[meef]

.... a really remarkable stick made by Eric Draven.

Just got this the other day and cannot be too extravagant with my praise for it! Eric makes these in shorter pairs for more conventional escrima type use. I saw the pictures of some he had on hand and just had to have my own.

Mine was a custom order. I wanted one, longer stick - not two shorter ones. Accommodating as anyone could want, Eric made one to the length I requested (37") and with the colors I asked for in the grip (blue & yellow).

The grip wrapping, by the way, is a bit of a work of art in its own right.

This thing is fantastic! The weight feels perfect to me, there's just the right (minor) amount of flex to it and I'm willing to bet it's pretty much indestructible. The pattern on the rod itself is very subtle, very classy.

To the average observer I would definitely say it would appear as a non-threatening, casual walking stick. In action, this baby would be anything but casual.

You have to handle one to appreciate it. I don't have the ability to describe just how sweet it is. :D

http://www.mcmc.cc/photos/stick-1.jpg

http://www.mcmc.cc/photos/grip-1.jpg

[JShirley]

Hm. I think I "need" a 54" one! :D

[Carl Levitian]

What are they made out of, and can it be bent 45 to 90 degrees for a walking stick handle?

[hso]

:evil:

[meef]

What are they made out of, and can it be bent 45 to 90 degrees for a walking stick handle?I can't even venture a guess because I'd probably be wrong. Don't want to spoil my perfect record. :)

I've got a message in to Eric asking if he'd be so good as to give us some technical info here.

[Taka]

Hi guys. I'm Eric's apprentice, and I can answer your questions.

They are made out of a synthetic material, and have held up to concrete parking blocks, have broken coconuts on the first strike, and have broken Rattan sticks into pieces. Our next test for them will be to run over them with a truck.

However, to answer your question, Carl, although they are outstandingly strong and durable, unfortunately their shape can not be altered.

[Lee Lapin]

Taka,

Can you attach wooden, brass or horn handles to these sticks?

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Projects___Walking_Sticks?Args=

http://www.treelineusa.com/walking-sticks-and-canes/cane-handles

etc.

lpl

[sm]

Oh damn!

Don't tell anyone I like something not wood-n-blue.
My colors are green and gray, in case anyone was wondering...

*wink*

[JShirley]

Taka,

Just running over the stick with a tired vehicle will not impart much stress. The only way this would be truly rigorous, is if there was space under the portion of stick being run over- IOW, if it took significant weight of the vehicle. If the stick is flat on the ground, only the rolling motion of the tire will be hard on the stick.

But if you send one to me, if it can be reasonably broken, I will break it. Traditionally, I practice strikes on dead trees.

John

[Piraticalbob]

They're probably polypropylene. Cold Steel uses this material in its Brooklyn Smasher, escrima sticks, sjamboks, etc. Good, sturdy material.

[loandr.]

I have one Just like the one above without the Turks head knot wrap, its a nice touch. Mine was made by ERIC BLAIR of the USN and Toxic Toys several yrs. back. He's used a material known as "Molyresin???" of sorts, most likely Mr. Draven is using similar materials, Hopefully he will chime in as he knows best :) and as mentioned these have the ideal blend of heft and flex, dosent transfer vibration to the hand which is a good thing, kind of absorbs it. Eric Blairs came with a simple Rubber Crutch Tip on bottom, and they are EZ to find as well as offering MUCHO traction, you may look into getting one.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

I might would like to have one of them to keep by the door. I could have it close to hand in case I needed to smack somebody. Look's a lot more civilized than opening the door with a cocked revolver in your hand especially when you find out it's just a pretty young nurse who came by to do a follow up on you..Great White Hunter...

[loandr.]

Molybdinum Disulfide injected 6/6 Nylon.....AH there we go, Does that sound correct maam? IMO same stuff ;) Again great wrap!

[Taka]

Yep...there are a lot of people that make different types of fighting sticks. I just happen to make them too, but with my own style incorporated in the handles. I haven't seen anyone, to date, that does a bullwhip braid for the handles....so that's why I chose it for my fighting sticks. :)

[loandr.]

Tought I recognized the stock from the quick visual....once again great work on the braiding maam :)

LD/BBG

[Taka]

Well, Thank you. I appreciate the compliment. :)

JS - Eric and his friend are the ones that do the testing on these, so however they plan on running over them is beyond me...I just know the type of testing that they have planned. I'm always the last to know exactly what/how it's gonna go down. ;) Besides, I'm no escrima expert, and have a limited knowledge of stick fighting, so I leave all that to them. ;)

[JTQ]

Nice looking stick. I have a couple of the Cold Steel sticks, but they are shorter and don't come with that cool braided grip.

