Scout Staves

[Womble]

One of the projects I have in mind for my troop in the autumn is ensuring that every scout has the opportunity to cut and make their own scout staff.

A couple of questions for anyone with an opinion:

1) is there any particular wood that is particually suitable for staff making?

2) what process should be used to protect it after completion

3) BP suggests cutting measuring points in feet and inches - can anyone suggest any other things that might be a usefull addition to the staff?

any suggestions/comments welcome

 

[MartiniDave]

How about letting a botton compass into the top end?

Dave

 

[Gary]

Staves are a whole subjects in their own right but I would suggest a wood that grows fairly straight and is reasonably resilinet.

Ash or Willow on a fallen tree work well. I have a Hazel stave (which has a button compass in the top!) and this has served me well for a long time. Druids liked to make Rowan staves and ones of Oak or again Ash would make quarter staffs too!

You could also make it into a digging stick at one end (i use alpine ferrules for this)

Once the scouts have stripped off the bark ect they shouldnt treat the wood with anything for a day or so - let it dry out then they could just rub in some food quality oil (same as used for spoons) or like mine, you can stain it and varnish it.

 

[C_Claycomb]

I have some walking sticks, sycamore, ash and hazel, running from 9 to 15 years old. All had bark on still, other than where my hand held them, and the only treatment was boiled linseed oil.

I admit that they are not the prettiest things, but they have held up, are strong.

A compass is a good idea. I like thumb sticks myself, there isn't much of a place for inletting anything. Mind you, if you start to hang too much off the staff it loses some of its virtue as a simple aid to ballance and movement.

 

[Anonymous]

One of the projects I have in mind for my troop in the autumn is ensuring that every scout has the opportunity to cut and make their own scout staff.

A couple of questions for anyone with an opinion:

1) is there any particular wood that is particually suitable for staff making?

I've seen the following mentioned as good woods for stick making:
- ash,
- hazel,
- medlar,
- blackthorn.

Keith.

 

[Brynglas]

I've been making walking sticks and staffs for a couple of years now, nothing too complicated, just V sticks mainly and I've just started making shepherds crooks.

Hazel is fantastic as it grows straight and seasons well. I have a beautiful V stick made of cerddinen (rowan) which has come up a treat with liberal application of boiled linseed oil, yacht varnish also works well.

Another wood that works really well is the draenen ddu (blackthorn), this oils up to a dark purple colour with a lovely pattern where the thorns were, you need to be extra careful cutting blackthorn however as the thorns are really sharp and the bark sometimes carries an algae which turns cuts septic extremely quickly, very nasty!

What is most important though is that the wood is seasoned carefully for several months in a dry airy spot, i hang mine horizontally in the eaves of my shed for at least a year, longer if they're cut in the summer months.

Hope that this helps.

 

[sargey]

another vote for hazel thumbsticks here.

if you want to bling 'em up a bit, you could check out ranger ricks place. do a google search on ranger rick or the ranger's digest. he has a few (sometimes marginal) ideas for walking sticks that might appeal to scouts.

cheers, and.