Cold Steel and United Cutlery shillelaghs: Are they any good? 

Speed is one of the best attributes of a fighting stick. I got a good shillelagh walking stick and it hits so nimbly from multiple angles it is nearly impossible to anticipate and block. If a stick whooshes the air instead of swishing, it is too heavy and slow for a walking stick.

Could you do a post Covid version where we can hear you??? Thanks.

I prefer the blackthorn. What is crazy to me though is how much thicker and more club like a lot of shillelaghs you see are these days. When you look at paintings, drawings, and pictures from the 18th and 19th century of men with theirs they seemed to be a bit thinner and the knot or handle seemed to be a little smaller on average. I break it down to the fact that more modern makes (even the ones intended yo be weapons) are a little more geared toward aesthetics and functioning as a cane than they are a true replication of what was being used in the faction fighting. The original photos that exist of these sticks often again show smaller sticks, and the sticks (especially when they were shorter) were often much more crude and many weren’t even straightened. I think its a weapon people really get wrong just like actual falchions compared to modern day makes of that sword that depict it as an axe like sword when in reality it’s actually quite light and nimble. A shillelagh is actually supposed to be quite light, and it doesn’t feel like wielding a club. This is a weapon typically used without a shield so you have to be quick, a more club like weapon would make sense with a shield similar to how the Zulu warriors used their knobkerries

My experience with the cold steel one is to use both hands and aim center of mass. Wherever it hits it is going to break something

Good video and I agree with the assessment

I still remember a video on youtube- when a road rage incident got out of control- I guy swung a sledgehammer at a guy's head- too heavy and slow- then the other guy waited patiently and swung a golf club to the guys head- lights out!

Nice analysis of grip and weight. Physics is a crucial thing when it comes to force and fractions of seconds.

Leaving aside the excellent analysis of the geometry and mass issues how do you think the synthetic material itself compares to traditional woods?

Seems like it could be beneficial to train with the slower heavier stick often to develop more speed and power with your regular bata.

Obviously the benefit of the shillelagh is it’s a walking stick you can carry everywhere, as opposed to a smaller literal weapon.perhaps source one with the ergonomics you desire

It seems that one cannot use either The Cold Steel or The United Cutlery as Traditional Irish Stick fighting but more like baseball bats with a 2 handed grip.

Where can I obtain a good traditional stick for fighting?

Totally agree

Excellent analysis Maxine. Go h-ana mhaith

When it comes to impact, speed kills. I've tested my heaviest training sticks against my lightest sparring sticks and the difference is night and day. I'm also coming from an eskrima/kali background and have tried all different types of materials. Natural wood is just better at everything and readily available.

Y would u buy a shillelagh rather than get one from a hedge do u not have blackthorns in the USA My Nan is from shillelagh x

I bought three for my full contact stick fighting club- I blocked the very first strike to my head and I felt something strike me- my block was good form so I was confused as to where I went wrong and how the strike evaded my block- as it turns out the brown imitation root or cap is glued on-- it's seemingly made by Mattel- just garbage, very dangerous and certainly not designed for actual combat. Cold Steel has sold it's soul when it comes to quality and it's really starting to show. I can actually pull the cap off by hand on all three of mine

Cold Steel sticks like the “shillelagh” are fine for two-handed clubbing, but that’s about it. Why they don’t design a thinner stick with better Antrim properties is beyond me.

A super echoing room + face masks = wtf are you saying?

The mask theater thingy is difficult for my hearing to make out, Mabe some sub titles along with the mumbled words,, In real life however I can say with great confidence that if someone has had a few knee injuries,,, I like the short one better then the long one, got both. As most of the time my knees are adequate,, But for what ever reason the injured one will just cave in with instability, on and off And that's when the walking stick shines ,,,, When I am having one of those time periods, I stck it in my belt, when not needed, Sure beats using restaurant chair backs in and out,,, I think I look like Yoda in the 1st star wars movie,,,

You guys need to learn how to fight with a shillelagh.

The dialog is very hard to understand

One thing they failed to cover, is the fact that to get a decent Blackthorn walking stick/bata anymore it's going to cost you around $100+ if you're lucky to find a good one, and if you actually use it in training chances are it's not going to last you very long. Another thing they forget the covers the fact that everyone's hand size is different, I have a traditional Blackthorn and I find it too small in my hand, where is the Cold Steel actually fills my hand better. Yes, they are heavier, so if you have small hands and weak arms you aren't going to be able to swing them for as long, it most fights that's not going to be an issue. So overall if you have $100 or more to buy a nice Blackthorn stick, you can actually go someplace and hold the stick as opposed to ordering it online and not knowing what you're going to get, I would go with a Blackthorn for no other reason than the tradition, if you don't have those things and you're not worried about tradition the cold steel or the United Cutlery versions might be a good alternative. Since Blackthorne is becoming fairly rare and more and more expensive, they may be the only option available to you.

Wah wha wha wha wha wha...........

I thank a ratten staff or can would be better

Maybe dont do weak little tap hits and actually follow through the strike.

No they are not as good as a real Blackthorn. The use as a cane, which has to be a property of the shillelagh's, is negated as the the Cold Steel bends way too easily when weight is applied to it.

Both Cold Steel and United Cutler are too heavy. Neither one would work well in a stick fight.

Nice demonstration of a ballerina striking with a stick. Could we have a grown man try it now ( just kidding guys). I have hit some big men with a police straight baton and the side handle baton. I found that I wanted a lot of weight to strike the arms and legs with enough force to have effect. The opponents often don’t react to pain for a while and I needed to break them down mechanically. A straighter stick is more accurate (to target an elbow for example). Good point about the stick turning in hand. How was the vibration to your hand? I was fighting with a heavy 26” stick, do you find that these longer sticks recoil or bounce more after the strike (generally speaking)?

Remake this video without the fauci masks.

MUCH BETTER WEAPONS THAN A STICK. TOO MUCH BROADCASTING.. TOO BIG.. TOO SLOW.. NO GOOD UP CLOSE AND PERSONEL.

No follow through 😂

the masks made me lol out loud.

These poor guys have never been in a fight over 30 seconds in their life LOL. They really like their masks too LOL 😂😆