Author Archive | SGAdmin

Hippos or Crocodiles: Which are the most dangerous?

By SGAdmin on March 31, 2025 in Africa Safari, Wildlife preservation, Zoo

The popular YouTube blue water sailing channel Sailing Nandji-Frothlife of the small Australian family exploring the world have just posted a video about their arrival in South Africa. Next week they are going to visit Hluhluwe National game reserve where I recall my father worrying whether or not our car was fast enough to outrun a rhino! But for now they are exploring St Lucia wildlife refuge and talk a lot about the hippos and crocodiles on their guided tour. These animals are so fierce because their brains are so small and just focus on eating anything in their way. I agree with Jost that they are modern living dinosaurs.

African safari crocodile — My least favorite African animal – a giant crocodile, as seen here by Sailing Nandji.

Unfortunately they did not cover all the birds in as much depth as I would have liked, other than mentioning there are over 600 species to view. You can separately see many pictures on the internet on the giant flocks of pink flamingos that live there because not all African safaris are about lions and elephants. Here is a taste of the scenes I would love to experience one day – with thanks to St Lucia Birding Tours:

Birding tour safaris in South Africa — Flamingos in St Lucia estuary South Africa

Anyway, I look forward to following Nandji’s travels down the coast of South Africa. I am sure it will bring back many memories for me while showcasing the great contrasts between the incredible natural landscapes and wildlife of this country that hogs the southern tip of Africa, along with how large, modern and bustling the coastal cities have become.

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRzW0olqMD8

Knot bracelets instead of medals for Africa

By SGAdmin on August 14, 2024 in Elephant Hair Knot Bracelets, Gold Knot Bracelets, Love knot pendants and earrings, Silver Knot Bracelets, Uncategorized

Maybe we should give out gold, silver and copper (or black) knot bracelets for the Africa Olympics. With the exception of a few star long distance runners from Kenya and Ethiopia and a very few sprinters from Botswana and South Africa, Africa country names did not show up in most sports broadcasts. Morocco went pretty far in soccer as one of few African teams to make it anywhere.

Interestingly enough New Zealand beat out Hungary and Australia to win the overall medal count if you take size of population into account, as the table below shows:

Spectacular Sunsets in Africa

By SGAdmin on July 3, 2024 in Africa Safari, African Wildlife Federation, Zoo

Sometimes when I see the pictures of modern African safaris I worry that the lodges and other facilities are becoming too civilized, too westernized. Then I remember that feeling of falling asleep under canvas while listening to the amazing sounds of nature. It is something no big city will ever be able to replicate.

And in particular, as many a painter or photographer will tell you, the light is different there. No one can exactly put their finger on it, but if you have a good eye for art you can see and feel a painting that was made by the artist in Africa vs one painted from a photograph, even if it was after a trip into the bush.

The same goes for paintings of wildlife. A lion is a lion right, wherever he is? Not so. His great mane, the glint in his eyes, his cubs playing nearby, all look different and take on a much more majestic hue and aura in Africa than a similar scene in a zoo in the USA or Canada or Europe.

Photo with thanks from AA Lodge Kenya.

I remember not being able to sleep well the first night on my cheap safari to Botswana because of the bright moonlight shining across the plains. Later I would learn to sleep close to the LandRover so I could put my head underneath it to get some moon shade! But every night when the sun went down it was almost a mystical break at the end of the day.

All around the world people love to watch sunsets, but where else are they so rich and vibrant? Where else do they illuminate great shadows and shapes of the simple local African trees and other fauna? Where else do they so clearly indicate the heat of the day is over and now you can drift off to dinner and sleep in peace knowing nature is more wonderful than any of man’s creations.

Feel your silver or gold elephant hair knot bracelet tonight as the sun sets wherever you are and use it as a memory talisman of the days you spent in south Sahara Africa.

Does Your Old Man Wander Alone?

By SGAdmin on May 28, 2024 in Africa Safari, Elephant Hair Knot Bracelets, Wildlife preservation, Zoo

I took this photo on safari in Botswana almost 50 years ago, yet I remember the moment very clearly. We took a break from viewing wildlife to photograph the incredible stillness, peacefulness and calm in the reflections of a magic spot in the Okavango delta. I had wandered off from the rest of the party in search of a better camera angle when suddenly this giant old bull elephant came out of the trees, took one look at me, and then simply started to drink a lot of water. Notice how disguised he is. While I never saw or heard him coming out of the trees, I am sure he knew I was there all along!

After viewing big herds of elephants many other times on the trip, it always seemed so strange to see such big creatures wandering around alone. It is almost sad because you know they were once welcomed into a big herd, especially at mating season. Now no one needed them, yet they are usually still strong and will live a long, lonesome life while the matriarchs run the herds and frolic with all the younger ones in the river. And you know they remember the good times since an elephant famously never forgets. Like humans, they have very big brains and theirs is also in two sections so as to increase the surface area where all the important receptors and memory cells interact.

