With Christmas drawing ever closer I have been busy filling orders that need to arrive at their destinations prior to Dec. 25th. This year has been an extra busy one, with custom orders, Christmas gifts, and special tankards that have been on the design table and workbench for the past 3 months. Those special tankards are finished now (the above photo is a sneak peak at one who's owner will be announced in the spring of 2010).
Four similar tankard were made - two of which will go to owners we all know, at least on the big screen, and the other two were purchased by a regular customer of MacGowan's. The banded tankard in the above photo is made of Bubinga; Paduak; and Hard Maple. The banding consists of Paduak and Bubinga striping, while the main body is Bubinga, the bottom Hard Maple... the lid (not shown in photo) is Bird's Eye Maple with a Cocobolo finial, and the handle is Padauk.
The construction method employed for theses tankards is different and more time intensive than the methods used for most tankards at MacGowan's, as these particular tankards required extreme precision to ensure the banding is perfect so the lines aren't skewed while turning. The lid features a trick learned from a 17th century tankard I saw on an antiques auction website - lids will typically warp over time due to the difference between the moisture on the inside of the tankard and the dry air outside. This causes one side to expand while the other side contracts, making it warp into a noticeable "U" shape. A dovetail notch was cut into the underside of the lid (against the grain) and a piece of Lyptus was inserted into the joint to ensure a more stable lid that won't warp nearly as much over time. Any warping at all will most likely not be noticeable.
The handle is carved to slip over the banding and the top of the handle is hinged to hold the lid and to allow for a thumb operated lid lever.
Craftmanship throughout these tankards is exquisite and the interior is lined with the same FDA approved polymer that allows for both hot and cold beverages!
The price for a similar, but slightly different, tankard is approximately $350 - $400 at this time.
Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and an incredibly Happy and SAFE New Year!!
Sincerely,
James
