Okay, I am offering 917 style knobs as a 914 World Exclusive to see if there is demand. At the moment, I can only offer knobs for Rennshifters.
My price is $50 + $6 shipping. I'll put as many knobs in the box as you want for 1 shipping fee (so long as I have them made and can fit them and some padding in the box to protect them). PM me for details on how to pay. Paypal is preferred.
All the knobs are hand carved of Maple and Mahogany. Knobs may vary slightly in size and color. All knobs will be ~45mm in diameter and weigh between 35 and 40 grams.
Each ball is finished with at least 2 coats of tung oil. Tung oil gives a deeper color and luster to the wood, without the plastic look and feel that polyurethane would give. As the ball is used, oils from the hand will further shine the knob, giving it a very pleasing patina.
Each knob is made to screw directly on to a Rennshift shifter, no glue or crush rings required. My first knob used a 1/16th inch spacer to fit it flush on the shifter. This has been engineered out of my balls.
These knobs are cooler then aluminum in the summer, and warmer in the winter. They also weigh less then the aluminum knobs that I have been able to weigh, by as much as 1/3 less.
If there is demand for these (ie, if I sell the 3 I have on hand) I'll make more.
At the moment, I do not have a solution for stock shifters that use a crush ring. For the $75 ball on the market now it is suggested to glue it on to the shifter, as the ring will break up the wood. This is not an acceptable solution to me, and I see no reason to step into this market unless I can offer a substantial improvement over the existing design.
I'll post better pictures when I finally get my camera back from the shop. Until then, the above pic is the first unfinished ball that is now on my car.
Zach