Do take a moment every so often to remember your own father so he is not alone with his own thoughts, even if he lives in a communal environment. If he ever lived or visited Africa, maybe some elephant related message or product would be appreciated.

Elephant hair knot bracelets are great examples of such items as they may be worn daily by men or women and make great birthday and Father’s Day gifts. Nowadays they are usually made of silver or gold or artificial elephant hair. Just be sure to not support the poachers by purchasing real elephant hair or ivory products.

Martin Foden

Real or Artificial Elephant Hair?

By SGAdmin on February 29, 2024 in Elephant Hair Knot Bracelets, Gold Knot Bracelets, Silver Knot Bracelets

In the attached picture one of these bracelets is at least 60 years old (maybe even 100) and the other one is about 60 minutes old! It is such a joy to make something like they did so long ago in the bush. In fact it was fun to restore the very old, very real elephant hair bracelet, if for no other reason than to see how the magic knots of Africa were tied back then.

A real and an artificial elephant hair bracelet with gold knots

Clearly the knots on both are new. I did them on the same day after a European client asked me if I could restore the bracelet his father gave him 45 years ago in Mombasa, Kenya. It was great to see the old design and also now you see why my designs are so similar to those traditionally worn in East Africa. This contrasts strongly with the big chunky ones I have been asked to repair in the past. They are usually much newer and more fragile and hastily made to appease a tourist or hunter. I hear people say “Oh, I bought it on the streets of Cape Town or Johannesburg, so it must be legal.”

Wow, how naive can you be? Commercial trade in elephant products is illegal in most parts of the world nowadays, with a few exceptions if you have the right Cites permits. So that elephant tail hair from a street side vendor is probably from a poached elephant – a market no one should support. But I think it is OK for me to rework the knots on very old ones like I did here.

If you like the look and feel of an elephant hair bracelet, and don’t want a silver, gold or copper one from my collection, then look into artificial hair models. Only you will know the difference when wearing one in public and no elephants will be harmed in the process. You can even order them as combo models with silver and artificial hair models, or gold/hair or even (as two of my clients suggested) gold/silver/black tricolor models.

PS If you look in a big dictionary you will see they define artificial as a synthetic material that has been reworked by hand to make it look even more realistic.

How big is an African elephant?

By SGAdmin on October 8, 2022 in Uncategorized

Elephant knot bracelets are for ladies and men

I have fond memories of going to the circus as a teenager. Back in the days when they had lots of animal acts and really did set up the Big Top in a neighborhood park. In particular, I remember the finale parade at the end while the band played one last rousing number, and an elephant with a pretty girl riding it. She smiled directly at me.

Not only was that the first pretty girl that smiled at me, but also I realized she was riding on his neck without a saddle. Now, of course, today it is obvious to me it was an Indian elephant. Yes, even in South Africa they had Indian elephants in the circus.

Big elephants are celebrated with big elephant hair knot bracelets and bangles

It wasn’t until many years later when I went on a proper safari to Botswana that I got to see my first African elephant. And boy was he big. I say “he” because he was alone whereas a female elephant would have been with the herd. Not sure what happened to my own photograph but this one here depicts almost the perfect scene we experienced. It seemed like our Land Rover had shrunk. I even remember thinking the big bull elephant could have probably stepped right over us, roof rack included, if he was of a mind to do so.

Needless to say we were very quiet and moved slowly. I think we were all holding our breath as we enjoyed this example of the largest species that roams Africa, all the while praying he kept on trying to find his 350lb daily fill of vegetation rather than showing any aggression towards our two vehicles.

How big do you want your elephant hair knot bracelet?

Nowadays I make elephant hair knot bracelets in a variety of different sizes specifically for my customers. They all have the magic sliding knots based on the designs of the original real elephant hair ones made by the herdsmen in the bushes so they have plenty of room to move. But there is a big difference between the wrist of a thin lady or a teenager with a tiny wrist of 6″ (15cm) or so, and a big man with a 9″ (22.8cm) wrist say. So I make them in Small (for the slender folks), Large (typically for big men or very big women’s wrists) and Medium for everyone else.

Better still, if you pick your nearest size but then measure your own wrist circumference, at the point on your arm where you will wear it, and include this number with your order, then I will make you a custom one specifically to that size. Do realize that four knot models are very hard to make in small sizes, as the knots run into each other when it is in the closed position on your arm, so a two or three knot version might work better in such a case.

P.S. Large often only goes up to 8″ (20.3cm) wrists, so please specify if you need one even bigger.

Under the old Baobab tree

By SGAdmin on September 6, 2022 in Elephant Hair Knot Bracelets, Gold Knot Bracelets, Love knot pendants and earrings, Zoo

Actually I am sitting making elephant hair knot bracelets under some Oak, Wattle and Manzanita trees but the idea is the same – not that a Baobab tree gives you much shade. Weren’t most such bracelets and other old traditional African jewelry made by some artistic person sitting on the side of the road or village under a thorn tree to get some relief from the scorching sun?

