Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

If your topic has nothing to do with Spyderco, you can post it here.

Christmas Trees: Real, Fake, none?

Poll ended at Sun Dec 25, 2022 10:47 am

Real
9
32%
Artificial
14
50%
None
5
18%
 
Total votes: 28

JRinFL
Member
Posts: 6145
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:30 am
Location: Unfashionable West End of the Galaxy (SE USA)

Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#1

Post by JRinFL »

What tree are you going to put up this year? For years we used an artificial tree, then for several years we purchased real tress, but now we are back to an artificial tree. Costs and cleanup are what drove us away from real trees.

How about you?
"...it costs nothing to be polite." - Winston Churchill
“Maybe the cheese in the mousetrap is an artificially created cheaper price?” -Sal
Friends call me Jim. As do my foes.
M.N.O.S.D. 0001
User avatar
remnar
Member
Posts: 2152
Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2013 10:32 pm
Location: TheNorthWest

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#2

Post by remnar »

Real if I can get to a good one but the snow is lower than the last few years. Free range tree permits are only $5 from the Forest Service. Here's a pic from last year:

Image
User avatar
JSumm
Member
Posts: 5675
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2021 7:59 pm
Location: North of Atlanta, GA USA

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#3

Post by JSumm »

We did real for the first 15 years of our Marriage. It became a fun event with the kids. A couple of years ago, we were lucky enough to pick a tree with about 1 million Aphids that blended in with the bark. It was only after it was setup did they begin their march to glory to take over our home. I don't like using a lot of killer chemical in the house, but in that fateful night, I donned my war dress and prepared for battle. No ornament or fancy velvet tree skirt was safe from the deadly stream of vengeful Raid juice. Many bodies lay gasping on the battle field. It felt like weeks of cleanup duty. Still today if you look hard enough you will see remnants of the great battle.

So needless to say, my wife and I invested in a fancy prelit tree. One of those with realistic limbs and needles. We love it, and I really like how the LED lights work. It almost looks like stars in the tree. They are very small so they do not stand out. We have always done white lights, but I like to switch it to color now. Reminds me of my childhood.
- Jeff
May your feet be warm and dry and your throat warm with whiskey. A knife in hand or in the sock band.
MNOSD Member #0005
TomAiello
Member
Posts: 6655
Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:34 pm
Location: Twin Falls, ID

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#4

Post by TomAiello »

We hike into the forest as a family and cut one. You can get a permit to do that in our local national forest area, so you get a few hours outdoors with the kids, a nice memory, a solid tradition, and a Christmas tree, all for $12.
User avatar
TkoK83Spy
Member
Posts: 12447
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2018 5:32 pm
Location: Syracuse, NY

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#5

Post by TkoK83Spy »

We do an artificial tree as well. Easier setup and cleanup. We just got this new addition to the family 2 weeks ago...based on this photo of a little corner tree in our basement...our Christmas tree stands no chance this year :rofl

Image
15 :bug-red 's in 10 different steels
1 - Bradford Guardian 3 / Vanadis 4E Wharnie
1 - Monterey Bay Knives Slayback Flipper / ZDP 189
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31/Macassar Ebony Inlays
1 - CRK Large Inkosi Insingo/ Black Micarta Inlays
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31 Insingo/Magnacut

-Rick
JRinFL
Member
Posts: 6145
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:30 am
Location: Unfashionable West End of the Galaxy (SE USA)

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#6

Post by JRinFL »

@Rick Ha, yes! Kittens love to climb up Christmas Trees and knock off ornaments. Unless you have a weird cat like we used to have. She would sit below the tree and groom it like it was another cat.

I'm a bit envious of you who can go a harvest your own trees. For sure I would do that if it were an option here.

@jsumm, I love that story. Horrifying while in the midst of it, but a fantastic story to relate for years to come. Your kids will tell that tale to their kids, for use.
"...it costs nothing to be polite." - Winston Churchill
“Maybe the cheese in the mousetrap is an artificially created cheaper price?” -Sal
Friends call me Jim. As do my foes.
M.N.O.S.D. 0001
akapennypincher
Member
Posts: 549
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:07 am

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#7

Post by akapennypincher »

Get what you like, Trees have become expensive. Remember as kid we had real made home smell good.

Pain to put up, and take down. We did not have much money so my mom tried to put hood side showing. As most of our ornament were old, broken, or?

One year it was March before we took treed down. It was so dry the mess it made carrying out. Only good this was we did not have Tree🔥. 🤯
User avatar
Doc Dan
Member
Posts: 14754
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 4:25 am
Location: In a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#8

Post by Doc Dan »

The older we've gotten the less we feel up to the hassle of putting up a big tree. We just use a small table top artificial tree. It is enough for us. We have a large porcelain nativity set, however, that we set up, as well. Nowadays we want life as simple and easy as possible.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)

Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)



NRA Life Member
Spydernation 0050
bearrowland
Member
Posts: 3545
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:59 pm
Location: Julian Pennsylvania USA Earth

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#9

Post by bearrowland »

Real here, but the older we get the more attractive a table top tree looks.
Barry

Bonne Journey!

