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.

[Ryan Ross]

Another thing is that an oil finish can let the stick breathe, and stop it from over drying (yes, it can and will happen) and getting brittle.

This isn't much of an issue for walking sticks, but for anything used in serious martial arts, it's a consideration to take.

[Dale Seago]

Thanks for the links! And I'm familiar with bataireacht.

And you're right about the sort I'd like. We use sticks of around that length, not just for the obvious striking stuff, but for grappling & joint locks, chokes, and throws as well; and we tend to favor being able to use a "sliding" grip on the shaft which allows us to do a lot of deceptive things regarding range/distance and leverage (and which carry over into longer weapons such as spears and halberds as well). So thorns on the shaft would be a no-no, though somewhat smoothed-over knots/bumps where the thorns were is still, from my personal experience, just fine.

And I do favor a substantial root-knob. . .not, as some might think, to facilitate its use as a club, but. . .

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Are y'all ready for this?

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. . .as a rest for the hand when using it as. . .

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. . .a WALKING STICK!!




(EDIT: I just sent in a order query regarding #61E under Walking Sticks 37-41" at http://misticshillelagh.tripod.com/)

Well, it arrived at my workplace a couple of hours ago. Length is 37", just right for me. Has a metal cap at the tip, but I'm going to want to get a rubber cane tip on the way home.

I love it already!

Pics:

[Panache]

Nice looking stick Dale!

Cheers

Jamie

[Ryan Ross]

My God- That thing is BRILLIANT!

Are the thorn nubs on the shaft smooth enough to not impede the sliding action too much, when it's hanbojutsu time? It's a bit hard to say for sure, from the pic.

I need to keep an eye out, as that one looks to be the PERFECT size.

[Dale Seago]

My God- That thing is BRILLIANT!

Are the thorn nubs on the shaft smooth enough to not impede the sliding action too much, when it's hanbojutsu time?

They are indeed!

Given the type of finish (paint & varnish) it's really MEANT to be a walking stick rather than something you'd want to spend a lot of time practicing with as a fighting stick. But Liam says if you need to do some. . .cosmetic work. . .on it for whatever reason, all you need do is lightly sand the affected area; use a little black paint or magic marker if appropriate; and seal with a little varnish.

In terms of the grip and how it feels, this will work just dandy with either the Irish methods or our hanbojutsu.

I'm going to keep my $30 indestructible neoprene "faux blackthorn" from Cold Steel for practice, and this as my EDC and airline-travel piece.

[Ryan Ross]

They are indeed!

Given the type of finish (paint & varnish) it's really MEANT to be a walking stick rather than something you'd want to spend a lot of time practicing with as a fighting stick. But Liam says if you need to do some. . .cosmetic work. . .on it for whatever reason, all you need do is lightly sand the affected area; use a little black paint or magic marker if appropriate; and seal with a little varnish.

In terms of the grip and how it feels, this will work just dandy with either the Irish methods or our hanbojutsu.

I'm going to keep my $30 indestructible neoprene "faux blackthorn" from Cold Steel for practice, and this as my EDC and airline-travel piece.

Thanks for the additional intel, Sensei.

Personally, if I find the right stick on his page at the right time, but it's not finished as a "fighting stick", I might even consider a complete refinish.

I've been making all my own bokken for years, and I use a mixture of linseed oil and tung oil, with just a little bit of beeswax melted in. Works primo. And that will keep the stick from becoming too brittle, too (though with a stick of that relatively short length and stout girth, it'd be less of a problem than with a bo or bokken).

And I too have one of those Cold Steel deals. Pretty neat piece, for the price, but like I think you mentioned once before, the main problem is that the color on the "root knob" is wafer thin.

[CMcG]

Well, it arrived at my workplace a couple of hours ago. Length is 37", just right for me. Has a metal cap at the tip, but I'm going to want to get a rubber cane tip on the way home.

I love it already!

Very nice sir, and it is surely as stout as they come!

<snip>
And I too have one of those Cold Steel deals. Pretty neat piece, for the price, but like I think you mentioned once before, the main problem is that the color on the "root knob" is wafer thin.

I also have a Cold Steel faux-blackthorn. I think the main problem is not that the paint on the "root knob" is wafer thin, but rather that the knob is a separate piece entirely that is just glued on. People in the Irish stickfighting community have noted that the root knob eventually cracks and comes off if the stick is used for heavy contact.

[Ryan Ross]

I also have a Cold Steel faux-blackthorn. I think the main problem is not that the paint on the "root knob" is wafer thin, but rather that the knob is a separate piece entirely that is just glued on. People in the Irish stickfighting community have noted that the root knob eventually cracks and comes off if the stick is used for heavy contact.

A very, very good point. I've not used mine over-much, but I can easily imagine that piece coming loose from sympathetic vibration alone, even if it wasn't contacted directly. So yes, I probably should have said, "the pain problem that I have personally encountered, thus far".

Even so, for the price, it could almost be looked upon as disposable. Bokken are generally seen that way, and decent ones are at least three or four times what you can pay for a Cold Steel blackthorn.

[Dale Seago]

Okay. . .Got the cane tip; got it home; ready to ramble:





Oh, and that's a bottle of Slieve na gCloc peated single malt Irish whiskey, which Trader Joe's is currently selling under its own label.