Traditional Blackthorn Sticks

[CMcG]

My stick is from Lollysmith's and I like it quite a bit. I was disappointed to find that the shaft was painted black, rather than a natural darkening from the wood or the curing process.

...
BTW: I'd ALWAYS go oil finish over a poly, lacquer, or other coating. Oil penetrates and polymerizes giving a harder and better lasting finish.

BTW, I noticed that at http://misticshillelagh.tripod.com they use an oil finish for their "fighting sticks" selection.

On the "fighting sticks" page, it says the oiled sticks require ongoing care to maintain the finish. I assume this is under the premiss that they will get bashed around a lot and will need to be sanded, then re-oiled to avoid splinters. Some makers seem to prefer lacquer or varnish because of the high gloss finish, which is theoretically zero maintenance... unless it gets chipped, as it would from stick on stick contact.

I've noticed a correlation between varnish/lacquer and black paint on blackthorns. This finish gives the effect that Chas has mentioned and Streetcar bemoans. A certain stick maker I know is very annoyed with the black paint because it isn't traditional but customers have come to expect it...

I'm with Artificer though, I think a properly cured and oiled stick is probably more durable than a lacquered one. And I'm with Streetcar that the natural colour of an oiled blackthorn is quite lovely in all its imperfection.

[artificer]

On the "fighting sticks" page, it says the oiled sticks require ongoing care to maintain the finish. I assume this is under the premiss that they will get bashed around a lot and will need to be sanded, then re-oiled to avoid splinters. Some makers seem to prefer lacquer or varnish because of the high gloss finish, which is theoretically zero maintenance... unless it gets chipped, as it would from stick on stick contact.

I've noticed a correlation between varnish/lacquer and black paint on blackthorns. This finish gives the effect that Chas has mentioned and Streetcar bemoans. A certain stick maker I know is very annoyed with the black paint because it isn't traditional but customers have come to expect it...

I'm with Artificer though, I think a properly cured and oiled stick is probably more durable than a lacquered one. And I'm with Streetcar that the natural colour of an oiled blackthorn is quite lovely in all its imperfection.

It is true that oil finishes do take a little maintenance, but it is fairly minimal, especially when compared to what is required to fix an acrylic or lacquer finish.

Oil is not really a 'hard' coating, and when the wood takes a dent, the oil moves with it. In my experience, acrylics tend to 'bounce back' and leave a small hollow above the dented wood. That unsupported layer then cracks. Lacquers simply chip. I HATE refinishing acrylics.

As an example of how easy it is to maintain a good oil finish:
My walnut dining table is now ~7 years old. It had enough small surface scratches that I wanted to renew the surface.

I gave it a light wipe with mineral spirits to strip any lingering wax or polish that might be on it, lightly wet sanded (with mineral spirits) using 1000g wet/dry paper. Wiped everything down with a tack cloth, and the next day gave the surface three light coats of the oil, then a final buff.

It took me two days of work, but keep in mind the table is ~65 sqft.

In the end it looked as good as new.

ith: