I've owned one of the real ones, an Original Monster Maul, since 1981. Nothing else can match it, period! (Well, 'cept maybe another Monster Maul.) Which brings up the point of belatedly chiming-in to the conversation here: Sotz made at least four models of the Monster, the key difference being weight. If you're looking for a substitute, now that Sotz is gone, be sure you compare Sotz's model descriptions with your find before you settle on a purchase. It can make a big difference on whether you're pleased with what you get or not. Here's the difs in their own words -- Professional Maul - handle mounted in sleeve with silicone rubber. Absorbs shock. (Includes cushion grip.) 17 lbs. 25 Year Guarantee. $28.95 Original Monster Maul - over 1,000,000 sold. Now with triple thick sleeve. 16 lbs. 10 Year Guarantee. $24.95 Lady's Maul - for smaller logs. 12 lbs. 10 Year Guarantee. $21.95 Economy Maul - made similar to imitations that come and go. Priced much less. 15 lbs. 5 Years Guarantee. $16.95 Those were 1986 prices, delivered to your door no less! (Outside the lower 48? Dunno, sorry.) Factory pickup in Columbia Station, OH was $23.95, $19.95, $17.95, and $12.95, respectively, just for reference's sake. Kinda hard finding warranties like those, too ... 'specially the Pro's. O-fer them good ol' days! The company's ad that year described the maul in the photo with these features: high strength steel handle, high carbon steel head, hardened splitting edge. Happy hunting ... or if you do get a good one, happy splitting! Regards, Norm

This is not germane to the discussion here, but I was reminded of a visit to the Barona Casino years ago (not that I gamble at all but I was there for their buffet), and the lovely thing was that they had a small rose garden, which is where I first saw Yves Piaget. I was blown away and took its picture (see below). In spite of the brutal heat that day everything was blooming EXCEPT the section allocated to Austin roses, which did not have a single bloom, not even one. Compared to all the blooming florabundas it looked really dreary. I'm surprised that after that I even considered ordering Austins, but thanks to the evil influences here I did, and they actually did very well for me. Yves Piaget at the Barona Casino

I agree, Paul. We have one FDY growing in our garden now. It is a cutting I rooted from the one I posted a pic of above. The only place I had for a rose which I was hoping would get huge was next to a tree, in a spot where it would get sun only if it climbed up for quite a distance. Now it is growing all along the top of the fence near that tree. I thought it was about 8-10 feet tall and 15 feet wide. To my delight, last week our gardeners found a cane of it growing 25 ft up the tree! They were pruning the (not loved but large privet) tree to get more light into the new fenced garden, and found that cane and another one had climbed up the tree by themselves. They very carefully tied the canes up to the privet tree, after pruning the tree substantially. I am so looking forward to next Spring's bloom! Beyond the privet tree there is a huge (12 ft high by 15 ft wide by 30 ft deep) bush, so if it wants to grow over the top of that after it eats the privet tree, that would be fine with me. Now that we can't grow roses on our house (Fire Dept), I am happy to find another place to "go vertical" with roses - Jackie FDY and the old privet tree after the tree was pruned last year:

In the early 1900s during WW1, states were banning the sale of Berberis species, and having eradication projects, after it was discovered that Berberis host a wheat rust, during one phase of the rust's life cycle. The government took the drastic measures, so that wheat crops wouldn't suffer huge losses during a world war. By the 1970s the bans were lifted because of newer rust resistant wheat cultivars, and also more rust resistant Berberis cultivars. There is one native barberry, Berberis canadensis, that is endemic to Apallachia. It's impossible to find any source for native Berberis. I found a source selling plants, and I ordered 2 of them, but I was sent 2 Berberis thunbergii instead of the native. Barberries are also believed to attract ticks. Berberis canadensis Berberis canadensis has leaves with serrated margins, and mature stems have three spines at every junction instead of 1 spine. Range of Berberis canadensis https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/stpaul/cereal-disease-lab/docs/barberry/barberry/