Anybody have recommendations for wood in Southern California that is suitable for a tamo. I live near a ton of oak, but I'd think it would be too hard.

Thanks,

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Jeremy

Lots of pine trees in the San Gabriel Mountains.

John
笑山

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Tenkara Guides LLC

Freshly cut Oak can work, it's just heavy. Use what you can find. That's my motto.

If you put in some shaping time in cutting away excess wood Oak could work. It would be a strong Tamo. It would be quite a task but could be done. The Pine would be a simpler choice. I think experimentation might be the best advise. Can't wait to see how it goes Jeremy.

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テンカラのイモリ
Tenkara Mushroom

Thanks for the advice. I have some CA Oaks around me which look beautiful when stained. But the really great looking one is the Red Oak that is nearby and looks incredible when finished. It's like a rock, but it looks amazing! I'm heading to the Kern for the weekend so I'll grab some pine, then grab some red oak, if I can find a suitable piece. Should be fun!

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Jeremy

Looks like steam bending Oak should work very well.

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テンカラのイモリ
Tenkara Mushroom

I have been trying some steam bending and Oak is not necessarily the best. The hardest part is the degree of the bending needed. For Oak I would get it green, and then you may still need to steam it.
Fruit Treees if you can get access to one should be good too.

I do not make tamos myself, but just for your information.

A professional tamo builder told me that you had to put the wood in boiling water for 4 hours to soften it.

Eddie

I'll experiment w/ the fruit trees too. I have a Crab Apple tree that has a branch that will need pruning, has a nice split or fork that says Tamo to me. I thought the fruit branches might be to heavy without the strength that Oak would have. I'll try some too. There's also a Pear and Plum that will also need pruning. Maybe they will end up being good specimens. While the weight might seem heavy might not be bad while attached to gear or a wading belt. I think maybe the character of these woods will make extra weight less of an issue.

Eddie I have failed several times with Maple trees that have the perfect T-shaped branches. I will test this w/boiling also.

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テンカラのイモリ
Tenkara Mushroom

My understanding is the California Oak is a protected tree and van only be cut under certain circumstances. Be careful not to break the law and get caught. What I found is this.

Destroying
Under the guidelines of the Oak Tree Ordinance in Los Angeles, California, it is illegal to remove, or in any way damage the life of an oak tree that has a diameter of 8 inches and stands at least 54 inches tall without first obtaining a permit to do so. Protected oak trees include the valley oak and the California live oak. The scrub oak is not protected.

The Permit
Permits to remove, chop down, or relocate a protected oak tree in California must be obtained from the Board of Public Works. Permits are not needed if the oak tree is in danger of falling, or its health has become damaged beyond repair.

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Rick

テンカラ。小さなストリームのシンプルさ。
My Tenkara Rods:
13' Ayu, 12' Yamame, 11' with a conversion handle, and an Ito.

My Wife's Tenkara Rods:
12' Ebisu and 13.5' Amago, 12' Iwana with a conversion handle, and an Ito.