Early American Shillelagh 

@DaveCollierCamping Thanks Dave! I have a new shiilelagh video posting soon using epoxy as a filler.

Glad to hear it! Oak will work nice. Send me a pic when it's done!

Thank you, sir!

Thank you! That's how I like to think of them, too. Art you can use!

Thanks, Mark! I pick up tips from viewers, too, so I'm still learning with you all. Appreciate the comment!

Thank you. I'm working on some others right now that will feature epoxy inlays and different colors.

@@fortorangewoodworking I was just looking at my stock of branches, and I have wanted to be perfect to make a Shillelagh

@jsbelljr83 great! Thats how I got started, too! I'll try to post a pic of my first attempt soon soon so you can see my progress. It wasn't pretty lol.

Hornbeam is my go to, as its my available supply. I've got some nice Kentucky oak and Canadian maple coming soon !

Thanks Bill! Full disclaimer: some of my videos might not be for you, but I'm mostly here to show people how they can diy without a fancy shop.

Thanks for the post. Every project is a new experiment for me. I've got a pretty good scar from a utility knife, so I try to use whittling tools when I can. Stay tuned! More shillelagh videos coming soon!

Well said on all counts! I'll see if I can get my hands on some Hawthorne. That sounds like a fun wood to try out.

If you are lucky enough to find many Hawthorns growing close together get down low as low as you can and look in towards the middle. There will sometimes be slender straight saplings perfect for walking sticks. I use the root ball as the head of the stick.

Chinese white wax wood staffs are sometimes called the wooden steel

Where do you get this wood? Thx

Thanks, Michael. I'm always up for trying new materials and methods. The rag would probably be much faster for the black stain. Appreciate you watching!

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about! Never saw it myself, though.

I can send you one if you'd like. Email the shop page at fortorangewoodworking@gmail.com

А дерево з оріха піде

That may be the case. I made an AI search, and it says this about the two different Hornbeam trees. Of course, often times, AI doesn't get it just right I've noticed, this seems like one of those times. Two separate searches for each Hornbeam wood AI says: American Hornbeam is known for its exceptional hardness, making it a valuable wood for various applications. The wood is extremely dense and difficult to work with, which is reflected in its Janka hardness rating of 2,400 pounds per square inch (psi) The hardness of hop hornbeam wood is comparable to other hardwoods like oak and maple. In fact, it is often considered to be one of the hardest woods in North America. The Janka hardness test, which measures the resistance of wood to denting and wear, rates hop hornbeam at around 2,200 pounds per square inch (psi). But then a second search asking AI which is harder, AI says: Based on the provided information, both Hop Hornbeam and American Hornbeam are known for their hardness. However, the available data suggests that Hop Hornbeam is generally harder than American Hornbeam. Hop Hornbeam: Described as “very dense, hard, and tough wood, much harder than oak” Used for making tool handles, mallets, and other small items requiring high strength and density Has a high wear and shock resistance American Hornbeam: Described as “very hard” and sometimes used for making tool handles Has a strong and durable wood, but prone to rot Not as hard as Hop Hornbeam, but still suitable for making small items and tool handles In summary, while both woods are hard, Hop Hornbeam is generally considered harder and more durable than American Hornbeam. So all that to say, it seems that you are correct. Fricking AI.

Thanks, Tony. I usually harvest blanks in fall when they're easier to spot (no leaves) and moisture levels are a bit lower. I store them in my attic until the next year when I harvest more. There's still a little bit of cracking but I've learned to fill them with epoxy or other material.

Hi Russel. Always great to have a local subscriber! Thanks for checking in!

@@fortorangewoodworking yeah , please to meat you , I’m in Florida now

Yeah, I can see that. Every stick kind of shapes itself as we go.

Thanks, Sean. If I get my hands on some, I'll definitely give it a try!

@@fortorangewoodworking Nee bother mate, fine work there. I too am having a bit of trouble finding some proper Blackthorn and I am native to the British Isles. You'd think I'd be at an advantage!