I bought them specifically to smack the odd rat I occasionally find scurrying around the back yard.

[KenWP]

I would like one but with a round knob on the top instead of the sharp cornors that this one in the picture has. Also could a take down screw like a pool cue be put in the middle for takeing in a suitcase on a plane.

[bikerdoc]

I would like one but with a round knob on the top instead of the sharp cornors that this one in the picture has.

Me too! But it still is fantastic looking. Nice work and painstaking craftsmanship is to me a sign of someone who care about their product.

[Taka]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the positive feedback. :)

We've never made one with a take down screw in the middle...but we could sure try. What are you thinking exactly?? Tell ya what...just shoot me a PM, and we'll discuss if you want. ;)

[SpamHandler]

My daughter has a double set of these for her Escrima training. Eric says they're unbreakable so the girl is on a mission to test that theory. Even with the rough use, they look nearly new.

BTW the grip wrapping is as durable as it is attractive.

[MCgunner]

If I'd have had that handy when that damned dog attacked me, I coulda had me some real fun, yep.

[alaskanativeson]

Taka, I don't know why, but when I tried to respond to your PM reply to me I got a message that you couldn't receive PM's. I put my email address and phone # in my first PM to you, if you'd contact me that way I'd appreciate it.

[Deus Machina]

Ohh, I love that stuff. I should get one of those, if it's possible to bend into a cane.

As for the material, I'm familiar with it as 'Nylatron'--it's nylon, impregnated with a powder lubricant. Stiffer and harder than most plastics, more resilient than anything else I've ever used, cuts well on a lathe with the right bits (it makes excellent moving pneumatic parts and bearings!) and a smooth finish reveals a beautiful snakeskin-meets-marble pattern.

That picture there shows the pattern, but I'm sure the photo isn't half as nice as it looks in person.

I should check how much I have left, and try my hand at cutting out a ring or something. It really doesn't file well, which I assume is the reason for the sharp edges. It would take a specific lathe setup to curve it.

And I fully believe the ads for the resilience of the stuff. If it puts up with a beating in pneumatic parts, it can crack a skull. And it really does have a wonderful heft.

Material geeking over, now. I'm curious about joining a cane head on one. Brass cap, maybe a break-down screw, perhaps a couple hematite or black nickle accents...

[Dravur]

hmmmmm, How much are they? I think Id like to get one as a "walking" stick

[sm]

I think Id like to get one as a "walking" stick

*snicker*

I shared this thread with someone in private , after they had been to a family reunion.
One of "those" family reunions. You know, with some of "those" relatives, where it is bad enough to be in the same county as they, much less having to be in the same large dining room, and especially at the same table...

There is old television show called The Beverly Hillbillies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beverly_Hillbillies

One episode shows the family sitting around the pool table, and passing food to one another using pool cues. *grin*

So may I suggest Lead Crystal, and Sterling Silver knobs for these wonderful sticks?
Oh, and have folks send a sample of table cloth, fine dining cloth napkins, and whatever else a fine dining room may have, so the wrapping would match.

This way, the next time Uncle Cletus and Aunt Bertha get to acting up at the big sit down dinner, the host and other family can whack them over the head.

Yes I understand why these wonderful sticks come to be, and the market. Still nobody says these have just be Martial Arts, or Non-Firearms, there is a place for Fine Dining, and that market will pay more for these, if "marketed" just right.

In addition there is the "Church" market. I was informed Uncle Cletus and Aunt Bertha did not behave themselves at church either, during a children's performance.

Lugpoles.
These were wooden poles set into fireplaces used to hang cookware over fire in a fireplace in Colonial times. Since they often caught on fire, they were replaced often.

Another use, was in the Church. If a member of the congregation was seen falling asleep, or in fact asleep, or whispering, not behaving, etc. An Elder or Deacon would use this long wooden pole with a "lug" on the end to "correct" the member of the congregation.


Folks, you have five months until Uncle Cletus and Aunt Bertha show up in November for Turkey Day at your house. You play this right, and maybe they will not show up on the 25 of December and cause a scene at the sit down dinner...

Place your orders now for these wonderful sticks, and beat the holiday rush.

*smile*