SOLD to TJ on 10/18/2018.
We have some fantastic hand hewn oaks in 8×8 to 10×10 sizes. We can cut the tops to make more rectangular pieces. Very nice batch. Contact us for pictures of the inventory.

Gorgeous, rustic fireplace mantel made from an old white oak barn beam. The face and bottom have original hand-hewn texture. This is from back in the day when folks swung axes to make a round log into a square beam. In this area, that is the late 1800s. It is amazing to think that this is the real thing from early American settlers. There is a little lighter sapwood (the wood just underneath the bark) on the lower edge. I thought that it was a pleasant amount. The top has been cut smooth to remove some issues. It makes for a nice flat shelf for your decorations, family photos, and knick-knacks.

Note, these pictures were taken in full sun, so they are a little overly bright and “poppy.”

There tend to be two types of hand hewing — rough and smooth. Often times, you’ll see beams that are “choppy” looking. To get beams smoother, they work the beam several times with different tools. For example, they may do the first pass with a broad ax or even a felling ax. Then, the would do second or third pass with an adz. This mantel is the former — a single pass with a felling ax.

The original beam came from an old barn in Southwest Wisconsin. It probably dated back to the late 1800s We purchased this wood from an Amish gentleman who lives out in the rolling hills of the area. That area is still dotted with small farms where the cows and other livestock wander out in the corrals. It’s not like the modern farms that we see by our place in Minnesota with hundreds of cows stuffed in a tin building. It is great to see agriculture the way that I remember it as a kid.

We can cut this mantel shorter and refinish the ends for an additional $50.

It can be shipped anywhere in the lower 48 states via FedEx Gnd for $75.

About the tag – Rabbits – An old cartoon from a 1920s vintage newspaper.l to create a deeply saturated color final product.