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword

Do what you can, where you are, with what you have! Theodore Roosevelt

MNOSD member 0032
User avatar
SpyderNut
Member
Posts: 8431
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Hoosier Country, USA
Contact:

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#10

Post by SpyderNut »

When I was a kid growing up, we always had real every year. Same in my wife's family. However, things changed after our local Christmas tree farm closed shop after decades of being in business. We purchased artificial trees and have been using them since. There are pros and cons with either, but it's hard to beat artificial for ease of set-up and tear-down. I also don't miss trying to pull pine sap out of my hair and clothes at the end of the day, haha. (I still miss that fresh smell of pine in our house, though).
:spyder: -Michael

"...as I said before, 'the edge is a wondrous thing', [but] in all of it's qualities, it is still a ghost." - sal
User avatar
kennethsime
Member
Posts: 4779
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 8:28 pm
Location: California

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#11

Post by kennethsime »

We get a real tree, but our house is small so it’s small too. Can’t beat the smell, and we keep it alive as long as we can before burning it in the backyard fire pit.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.

Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
User avatar
The Mastiff
Member
Posts: 5936
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:53 am
Location: raleigh nc

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#12

Post by The Mastiff »

If any it's got to be artificial. I won't take part in something that kills trees even if farm raised for that purpose for a few weeks display in my house. Nowadays I don't have any reason to put up a tree but when I did it was artificial.
yablanowitz
Member
Posts: 6881
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2006 2:16 pm
Location: Liberal, Kansas

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#13

Post by yablanowitz »

I don't do a tree at all. My girlfriend digs out her little Charlie Brown tree and sets it on the coffee table. When I was in the landscaping biz I had a few regular customers that would buy a 5 to 6 foot balled in burlap Austrian pine from us each year. They would have us dig the hole in their yard when we delivered the tree, then they would put the tree in the living room a few days before Christmas and decorate it (no lights, just ornaments). Christmas day, after the presents were opened they'd take the tree out and plant it. I thought it was a nice tradition.
JRinFL
Member
Posts: 6145
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:30 am
Location: Unfashionable West End of the Galaxy (SE USA)

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#14

Post by JRinFL »

After my father passed, my mom would only put out a little pre-lit ceramic tree. The few years I lived alone I never had a tree or decorations. Nowadays, my wife is the decorator and while I still have veto power, I just go with the flow. She does a very nice job.
"...it costs nothing to be polite." - Winston Churchill
“Maybe the cheese in the mousetrap is an artificially created cheaper price?” -Sal
Friends call me Jim. As do my foes.
M.N.O.S.D. 0001
akapennypincher
Member
Posts: 549
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:07 am

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#15

Post by akapennypincher »

My grandfathers second wife Pat had Christmas Cactus, she would stick Christmas cards to it, no tree.

Always got same present homemade donuts holes.
James Y
Member
Posts: 7994
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Southern CA

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#16

Post by James Y »

The Mastiff wrote:
Sat Nov 26, 2022 1:22 am
If any it's got to be artificial. I won't take part in something that kills trees even if farm raised for that purpose for a few weeks display in my house. Nowadays I don't have any reason to put up a tree but when I did it was artificial.

Same here.

Growing up, we always had a tree every year, but I can't recall the last time my dad got one, maybe sometime in the early '80s(?).

I have no reason now to have one, not even an artificial one. I don't put Christmas lights up, either (which saves energy).

Bah humbug!

😂

Jim
rgc
Member
Posts: 256
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2022 9:07 am
Location: NW Fla

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#17

Post by rgc »

Real. I'm old though and grew up when fake tress looked fake, but, we always had a real tree and I have kept that tradition with my family too. We go to the same tree lot every year, usually at night (they string lots of lights over head) and hopefully after the temperature has dropped a little. Kind of fun thing is that they are a produce stan too so they always give the kids an orange when we get the tree.
User avatar
Naperville
Member
Posts: 4360
Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2018 2:58 am
Location: Illinois, USA

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#18

Post by Naperville »

When growing up we had a real tree bought from a lot most of the time(25+ years). We had a guy cut down a tree once.

This and most recent years, no tree, but I miss the entire adventure of getting the tree and decorating it.

The largest tree I ever brought home was when I lived in an older home with 10 foot high ceilings and I brought home a 10+ foot tall tree. It was awesome.

I love the trees, they are beautiful and the scent and scenery is one you never forget.
I support the 2nd Amendment Organizations of GOA, NRA, FPC, SAF, and "Knife Rights"
T2T: https://tunnel2towers.org; Special Operations Wounded Warriors: https://sowwcharity.com/
TomAiello
Member
Posts: 6655
Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:34 pm
Location: Twin Falls, ID

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#19

Post by TomAiello »

Once the kids are out of the house, I think the desire to have Christmas trees drops a lot. You're not really doing it for yourself--you're creating childhood memories for you children. That's why I like hiking into the hills and cutting one. It enlarges the experience and creates more good memories for the family.
User avatar
RustyIron
Member
Posts: 2376
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: La Habra, CA
Contact:

Re: Christmas Trees: Real, artificial, none?

#20

Post by RustyIron »

We haven't decorated in probably 25 years.
It's work.
It disrupts my sense of order within the house.
All that stuff takes up storage space better utilized for important things.
Gifts get piled up in front of the living room fireplace.
Post Reply