If you stay in Scouting long enough, there is going to be a time you want to recognize a person for his/her accomplishments- a special thank you for a job well done, longevity in Scouting, the completion of a difficult task. Then you set out on a task to find the right token of your appreciation. There are paper weights, pens, plaques and certificates with different Scouting expressions to choose from. Usually you try to find something that (maybe) the intended recipient has not received before. A while ago I received an email about a product that will allow you to give a gift that is different and unique.

I received an email from Paul A. saying that he had a tungsten carbide ring with a flour-de-leis etching that I might be interested in for people in Scouting. We talked and he sent me a sample. To put it in the terms of the ‘60s, the ring is very cool. It is black tungsten with beveled edges. The ring has a width of 8.0mm with a shiny surface. The flour-de-leis symbol is laser engraved in a silver color around the band.

What is tungsten carbide and why does it make a good ring material? Tungsten carbide is an inorganic material made with tungsten and carbon combined in equal amounts. It is stiffer and denser than steel and a hardness comparable to that of a sapphire. The finish is very scratch resistant which makes it a nice ring material for active people.

The ring fits comfortably and is available in sizes 6 to 14. Sizing in this ring is very important. These rings cannot be resized. So be careful to order the size you need. Paul does offer a “Perfect Fit Guarantee.” Because these rings cannot be resized an urban myth has developed that in an emergency it would be necessary to cut off a finger in order to remove a tungsten carbide ring. The jewelry has become popular and hospitals and many emergency responders have a jewelry saw that can cut the ring. Fable Designs also has a You Tube video showing that you can also use a vice or vice grips to apply pressure and shatter the ring.

A link to Paul’s site is below. The rings normally sell for $99.00 but he is offering a discounted price of $39.00 through the end of August of this year.

I had one suggestion for Paul. I suggested that he alternate the flour-de-leis and an eagle. This would make a very nice Eagle Scout present.