Thomas - I've experimented with a few different caps. A rubber cane stop is probably the easiest but I don't like the look. Lately I've been embedding objects into the bottoms with epoxy (see my etsy shop for a couple 4 leaf clover examples). You could also screw/nail/epoxy a square of aluminum or brass to the bottom and shape it on a belt sander.

Good advice from a local guy! Appreciate the tips!

No, but I will now! I love transitioning from modern to classic hand tools. The next one I make, I'll try it. Thanks for the suggestion.

Here's one I found with an interesting head. I rolled with it and made it a dragon. instagram.com/p/Cdvljm4LfVM/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

@@fortorangewoodworking - wonderful piece of art, love it !

Hi Brian. The only paint is the white band near the top. It's white semi gloss. The head is minwax early American and the shaft is minwax black. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for watching!

Yes, we can do that. Basically, you want a shorter one that you can rest your hand on?

I could. The more I work on these, though, the more satisfying it is to work the hand tools. I'll have a new vid coming out soon with one made entirely without machines.

@@fortorangewoodworking fair enough, that's respectable. I'm too lazy. Seems like a belt sander would be my favorite tool for making those, and a power rasp.

@comfortablynumb9342 - interesting you should say that- when I first started making these years ago, I put a belt/disc sander on the floor and shaped the head that way. It was very effective but occasionally would burn the wood. The power rasp would also work well, but I have switched to a farrier's rasp which is a pretty awesome tool!

@@fortorangewoodworking Joerg from the Slingshot Channel has some really interesting tools he uses in Germany for making wooden slingshots and also for shaping plywood he's glued together for his crazy bow inventions. He makes repeating crossbows and bows with magazines. If you haven't seen him he's a lot of fun, and he makes great stuff.

Of course! I've used a few different varieties - some are easier to work with, some are a bit more durable. Oak is a great hardwood. Even pine will work if it's thick enough and dry.

Hi Brad. I tend to let the wood determine the shape. I like to call them "semi-traditional." The Early American is the stain color. I typically use gunstock.

Hi MJW. This comes up a lot. The term "shillelagh" is not a precise definition. It's history has evolved over time and distance, with some general recurrences that provide a rough framework. Some argue that only a "cudgel" (short club) made of Irish blackthorn constitutes a true shillelagh. However, shepherds, farmers, and would-be soldiers often carried cane-length staffs made of any hard word for protection, fighting and, of course, walking. They were often filled with lead for weight, but not always. There are several theories on the origin of the word - one suggests it translates to "thong walking stick," another to "willow with a thong." A fighting system developed over time using both long and short length sticks. There's a ton of interesting history on the shillelagh, which is probably why they hold our fascination to this day. I encourage everyone to explore the history - and check out our Etsy shop - although they won't let me use the word "shillelagh" in advertisement, i sell them as walking sticks that pay homage to traditional Irish roots. Thanks for checking in - always appreciate the questions!

Are you from another planet or a time traveler from the future? We have hundreds of oak trees on our little 11 acres....

@@gwkdad I said that they WERE wiped out. Past tense. And I'm also talking about the Sessile and Common oaks, which are native to Ireland. Most of what people see today is red and white oak from North America. If you want to learn more about it, look up the Archangel Project. It's actually quite interesting.

@@gwkdad so I guess I'm more of a time traveler from the PAST, but I took the slow route to do it. 🤣

Wow! That's very interesting. Thanks for that - I'm going to look into it more!

Only 10% of that is actually legitimate information. I just love the word shillelagh! But, in my fictitious story telling i learned about the longest ruling monarch in europes history, a little about shillelaghs and alot on how to make one properly thanks to your channel and video. Cheers!

HA!

If I could get my hands on some of it, I'd make a stick out of that, too!

It's in every woods in the United States.@@fortorangewoodworking

Which, Tom? The video or the stick lol?

The Stick @@fortorangewoodworking

Thanks for the info, John. I'll have to take a look into how long it takes to mature. I've got some land a few more years in me to watch it grow!