A big piece of the Battleship Texas is coming to the April 6-7 Texas Select Custom Cutlery Event at the Austin County Fairgrounds in Bellville!
Phenix Knives, the originator and host of the annual Texas Select Event, is coordinating with the Battleship Texas Foundation to promote public awareness of the history and current restoration project of the famous veteran of WWI and WWII. The Foundation will bring authentic historic relics from the ship, including one of the actual 20mm anti-aircraft guns on a trailer for children (and grown-ups) to explore. It is a unique opportunity for families to share a piece of this national treasure with the next generation!
The Texas Select Event will recognize many of the exhibiting knifemakers who are donating their skills and time through the “Battleship Texas Artisans” program, creating new artwork, knives, and swords using materials reclaimed from BB-35, to help raise funds for the restoration project.
In the early morning of August 31, 2022, the Battleship Texas got underway from the San Jacinto State Historic Site. She performed excellently as she was towed to Gulf Copper Galveston later that afternoon without difficulty. That night she was lifted out of the water by the dry dock. Battleship Texas is now out of the water for the first time in 32 years and only the second time since she became a museum in 1948. She has undergone a major overhaul, and currently sports : beautiful new coat of paint. She is expected to be returned to the water, possibly by February of 2024 where the restoration project will continue. It may be 2025 or 2026 before she can be opened to the public as a museum again. The mission of the Battleship Texas Foundation is to preserve and enhance the Battleship Texas and develop this historic ship into a premier museum and visitor attraction. https://battleshiptexas.org
