Hand crafted lamps of Texas mesquite are truly unique. Mesquite trees are native to Corpus Christi and the South Texas area. Charlie Fehrenkamp spends lots of time in the brush looking for trees and branches that he can transform into something special. He spends hours at his lathe, turning each piece by hand. Sometimes his wife Ellen has to keep the workbench from hopping away when Charlie has a piece of mesquite in the lathe. Mesquite wood is EXTREMELY hard and heavy. The grain is very tight and very beautiful when finished. Of course, all this work produces a lot of wood shavings, much to the delight of Charlie and Ellen's barbequeing friends. Anyone in south Texas can tell you that meat cooked over mesquite is like nothing else you have ever tasted.
If you have ever lost an old tree to insects, disease or disaster, you know how sad it can be to lose an old friend. Charlie can take that loss and literally turn it into something beautiful. Charlie lives in Corpus Christi, Texas, and works with mesquite, oak, pecan, and many other varieties of wood. His keen eyes are constantly searching for a good piece of wood that he might turn into a lamp or candleholder. Often he uses five different varieties in one piece. The contrast of colors, grains and textures enhances one's appreciation of wood and each variety's unique characteristics.
Editor's note: When my mom's mesquite tree died, it was very sad. It was such a beautiful tree with many wonderful memories attached to it. Charlie's eyes lit up when he heard of our tragedy. "What's she going to do with it?" was all he wanted to know. Charlie got the wood and made the beautiful lamp pictured here. Now I'm ready to cut down the pecan tree in my own back yard so I can get some more of his lamps! Jana Meiser
To find out what Charlie has available right now, send an email to mesquites@aol.com.
This is Charlie. He makes lamps and candleholders.
