An Ugly Stick

[Broch]

This stick is made out a piece of Yew root that was pulled taught when the tree was blown down in the wind - I've had it quite a while waiting for me to do something with it. It's a very tactile piece of wood full of sinuous ripples and give the feeling of constant strain . It's also very tough.



Of course, it can be used as a walking stick:



Or a foraging stick to pull down those high branches:



Or, a 'short stick' (weapon) with a mean pommel:

 

[Laurentius]

There is no such a thing as an ugly stick. I actually use the sticks I make for support, and they do not have to be straight for that. I also have one made of twisty willow which would give yours a run for it's money in the serpentine stakes.

 

[Robson Valley]

I should think it's a whole lot better looking than any funky tubular metal hospital cane.
I would enjoy walking with that.
Lee Valley sells all the cane trimmings. What did you do to the bottom tip?

I walk with a cane to compensate for a damaged sense of balance. Standard rubber tip on the bottom.
Every once in a while, I stop for some reason and lean on my diamond willow cane
to keep from tipping forward on my face. That down force loading on the cane is rarely more than 20 kg.
I do not see any flexing at all in the stems of any of my 3 canes when I load them like that.

 

[Tengu]

It looks a very businesslike stick.

 

[Tony]

That's excellent, it really demonstrates how amazing wood is, multitude of uses and will last for years, what more do you want

 

[TLM]

How did you splice the wood and horn together?

 

[Broch]

How did you splice the wood and horn together?

It has a length of M6 threaded bar through it - a tight fit so screwed on but also held by two-part epoxy on the thread. I've used that method on sticks that are still going after twenty or so years

 

[Broch]

I should think it's a whole lot better looking than any funky tubular metal hospital cane.
I would enjoy walking with that.
Lee Valley sells all the cane trimmings. What did you do to the bottom tip?

It's tipped with an M8 stainless steel bolt with the flats turned off and additionally secured with araldite . I appreciate that some people would prefer a rubber tip especially if using the stick in an urban environment but I use my sticks on the grass slopes around here.

 

[Robson Valley]

Thanks, that's a very clean fixture for the lower tip.
The rubber that I have has concentric rings molded into them.
I could ask for a metal tip but most of what I do is as you say, an urban environment.

 

[Laurentius]

It has a length of M6 threaded bar through it - a tight fit so screwed on but also held by two-part epoxy on the thread. I've used that method on sticks that are still going after twenty or so years

When I add an antler handle, I drill the antler and whittle the top of the stick into a peg, never had a problem with that.

 

[Broch]

When I add an antler handle, I drill the antler and whittle the top of the stick into a peg, never had a problem with that.

I use my sticks for 'robust' activities; I prefer a bit of steel down the centre

 

[woodspirits]

That's a nice useful stick Brock especially as it's from root stock.Yew ages lovely and not at all ugly think 'character'.

 

[Laurentius]

I use my sticks for 'robust' activities; I prefer a bit of steel down the centre

There is actually a danger that the steel will precipitate a fracture as being too strong. FWIW I have broken through a fire door with the antler handle of my stick mounted as I have described, it is a form of jointing stronger than you would think.

 

[Laurentius]

Kinda reminds me of that scene in Star Trek the Voyage Home, where Kirk is climbing El Capitan and slips, and Spock rescues him with rocket boots.

 

[Coldfeet]

Ugly is just a perception. I like the look of that.