How to Make a Shillelagh/Walking Stick Part 1: Finding, Cutting, and Seasoning
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- čas přidán 1. 07. 2024
- Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction
03:00 Blanks: The raw material you’re hoping to end up with
06:47 What to look for
13:37 What to avoid
15:10 Cutting the stick
23:24 Labelling, weighing, and seasoning the wood
32:34 The old way of seasoning wood
If you were going to make a walking stick containing something interesting either in the handle or the shank, what would you have? Do you think I should’ve bought the stick made of a shark’s backbone? Do you have a stick with something interesting in it or perhaps a family heirloom passed down the generations? Do let me know in the comments below.
About me:
If you enjoyed the video don’t forget to like and subscribe for more. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a graduate in Philosophy and Politics, a one time army reservist, and trained history teacher. While teaching I was known as Mr Norris and this is my history corner where I research, tell stories, and build things from history, but there’s other things on the channel as well. Stick around and see if there’s something you like. - Zábava
Hi all. Apologies for my enforced absence but 2023 was a hell of a year for me. I got a new job, moved house, and caught the plague, among many other issues. I’m now back, however, and hoping to be much more productive on CZcams this year. Starting the year off with a video about a personal hobby (the wife would call it an obsession) and very old craft, walking stick making. Whether it’s an Irish ‘shillelagh’, a Scottish ‘kebbie’, or a South African ‘knobkerrie’, mankind the world over has been making walking sticks and clubs out of wood for thousands of years. This will probably be a three-part video as there was an awful lot of rambling that I cut out of this video about the history of wooden clubs in warfare and fighting from a bronze age battle to mid-20th century bank robberies. I’ve decided that’ll all be in part two and part three will be the actual making process.
Great video when’s part 2
Thx for sharing your experience and knowledge. I am making selfbows and recently started with making Shillelagh. Usually I am seasoning my wood staves from one to three years. But two years ago I have discovered correct fire hardening process. So, in 3 days or in one week you can make from green wood really good hard and dry wood. Same way I made in one week Shillelagh out of white ash. Now I’m covering it with several layers of tung oil. Using heat when oiling it helps oils to soak deeply in wood and protect it from moisture.
The thumb stick is new to me, that's not really a thing where I'm from. Growing up we might carry those on a hike in certain places but to us they were snake sticks. You just catch them in the fork, lot of the times it would be sharpened so it would sink into the ground and pin them better. I first started my walking sticks like seven years ago. I completely forgot about them until now, I've just carved them up and sealed them. I figured that since I was thinking about it I should go cut some more and then was immediately reminded what season it was when the trees started bleeding on me
Thank you very much for the interesting and informative video.
Hello, I have not had any cracking that serious yet. I have used Tightbond waterproof wood glue on some pieces. I don't know that it does what I hope. Sweetgum is the worst as far as cracks even after curing and any oil seems to work with that. Just thought I'd share
Am here from Athur McBride.
Best wishes from Gernany
Why not use a pait marker and write on the cut end all the info? That way you don't have to worry about losing labels as well as it being paint you don't have to worry about fading or possible bleeding and staining like what can and will happen with permanent markers. Thought with how much you leave on the cut ends bleeding shouldn't be an issue.
My belief for hanging it with the heaviest part down is that is how it naturally grows and the most sap will be there and it has less distance to travel. If you turn it upside-down then the sap will want to move through the wood before it dries making the drying process take longer.
Also with Blackthorn, Whitethorn, and I do believe Firethorn as well, you can take all those cutoffs and plant them in the ground and you can and most likely will start more plants with those cuttings. Hazel is another one that will grow from cuttings.
Have you ever considered getting a pin-type moisture meter to check the drying process? You could probably work a lot of those sticks sooner than you are due to their smaller size. I think the 1year/inch of thickness was more for slabs/boards. These sticks are probably going to dry faster than that.
I was thinking the same thing, moisture metre would be a better gauge
The classic Shirley or knob stick, is grown from Blackthorn by laying down a piece of Blackthorn as thick as your finger, pain in it in place with a staple of hazel or metal damage in the bark whilst doing it and bending it upwards slightly it will stand up itself to the light. You can tie a ribbon on the end so not to lose it and to find the easily in 1 year or two years time. Blackthorn is the staff of life you will find a depiction of on ambulances with a serpent going around it.
New Subscriber. Keep the videos coming
what is the black pain specifically?
Get some Revor Plug in that pipe, sit down and watch the sticks drying. Cup of tea with a drop of Whisky.
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