Take the guesswork out of what to give Dad for Father’s Day.
Specialty fishing
Bill Oyster’s custom bamboo fly rods are always in demand, especially around Father’s Day. The high-end rods are hand made – in a lengthy process using a raw stalk of Tonkin bamboo cane in Oyster’s workshop in Blue Ridge, Ga. He then hand engraves the nickel hardware on the rods. Prices range from $1,840 to $4,600. Higher-priced rods have more aesthetic upgrades and personalization.
While you can order a bamboo fly rod, you also can learn to make one in Oyster’s rod-making classes, which attract craftsmen and fly fishermen from around the world. Often given as a gift, the six-day class is $1,390. At the end of class, you take a home a complete, ready-to-fish bamboo rod. For information about rods and classes, check www.oysterbamboo.com
Alligator for iPad
Protect Pop's new iPad with a sturdy yet handsome cover made from Louisiana alligator hide selected for its beauty and exotic appeal. The covers are crafted by a family from Lafayette, La., using only locally trapped and tanned Louisiana alligator hides. This family is dedicated to helping preserve the state's local alligator industry by promoting connections between trappers, tanners, crafters and consumers. Choose iPad covers in brown, black or tan for $1,050 at www.louisianaliving.com. Also check out other alligator products, including a flask ($275) and wallets ($249 and $349).
Write on
For Christmas one year, Colin Purvis of Alpharetta made pens as gifts for his family. The beautiful burled wood pens were such a hit that Purvis decided to sell them through his company, Low Country Burl. The 22-year-old industrial design student at SCAD in Savannah works with wood from six continents, including Amboyna Burl from Laos and Snakewood, which is imported from Suriname. These exotic woods have fantastic ranges of color, Purvis says. The pens (from right) are $50, $75 and $25. For information or to place a custom order, visit Purvis’ online store at www.etsy.com/shop/LowCountryBurl.
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