Aw, YEAH! I got this off of eBay from a nice fellow that custom makes these for a variety of Jaguars. He is based in Canada and ships quickly. The knob is not a direct copy of the factory shape. It is a little bit larger and is still comfortable in the hand. It looks cool! His eBay ID is: bruce*459

My original wooden knob had an age crack in the clear coating over the wood.



I swear, this knob makes the Jaguar faster.

 

Neat job. The Jaguar badge looks to seamlessly blend with the wood.

It's got to be faster now you'll be spending so much driving time shifting up and down the left side of the J-Gate.

Graham

 

must be the perspective of the camera lens...that thing looks the size of a cantaloupe!

 

I also got one made by Bruce, but in Piano black to match the rest of the wood in the car. Great price, great quality, real nice guy.

 

Cambo351, your avatar is killing me. Haaaaaaah!

 

H2Oboy, you're right about the photo. =)

I took the shot up close with my smart phone and it really makes the thing look massive. It is probably 3/8 bigger in diameter than the original and works just fine. I opted to post a photo that would show off the wood grain and shine in a close up so you guys could see the detail.

I did get a chuckle from the cantaloupe comment!

 

Aren't the age cracks a sign of authenticity (both for it being real wood and made by the British)??

 

Just curious - what wood was that knob turned from?

 

His eBay ad says:

"New hand crafted gear knob made from MAPLE BURL WOOD with an original SILVER custom made JAGUAR SUPERCHARGE metal badge ( 1" diameter ) , all inlaid flush under a high gloss / crystal glass finish, giving it a "smooth as silk" touch.

Unlike the OE modern Jaguar factory finish that eventually cracks / peals / flakes and goes that milky color, the finish l use on my gear knobs is an industrial product not for sale or use by the general public, has been tested and proven to withstand our Canadian arctic winters and hot humid summers.
" Does not go milky / flake / peal or crack "
Also this durable finish is scratch proof which could be caused by hand jewelry.


This gear knob has an 8MM threading and will fit automatic Jaguar from 1988 to Present.
" A classy upgrade for your Jaguar "

PS. I am a woodturning artist and Master craftsman, NOT a photographer. These pictures do not do justice to my work."

Until the link expires, here is what I purchased from:
Jaguar Supercharge XJ6 XJS XJ8 XK8 XJR XKR XK s Type x Type Gear Shift Knob | eBay

 

I'm glad someone reported back on this gearshift knob; I've looked at his and others for some time now.

Mine is, of course, cracked. But before I buy another one I am going to try and repair mine. I bought a $5.00 round lapel pin, black and gold saying "Jaguar V8" with the Leaper on it - basically the same idea as the one on your picture.

I'm thinking I can lightly hand sand off the urathane (or whatever it is) off the knob, thus removing the cracks and then drill a recess for the pin. I'll Recoat the thing with non yellowing urathane and see how it looks.

If it's a mess I'll toss it.

 

You might be able to get it to turn out really nice and it's worth a try.

This is what the knob looks like from the side:

 

I have a somewhat similar one from British Autowood I have been very pleased with:



It also has a nice contrasting side inlay:

 

The wood color on yours looks great against the other wood.

It always seems so funny to me whenever I've participated in 'cool shift knob' posts in automotive forums.

On one hand, it is something that is small and hardly matters in terms of what happens with the vehicle. In the other hand, (literally in the other hand) it is a direct connection between you and what happens to the car. Like the steering wheel, there is a human connection between it and the driver... a tactile quality is important.

There, I've done it. I've gone and waxed poetic about a little piece of turned wood with a logo on it. =)

 

+1 on British Autowood

I haven't pulled the trigger and got it yet, but I thought this one:

Would look great in my BRG XK8.

 

That looks fantastic.

British Autowood > Gearknobs

 

The replacement knob that came in from Canada failed. The resin wasn't thick/strong enough to keep the medallion in place when the weather heated up. The chip that came up was quite sharp.

I went ahead and bought a new one from the previously mentioned British Autowood. The quality is much better! It has been obviously buffed, not just left with the original finish of applying shiny resin (minor eggshell). You can tell that you're paying for an extra step of craftsmanship.

The first picture is of the failed Canadian unit, the second is of the new British Autowood unit:





The craftsman at British Autowood went on vacation this week, but hurried to get my new order shipped to me. Excellent work!

 

British Autowood is actually close to me. I picked up the new knob from the gentleman's house in order to have it for Christmas. Really nice man and was restoring what appeared to be a MKII

 

Another thumbs-up for British Autowood. I ordered their "Coventry" wood knob last October for one of my wife's birthday presents. First-rate quality and craftsmanship. She loves it and much prefers it to the Momo leather knob that came with her Victory Edition XK8....

 

Saul at British Autowood is amazing! He can customize anything!! He's made several special pieces for me from my former Xjs, and my Xf and xk!