy wood.

[TripleF]

I was over at mom and dad’s for dinner after church today and momma asked me if I wanted any of the wood blocks daddy had picked up at a local Amish sawmill back when they were burning wood. She was threatening to just burn them all up and get them out of her way.

Daddy said you can’t do that, there’s some old chestnut down there! That’s when I peeked up. Evidently someone had brought some old barn beams in to have them sawed up and daddy got the scraps.

Now I got em! Once I get the grinder going I intend to use these for some handles!

64BB170B-27C3-4CEE-A942-6EB562129643.jpeg

American Chestnut is all but extinct and was once a major part of daily life in these parts. So this was very exciting for me.

They ain’t pretty now, but dressed up they will be!

Very cool!!!!

[kootenay joe]

I planted 3 Chestnut trees here on my property in south central B.C. Two i planted about 37 years ago and one about 20 years ago. One is supposed to be American Chestnut and 2 American x Chinese Chestnuts. They are growing well. One of them is already a BIG tree. I get quite a few very good edible Chestnuts every Fall. The sharp spiky outer coat keeps the squirrels from getting them
I also have about 7 walnut trees but the squirrels take 90% of the nuts and most years i cannot find where they have stashed them.
kj

[carrmillus]

....haven't been downtown in quite a while , but there was a chestnut tree just off of main st. near the downtown area in a backyard, it wasn't very big, probably about 25 ft. tall.......i'll look next time I'm in the big city!!!............... ...................

[Colonel26]

....haven't been downtown in quite a while , but there was a chestnut tree just off of main st. near the downtown area in a backyard, it wasn't very big, probably about 25 ft. tall.......i'll look next time I'm in the big city!!!............... ...................

It’s probably a Chinese chestnut. There are several of those around. I used to love the nuts, but I haven’t had any in a while. The Chinese Chestnut trees are immune to the blight.

[Colonel26]

I planted 3 Chestnut trees here on my property in south central B.C. Two i planted about 37 years ago and one about 20 years ago. One is supposed to be American Chestnut and 2 American x Chinese Chestnuts. They are growing well. One of them is already a BIG tree. I get quite a few very good edible Chestnuts every Fall. The sharp spiky outer coat keeps the squirrels from getting them
I also have about 7 walnut trees but the squirrels take 90% of the nuts and most years i cannot find where they have stashed them.
kj

I’d love to see pics of those trees!!!

[carrmillus]

....haven't been downtown in quite a while , but there was a chestnut tree just off of main st. near the downtown area in a backyard, it wasn't very big, probably about 25 ft. tall.......i'll look next time I'm in the big city!!!............... ...................

It’s probably a Chinese chestnut. There are several of those around. I used to love the nuts, but I haven’t had any in a while. The Chinese Chestnut trees are immune to the blight.

....back in the '70's when I was still working, we had a secretary who lived WAY out in the country, and every year she would bring bags of nuts for us, and man, were they good!!!!................. .........................

[kootenay joe]

I planted 3 Chestnut trees here on my property in south central B.C. Two i planted about 37 years ago and one about 20 years ago. One is supposed to be American Chestnut and 2 American x Chinese Chestnuts. They are growing well. One of them is already a BIG tree. I get quite a few very good edible Chestnuts every Fall. The sharp spiky outer coat keeps the squirrels from getting them
I also have about 7 walnut trees but the squirrels take 90% of the nuts and most years i cannot find where they have stashed them.
kj

I’d love to see pics of those trees!!!

I have just left my rural property for my house in 'town'. I will take pics when i go back in about 2 weeks time ? Springtime when they blossom would also be a good time to take pictures.
The biggest tree was 'hit' with a sudden very cold snap in November when it had been in the ground for about 4-5 years. The sap was still in the trunk and it froze and in Spring only the bottom about 3" above soil was still alive. But it sent up a new leader shoot and over the next ~ 35 years it has become my best Castanea tree. It lives right next to a huge old Cedar tree so they must like each other.
kj