Well we have scorching African style heat here in California and I lost my studio in the Big Oak fire last month near Yosemite. But not before I rescued most of my inventory and big collection of wires and hand tools so now I am sitting outside in the shade making them anyway as orders keep coming in via SafariGold.com and Safarigoldjewelry.etsy.com.

Who needs a fancy modern studio anyway? In the picture above you can see the burned bush just beyond my tool case with a sample artificial elephant hair knot bracelet with 3 gold knots that I have just completed.

Thank you all for your continued support. We will be ready for Xmas in time as well.

Memorable Graduation Gifts

By SGAdmin on May 30, 2022 in Elephant Hair Knot Bracelets, Gold Knot Bracelets, Love knot pendants and earrings, Silver Knot Bracelets, Zoo

A few years ago a polite, elderly lady, who was struggling a bit with her English, called me to order a new bracelet for her son. I loved it when she said, “He is now a full time practicing hot-shot lawyer. And he is still wearing that old silver elephant hair knot bracelet I gave him when he went off to college.”

Muttering mostly to herself, she went on to say, “It just won’t do. He has to look more respectable now.” So I was very happy to help this proud mother select a new gold one for the first lawyer in the family.

Every year about this time we hear from parents like this lovely lady. They are rewarding their recent graduating children with a gift they can wear for a very long time. So much more heartfelt than a gift that just sits on a dusty mantel somewhere.

Elephants are famous for having very long memories so modern elephant hair knot style bracelets are very appropriate for occasions like college graduation – or even for using as send off gifts when you release your teenagers to go off to college and flee the home nest. Plus they are suitable for men or women, big or small, rich or poor, since they come in a variety of sizes, are very adjustable so they can’t accidentally fall off, and can be ordered in copper, artificial elephant hair, silver or gold – or many different combinations thereof.

Elephant hair bracelet gifts for Mother’s Day & Father’s Day

By SGAdmin on April 9, 2022 in Uncategorized

An elephant never forgets is a well known fact. Which is exactly why an elephant style knot bracelet makes such a remembered gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduation Day and many other such special occasions. We are happy to offer even more new combinations of sterling 935 silver and gold (yellow or rose) and copper and artificial elephant hair this year, in addition to our standard offerings in many different sizes and weights

Each one is a handmade original but will closely approximate the photos on this website. Provide your exact wrist circumference (if known) for an even better fit. All bracelets made with fully rounded wire for maximum strength and comfort. Available in lightweight 3 strand, standard 5 strand, king size 7 strands as well as petite cub 5 strands for more delicate wear.

A full herd of elephant hair bracelets

By SGAdmin on February 20, 2022 in Uncategorized

Image of elephant hair bracelets and bangles

I recently made this ugly display board to show customers at the Safari Show how many different options I now offer of our popular elephant hair knot bracelets. But no one seemed to care or notice. They simply honed in on whichever one caught their fancy and promptly tried it on.

So next time I will make a much more elegant display to show off the quality of the work here and not be so rigid about arranging them by categories which very few people care about. However, if you haven’t been scouring this website, or the internet, this layout shows you that today these bracelets come in petite (SimbCub – more delicate wire) or Simba Lightweight (only 3 strands – silver or gold) or Simba Standard (5 strands – silver or gold) or Simba King (7 strands – silver or gold) or Simbele (5 strands of artificial elephant hair with silver or gold knots).

Gold choices include 20/14KY yellow gold fill or 20/14KY Rose gold fill or even solid yellow 14KY gold. In all cases, the silver is Argentium 935 sterling silver that is tarnish-resistant. And, of course, all the many combinations of these materials – most of which were first asked for by specific customers. If your combo idea is not here (which I doubt) I would be happy to make it for you. And all of them (except very small sizes) in 2, 3 or 4 knot versions.

Not shown here are the copper variations nor the baby sizes and the earrings and pendants to match – all of which have the same magic African slide knots.

Where else can you get such a variety of slide knot bracelets that fit men or women, and now even babies? No clasps to wrestle with nor chances of losing it like a bangle or bracelet that doesn’t fit right. And quality gold fill, which is thousands of times thicker and longer-lasting than gold plating. In fact, it tests as real gold on my gold meter – since the outer 20% is real gold!

All bracelets are made to order and so each is a unique original that will approximate the ones shown in the photos. Pick your closest size and then send me your exact wrist circumference and I will make it specifically for you for an even better fit.

My heart is still in Africa but these are made in California for direct sales throughout the Americas and Europe.

Remember trading in real elephant and giraffe hair products is now illegal worldwide unless you have a Cites permit. Do not buy real hair any other way – we have to stop the poachers.

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