NOW The Survivor Tree faced a different test in 2020, this time by a devastating ice storm. Many in the city woke up on October 27th to a tweet from the Memorial that read, “Memorial and OK State Forester Crews continue to work on the Survivor Tree this morning at the Memorial. We lost a branch but have propped up others to save them.” - Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. One factor that made this ice storm so powerful and unique is that it occurred so early in the season and most deciduous trees had not dropped their foliage, causing an overwhelming amount of weight on the ice covered trees. The historic ice storm left more than 300,000 Oklahomans without power and many with extensive damage to properties and homes. Oklahoma City Memorial and Oklahoma Forestry Services
crews were scrambling to save the tree, and true to its resilient nature, the tree once again survived. BC Clark Jewelers knows a little bit about standing the test of time and surviving changes in the Oklahoma landscape. So when a BC Clark employee came to the Clarks with the idea of preserving the fallen wood in a William Henry knife, the idea was quickly presented to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and to William Henry. Once the branches were shipped to William Henry Studio in Oregon, its team went to work drying the wood and creating the final limited edition product — The Survivor Tree Knife.
THE KNIFE Creating this knife took months of planning, hard work, and dedication. The first step was to dry the wood that had been recovered. This process took place in a chamber where air circulation, relative humidity, and temperature could be controlled so that the moisture content of the wood could be reduced to a target point without having any drying defects. This process can take months to avoid any cracking or splintering of the wood. Next, William Henry stabilized the wood with epoxy resin. Once the wood was stabilized, it was sawn into small coupons for machining into the knife scales and shaped each by hand one at a time. Once shaped, the scales were buffed and polished, and the frames were etched to reveal the Damascus pattern. Finally, the button lock and thumb stud were set with citrine gemstones representing the rising and setting sun on either side of the Memorial. This unique handmade masterpiece is fashioned to last a lifetime and carry on the Oklahoma City National Memorial Survivor Tree’s legacy. Like BC Clark, William Henry holds a high standard for quality and excellence. Every product William Henry makes is a distinctive heirloom-quality testament to the art of handcrafted luxury goods. Each product takes up to 18 months to produce and incorporates the work of more than 30 artisans across 800 individual operations. The seamless integration of classic natural materials and state-of-the-art alloys is a signature of William Henry’s work — no compromises, no shortcuts, exceptional quality. This true testament to craftsmanship is why BC Clark was confident that William Henry could help them design and create a piece worthy of the legacy of the Survivor tree. These numbered, limited edition of 50, handcrafted knives featuring Damascus Steel are available at all three BC Clark stores for a limited time beginning on November 26, 2022. Each knife retails for $1,950 and for each knife sold, BC Clark will donate $500 to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, so they can continue their important mission of remembrance and education.
This limited run of 50 knives will be available in our stores for $1,950 beginning November 26.
Source: Photos & Information: https://memorialmuseum.com/ experience/the-survivor-tree/the-survivor-tree-today/
15 BC CLARK MAGAZINE
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