A question about a small sinker log

[Nomad]

     I looked at a job of small sinker logs this morning; all cypress and pine.  This log really caught my eye.  I don't know enough about trees to understand how this happened, and I hope somebody can enlighten me.
    This log is obviously axe cut.  It's hard to see in the photo, but the markings above the cut are the date 1861 and some words and/or initials.  Interesting, but not my question.  The thing that puzzles me is that the markings are raised above the surface of the wood by a good 3/8 to 1/2".  They must have been engraved with a knife or something; how does a tree do that?  Would this happen while the tree was still living, or after the log sank?
     Fortunately that end of the log is hollow anyway.  The owner doesn't know it yet but I will refuse to saw that bit of history into boards.  I'll cut that section out for posterity, but not destroy it.

     

 

[bama20a]

Not an expert by any means,But the carving looks to be what is called relief carving,
So if that is the case. The tree would have to have been cut or dead before it was carved, ???.I think ;D

[steamsawyer]

This is very interesting. Did the owner say where this log was found?

Alan

[pineywoods]

Carving one's initials, sweethearts names, dates etc in the thick bark of a beech tree  is a time honored tradition where I grew up. Have done so a few times myself. It's easy to do using a pocket knife as a gouge. Cut all the way down into the cambium and the tree will eventually heal over and leave a raised scar on the surface.... Most likely it's beech..Loggers recently cut a big old hollow beech near the old home place. It was clearly inscribed "Buck treed a possum here nov 1949"

[Nomad]

Not an expert by any means,But the carving looks to be what is called relief carving,
So if that is the case. The tree would have to have been cut or dead before it was carved, ???.I think ;D

     Bama, I agree it does look like relief carving.  But I can't picture a kid in 1861 doing a bas relief of his girlfriend's initials, or whatever that is, in a small cypress tree.  Further, there's no cut out area around it to indicate that.

This is very interesting. Did the owner say where this log was found?
Alan

     The closest I'm gonna pin this is in Volusia county.  Don't want to step on anybody's toes.

Carving one's initials, sweethearts names, dates etc in the thick bark of a beech tree  is a time honored tradition where I grew up. Have done so a few times myself. It's easy to do using a pocket knife as a gouge. Cut all the way down into the cambium and the tree will eventually heal over and leave a raised scar on the surface.... Most likely it's beech..Loggers recently cut a big old hollow beech near the old home place. It was clearly inscribed "Buck treed a possum here nov 1949"

     Pineywoods, you may have nailed it.  The log is cypress, but I bet the idea works the same.

[beenthere]

I was thinking this 'carved' log is a pine. Don't know if the following fits cypress if cambium is cut when the tree is live.

If carved when living, the tree may have bled resin out in the cuts. Later when felled and I'm assuming later submerged, the sapwood disintegrated away leaving the pitchy area standing tall (er). Just a guess.

And pineywoods theory works for me too, that the cuts healed over and the bark sloughed off leaving the ridges.

[pineywoods]

Axe cut and left lying in the woods.  Hhmmm, sounds like a lovers quarrel  ;D

[DanG]

BT, the part you crossed out is exactly what I was thinking. ;)

[dgdrls]

Wonder if its a Land Survey, bearing or witness tree?  Corner or section corner tree??

Whats inscribed on it??

DGDrls

[Nomad]

     This gets odder.  I looked at that log pretty carefully today.  I doubt the "1861" date.  I can't see it, even if the other guys say they can.  I also doubt the carvings on it are regular initials.  I suppose it really could be some sort of survey marker; I have no idea what symbols were used then.  Some look like pretty cryptic writing to me.  Some of the symbols are pretty large.  At least 6" high.  Some are much smaller, around 2".  If it was carved by a teenager with a buck knife he was pretty Dang talented!
     I didn't get any pics today, but I'll be back down there Friday and I will then.  Right now I'm very curious about this log.
     They have no intention of sawing that section of the log; they're still trying to figure out what to do with it.  I'll try to get some good pics Friday.

[Shotgun]

  ...  If it was carved by a teenager with a buck knife he was pretty Dang talented! ...
 
  /quote]

~~~
I really doubt that any teenager had a 'Buck' knife in 1861.  But I get your point.  I'm a knife collector.   :D

Norm

[Cypress Sam]

I have recovered a lot of sinker logs.  Most of then have the loggers mark or initials carved into the large end of the log.
This was done because they were floated to the mill and mixed with everyone's logs.

[Nomad]

I have recovered a lot of sinker logs.  Most of then have the loggers mark or initials carved into the large end of the log.
This was done because they were floated to the mill and mixed with everyone's logs.

     Now that could well be possible.  But how would that explain the lettering being raised now?  I'm gonna have to post some better pics.

[Magicman]

According to an article in the "Colorado Outdoors" magazine a couple of years ago, if the carving does not go completely through the bark and into the actual wood, the carving will last many years and decay will not be introduced into the tree.  I have seen many such carvings in Quaking Aspen where the carving is actually sticking out of the bark.

Many date back into the late 1800's and early 1900's.

[SAnVA]

Like one of the above posters said, the tree scarred over and left the writing raised when the bark came off, I found a bee tree in the woods while deer hunting that my Great Grandfather had marked about 50 yrs. earlier, a big X his initials and the year, need to go back and see if I can find it one of these days!