Short sticks

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Nem,
Another great thread. Read the entire thread since it is 95 degrees outside and I don't like hot that hot. What an education. Sincere thanks to all contributors. Truly took me out of the mental self defense box I have existed in for years.
Jim
 
I found a short ax handle the other day someone had throw out after they broke the head off. I reshaped the broken end with a rasp and I have a hickory 20 inch long handle that I can take walking when my leg is playing nice and I don't want to carry my canes.
 
Here's what I used for years:
100_0466.jpg
They are tomahawk handles, I used to run a Mountain Man program for the Boy Scouts and once they had a chip I had to stop using them on the 'hawks, so I had an abundance of them. They are Ash and I personally prefer the shape to round sticks.

These had been in my garage for years, I haven't thought of stick fighting in years, thanks for the thread!
 
The 'hawk handles ae 19" long. They are about 4 bucks at a trading post and they also make them in hickory. I don't know if they are a better shape or just felt natural to me because I threw hawks so much, but the pair in the picture are almost 15 years old and have seen 'use', so they are STOUT.
 
Must check out the hawk handles. Thanks, Taraquian.

After packing all day for a camping trip,
I stumbled on this video by Mike Janich
with fine advice about how to use sticks in SD.
___________

Will be mostly in the North Woods for the next ten days.

Have knife, have stick, will travel. :)
 
Nem,

Michael Janich is one of the best trainers in stick and knife you can train with. His seminars are well worth the time and money.
 
Hso, that's a strong recommendation coming from you.

I'm definitely going to check out more of Michael's videos when I return,
and see if he's got any seminars scheduled in the NE in the coming year. If cash allows ...

I'll be offline until after June 30.
 
From what I saw in video clip Michael Janich knows what he is talking about. It sounds alot like what we teach as the two primairy targets, the opponants front hand and knee.
 
Owen,

Michael Janich assuredly knows what he's talking about. Defanging the snake is a classic in FMA that anyone could pick up, but Michael has had countless experts attend his classes and they constantly praise his training.
 
I am no expert, but I can personally vouch for Janich. I will be going back for more in the fall; he's that good.
 
This thread has motivated me to start working with sticks. Just dropped a locust tree that was serving as a back stop on my rifle range. Trunk will be used for firewood this winter.
Been cutting off limbs and finishing them with my BK 7. I have already finished four sticks ranging from 6" circumference to 3". Length is 14" to 20". I have worked on the handles to reduce their size relative to the end. I also have one I have squared the ends. Sanding by hand and using flooring glue for cracks in the wood. I sand that after it sets up.
A couple of observations:
Locust is a great wood.
The BK 7 is the best tool I own. I can prep a limb for sanding quickly. By that I mean removing all bark and sub bark. The balance of that knife is made to have a job. I have used a D2 as well. No comparison, but of course two different intended purposes.
More to come as I learn more
 
I am working on my first locust cane right now. It has been properly seasoned for a year and after plaining and sanding it exhibits no cracks. It is a little lighter than I had hoped so it will have to be relitivley thick to mantain the weight of one pound which is the minimal suitable for a fighting stick. All it needs now is a ball handle and a rubber tip. It will be interesting to see how it holds up in a clash test againat an osage orange stick.
 
Owen,
I hadn't thought of curing the wood. I just cut branches from a locust that I basically shot down over a several month period on my rifle range. So, the tree was alive.
Should I not seal the wood when I am finished with some of the finer work and let it cure? I have many more nice branches I haven't harvested yet. When curing should the bark be off?
My cracks, mostly are surface and I can sand them out. The ones that are deeper don't seen to be a structural threat. I have thought of using an epoxy mix, but have been using flooring glue. It hardens nicely, dries clear and sands well.
I have some osage orange I am going to buy on Ebay. Next project......

Jim
 
Jim,

Wood for fighting canes and sticks should be harvested during the coldest time of the year when the sap is low. The ends should be sealed immediately in the field and the bark left intact throughout the drying process. They should be stored in a cool dry place (but not freezing) where they can dry out and cure SLOWLY to avoid cracks and splitting. A hairline crack is all it takes to weaken a piece of wood enough to cause it to shatter under impact. Drying time varies but one of the best ways to tell if a stick has dried properly is to record its green weight on a tag and tie it to the stick. As the stick dries it loses weight. When the stick stops losing weight it will be time to strip the bark and finish it.
 
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Owen, how would you do that to bamboo?
Click to expand...

I have no idea as bamboo does not grow in my part of the World.

From what little I do know about bamboo, it is hollow and therefore far too light to be suitable as an impact weapon without adding some sort of weight to the end.

Edited in:
Let me add this, bamboo is often used as a PRACTICE weapon in many Aisian martial arts precisely because it is light and less likely to cause serious injury in case of an accident. It is also used as a handle for spears and other things but by itself it just does not carry enough mass to make an effective weapon.
 
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