The first one I made for myself as an Assistant Scoutmaster was made from Dogwood. I used a rubber “cane foot” and wrapped the staff with tennis racket tape where I’d be holding it most of the time. Topped it off with a length of 550 paracord. I was amazed at the value of this tool while hiking. I later transitioned to trekking poles. Love your series.
This is true but I find it hard to lean on one that long and for those of us that need one for balance when walking and a prop when standing shorter is better. The "perfect" stick length is very personal due to use and need to the point I shaved 1/4" off my everyday cane for it to be my perfect length.
Blackie, thanks for your common sense, no BS, videos. A suggestion that may help some people that we use in the Australian Bush and Outback is to tape a snake bite bandage in an appropriate spot towards top the stick. Wrap it in duck tape to make it waterproof and then tape it to the stick with a quick release fold at the end of the tape. Another handy mod it to run one band of luminous tape around the stick for night use. Helps to differentiate it at night from snakes when you are picking it up.
Thanks for that tip. a fellow Aussie that is thinking of making her own walking stick /staff, for the times I get out in the bush. what timber do you recommend? I love redgum, but would it be too heavy? I just need to keep my eyes open for a fallen branch that will suit my needs.
My gramma used her stick to crack us upside the head when we were bad😉. I made a 5 ft. walking/shooting stick from a piece of willow branch. I left a "V" at the top for steadying a firearm and two more down the length for sitting or kneeling as well. There were worm lines under the bark that looked beautiful once finished. Everyone who sees it is impressed with it. Good info Blackie !
Walking sticks are very interesting. I'm seeing "survival sticks" now. One example was the Crawford survival stick and that is worth a look just for the creativity of the design. I like the idea of a long straight stick with a rubber base so I can put my coat and hat on it when I sit in the booth at the diner.
I have bought a commercial hardwood mop handle from Rural King, removed the finish and I am in the process of doing some carving and adding a few little things to make it my walking stick. I plan on soaking it in boiled linseed oil when finished. You are giving me so many good ideas to add and they are not expensive add-ons. Thank you again.
Yeah Blackie! Great content as usual! I use the rubber tips and put a Phillips screw in the center and drive it all the way in... It makes them grip really well in icy conditions. 👍👍✊💯
I have 2 sticks made from black gum that I use regularly. I use a hip height walking stick for stabilizing my walking when my lower back gives me trouble and an eye height staff for roaming the woods. The taller stick is much better for getting around on uneven ground and the shorter stick is a perfect companion for everyday use.
Excellent video about walking sticks it makes a lot of sense. I have a walking stick made out of cedar, East Coast Cedar, that I have had 15 plus years I have the rubber on the bottom I used to use it when I lived in Oregon, it wasn't the same one that I have now but it was a cedar walking stick but I did this walking stick the same as the other one I put a hole up in the bottom of the stick and screwed a long screw in the bottom of it not real long but long enough and if I was walking on ice or snow I would pull the bottom rubber piece off take out the screw, screw it through the rubber and put it back on the bottom of the stick and then I wouldn't slip on ice and or snow it has always works good for me like that the one I have now has the same setup but I'm to Dad blame old to try walking in high-altitude snow anymore plus my back wouldn't let me do it anyway. I also have one I use if I'm walking in a city or on sidewalks that is a spiral and it is a natural spiral. If you want to find any type of spiral walking stick look for honeysuckle vines and you are sure to find a spiral stick. Thanks for the video Blackie look forward to the next one
Great video as usual Blackie and very good information for us not so young anymore. You mentioned about the 4 strand barbwire fence and made me LOL then tighten up from a couple mishaps I had as a boy in the 60's. Still look at the scars and know not to do that anymore. Thanx again and cya later~
lol yep i went to hop over like i had a hundred times before and i slipped on launch and landed on my back on top of the 4 strand i itched the rest of the summer till it healed
I had a recent injury and found a low cane gave me cramps in my hand, so I took my goat/sheep leg crook and wrapped the shaft at the right height for a grip, and use that. It works great! It's about 4 feet tall, and super handy for reaching for stuff, too. Leg crooks are a lot narrower, and differently shaped than the wooden neck crook you were showing. Had to wrap the bottom with duct tape, because though it has a nice rubber end, there is a screw in the center bottom that makes it slip on floors. Much as I hate being dependent on the support right now, I'm really liking the crook as a tool to have handy--will probably carry it more after I'm better!
Blackie, you're awesome! I especially appreciate your Silverwolf videos. I spent my whole life outdoors. Now I'm 60. I'm not decrepit, but I can tell you I'm not like I was 20,30,or 40 years ago. Arthritis is sneaking up on me, and I wear bifocals. But I still love the woods. I love my muzzleloaders,traditional ones, not those inlines. Keep up the great work, my friend. Wishing you all the best.
Been using them long before I needed one. It's just an invaluable tool. The first time you flick a copper head off the trail into the woods prove it. You dig, pry, cross creeks and ditches way easier with a good walking stick. The list is endless.
I have several. One I got in Ireland. Another I used herding sheep. But the one I use the most is eye level tall. And covered with metal badges. The bottom has a crutch tip from Walgreens. It a brag stick. My reenacting stick was a maple sapling I cut while tapping trees . Many many uses.
Yup. Got a few different ones. My favorite right now is a bamboo about 6’ that I cut and cooked myself to temper it. Very light and strong. On the bottom I put a combo tip. It’s a rubber tip that screws on to a spike about 2” long. Works great.
Yeah, good stuff. I'm getting to the place where having a stick of some kind in the woods is about mandatory. good to see some practical advice about what to get and how to use it.
