Here’s how Alfie Jacques crafts traditional lacrosse sticks.  

Master lacrosse stick maker Alfie Jacques died at 74 in June 2023. The craft has been passed to Jack Johnson who had been apprenticing with Alfie Jacques for nearly a decade.

Rest in peace Alfie 🤎

“I love doing this” may we all be so fortunate to find work in our lives that makes us feel this way

Hopefully he or whoever succeeds him has documented every little detail in the process, that way it will be forever available to anyone who wants to bring back that part of his culture

The wood bending like that was so satisfying.

When I was in 4th grade in upstate NY Alfie made a visit to my school and I had the absolute pleasure of seeing him create the stick, it was a beautiful process and he was a very nice person, Alfie is now watching the creators game above.🙏🙏

I truly hope I die saying “I love doing this”

Hickory is known in North America for its hardness and is the traditional wood of choice for things like hammer and axe handles due to its strength.

It will be a shame if this trade is lost. My dad and grandfather taught me how to play lacrosse with a traditional stick like this one. Luckily, I kept it, and it is hanging on my wall. Love ya pops!! ❤️

Emotions in his eyes when showing the stick ❤

Rip Alfie, your soul lives on through your work. ❤

The last woodbender

Godbless this man and the craft he kept alive ... a stick from a branch is the first love of any wanderer ive climbed many trees znd sticks were collected for play and imaginary defence ....this guy shaped it into beautiful and useful equipment.... ❤and regards

i read about how lacrosse was was called ‘little brother of war’ by the native tribes that played it…

rip alfie 🐐

So sad hearing how mass production killed all the artisanal ppl. RIP Mr Jacques

This is the kind of things people should be doing! Keep ancient traditions likes this going!

I will always love the traditional and more green alternative 😍 We don’t need all that plastic

RIP Legend..

I still have my LaCrosse stick from high school in the sixties

May he rest in peace alfie Jacques and I’m glad this art wasn’t forgotten no matter how the world changes artistry like these should not be forgotten.

Amazing work. Thank you for the update, Insider..!!

Please support these craftsmen. They have families to feed, you're supporting and promoting someone's culture and it's more valuable and precious to you if it's handmade and natural.

May this Master R.I.P.. Thank You for sharing these legends.

God bless him

Oh no I feel like this man needed more appreciation for his hard work

Bless you Alfie🙏

Absolutely beautiful

If yall love it some much buy one and support them so they can continue the craft

I used to cut grass and landscape as well as do mechanic work to perfection like that . I made my life of it. Everyone said I wouldn't be good at anything in life when I was young ... I proved them wrong. .. I got soo good at both talents... and got a gorgeous happy woman... then a jealous guy in his late 40's ruined my spine... I can no longer ride a mower or weedeed.. or lift a vehicle hood or change a tire etc.... God puts people through trials and stuff to make you serve only him .. and to live only for him.... when the lacrosse man couldn't bend the wood of his passion, I felt that

I had no idea this was lacrosse’s history!

That music is legendary

Rip to a legend🖤💗🖤

RIP Alfie😢❤🎉❤

I honestly didn't expect the ending may he rest in peace 🕊️✌️

God was a carpenter of Men he surely done a fine job of Alfie ! ❤❤❤✝️

It’s time Big Homie 😢… those hands 🙌🏾 blessed a craftsman 🥹

Bro now I'm crying 😢

Rest easy you legend

Beauty's ...Great skill come from the heart.

R.I.P. Mr. Jacques! 🥹

that man is legend !!

Legend ❤❤

Rest in peace man.. we love you while we knew you 😢

RIP brother 🙏

Amazing

"I did it my way."

RIP Alfie

I have looked for one of these for ever i wonted one so bad when I played but never could find one now on my birthday I find out about him and he has past away 🤦‍♂️. GD rest his soul.

Rest in peace ❤

That is neat

This is cool.

rest easy old man

Just took mine off the wall after seeing this. Going to hit the wall and find a net. Alf always said "it's not meant to hang on a wall, I made it to be played with."

As a native person hearing this kind of music to a video of someone making a lacrosse stick today is very funny. Time to catch up people and drop the stereotypes. If this was a video made 100 years ago sure.

Rest in power

Awesome

Lacrosse is a native American sport? Mind blown

80 thousand sticks BY HAND? If it took him 15 minutes to craft each stick it would take 4,166 uninterrupted working years to get to that mark.

If baseball can make a wooden bat the only legal bat in the MLB then LaCrosse governing bodies should be able to do the same!

80,000 by hand

watching this full length video was really sad and it came unexpected to

❤

Why the wood bend like that

I am willing to move to help carry on

We let skills like that disappear like we demigods. I won’t say soon but one day it will be our downfall. Have a nice day and I wish you all the best.

Who has the last stick he made?

So sad to know he is gone. But very happy he did pass the skill.❤❤🥹

Rip😢

Americans: Wow, we learned so much from the natives, Also Murica: Yup ,now we need to end their whole career

Ah yes, the native American ban-saws and belt sanders prior to the evil European arrival. The man was a true artist regardless, devoted to his craft, much respect to his dedication

❤❤❤👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻🙏🙏🙏

Idk how to boil and bend wood either damn

Why was it the last one? Omg you killed him?

How does the wizard bend wood

Thank you colonialism for doing this. Let the legend live on

Damn

I Truly ❤ LOVE Witnessing "Genuine PRIDE" Being Taken in ANY Person's Work! And it "ALMOST" Doesn't Matter What That Thing Is... Although, 🤔, LoL..There Are a few exceptions I can think of Right Off the top of my head!!! Am 🤔 I Evil IF the Thought of THIS makes me Laugh a Little? 😈 🙊 🤣 (I mean, INSIDE Of Course! 🤫🤐 )

The last person in the world.... how dramatic

Now I'm sad

Rip❤🥍🫡

Oooh quite a bit of evidence from tonight’s video! I seen and heard a lot of paranormal stuff. At some parts in Omar’s video you could hear people having full on & clear conversations! I used to hear something similar in my living room, but haven’t in a long time, not since my dad moved out when my parent’s separated. I hope it stays that way! ❤

Rip

How can you produce 80k by hand ? He’d have to be making 30 a day for 50 years …. ??

A huge loss to the sport. Be well good man

Mexicans do this all the time 😂💪🏽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽 what does that say about your people

I am sorry the whitest sport known to man started with Natives?

Get a real job

I never knew that lacrosse was a sport that the Native Americans invented!!

Very cool

I admire this, but do remember just cuz its old dont always mean its the best method, no im not taking a dig at him, just speaking truth

You're not gonna mention the tribe he's from?

Rip alfie

❤

😢RIP⁴Eternity