I love my Leki trekking poles but they just don’t have the character of a good hiking staff, especially if you add a few medallions to recount your adventures. But, for an equalizer in the city nothing will ever match my grandpa’s walking stick with a solid brass knob on top the size of a baseball. Game over for anyone who dared challenge that. Love the video as always.
Black great video as always..you had forgotten and ancient fighting tool that dates back as far as 1325 BC Called a staff sling. Other usage was for food procurement. Growing g up in El Paso TX back in the 50's we us kids would setup cans on dunes about as far away as we could see..and have quite a competition. 😂 Times was different then..not bragging but I could hit a corn can from 60 yards 6 out of 10 times. Oh my ..what a walk down memory lane I just had..Thanks Blackie
I for 1 am enjoying the silver wolf series. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm getting a little age on me now. I had to cut down an ironwood tree back in March. I'll be making me a replacement for my locust walking stick I've had for around 10 years and will be passing it along to an older friend for his camping during retirement. Keep up the great work blackie!!
I've been using and collecting walking sticks for nearly 40 years, long before I needed to use one. Funny side effect is catching Public Transport in peek hour. Even in my 20's, 30's some one would offer me their seat, back then I would thank them but refuse, these days I gratefully accept.
If you make your own it becomes highly individualised and customised to you, like an extension of your body. Start out longer than you need and cut a bit off, and if that is not comfortable, cut a bit more off till you get it just right for you. I use a forearm crutch as that gives me the maximum support, but it has an extension to it so I can also use it like a hiking staff to descend slopes. It is very distinctive and unique, but making it from wood is quite difficult and it does have metal reinforcing points.
I’ve got a walking staff I harvested from the woods. Length is about eye level for me, and seems a perfect length. Helps greatly on really rocky terrain and crossing creeks. I put a copper plumbing cap on the end, drilling a hole and using one of those tap-con style concrete screws to hold it on. The copper is soft and catches on the rock a bit, and the screw is a hardened steel and makes a good cleat for digging into the rock and stopping some slips.
LOL! I can see me in my local Tractor Supply asking for a Shepherds Hook. If they don't look at me as if I am stupid hiding the fact they are I will be taken to the bird feeder section for one of those metal stick in the ground hangers. Otherwise very good advice. BTW you can also find more traditional long walking sticks in similar stores. The local (very small town) Ace Hardware has a selection. One suggestion is to always get a stick that is too long when purchasing it because you can always cut some off (I got down to 1/4" for a cane to be perfect) to shorten it to your preference. BTW you can cut off as much as needed but remember once cut you cannot make it longer so a little at a time then test it versus a lot and ruin it. The same is true if you are making your own always start with something much longer than needed. BTW I walk with a "cane" even around the house at times but always when out and use a stick for more uneven ground. For those who worry about how it looks to others (think less manly or weak) not being able to get out and do things is the true weakness when there are things that can help you still get out and do them.
Also with the rubber, if you angle the walking stick, you dont need to worry, I use it to cross rivers and where the rocks are covered in slime, all you need is the pile of rocks to jam the stick into, and you have an anchor. Many ways to anchor.
Hi Blackie, greeting from Australia 🇦🇺, thank you for your time to make these videos, much appreciated, you can also make them into a measuring system by burning inches on the frame,.
The walking stick with the knot on the end is an Irish Shillelagh. The British outlawed weapons in Ireland so the Irish started carrying walking sticks. Keep up the good work brother.
I have a 39" fiber reinforced plastic that I use walking the dog. And shepherd's crook 62" for more uneven terrain like getting down the river bank for fishing. Trained with a 62" staff in karate but wish I had left it 72". I'm 62" tall.
Lol bro I love it...I still look like a weirdo out there trout fishing with a random stick I find, but you need one man...makes everything so easy, and I have a passion for the walking stick as well, as a young feller out there...why bust my shins etc when I can brace with a stick and take all of that away...simply working smarter not harder.
Blackie, Great Video and Spot On. I have my cane to walk with to help with my balance, I have a Boy Scout staff , hiking stick , and one I made myself from a tree off my farm . Thanks for sharing this information. I appreciate you sharing your Time and knowledge and wisdom and experience also the Silver Wolves series is a Great Series for us older guys who think we are still 24 years old in our minds. Tim L.
i am now in my 60's..and to be honest pretty wornout...but deep inside that 18yr old boy still lives ..and feels he can still take on the world head on..some times the old man talks the boy into Not doing something stupid and risky...and other times the boy talks the old man into it lol
@@BingWatcher I have heard that, I had a Spinal Stroke due to Covid on February 18th 2021 ,I was unable to walk and was bedridden ,in a wheelchair for several, several months. God and Prayers got me out of the bed and wheelchair also I refused to give up I use a cane to walk now to help with my balance. I'm 62 years old now but in my mind I'm still 24 years old and bench pressing 350 pounds and squatting 600 pounds that's been a few years ago. Blackie has done so much to keep me positive to get me back in the outdoors. Tim L.
@@timlacy2284 Hey, glad to hear you’re turning the corner on your recovery. Been there before and it’s not easy but you are going to be able to make it happen. And when you look back you realize how strong you are! Blackie is an amazing person!
I not only have ankle, knee and hip issues, Ive also have shoulder injuries so regular height canes dont work for me. My current daily use cane is an extendable metal one that's 40" with a 10" grip, it comes about mid chest to me. It works around town, getting to a shopping buggy etc and even on urban trails but I still prefer a nose height walking staff. The same with a fighting cane, its really too short to be really useful for me but they are legal to carry everywhere
Great video for us old folks! I've got an old bamboo cane that I use for webs & weirdos, but the tip is lousy. I'm thinking I might be able to pound an old drill bit in the hollow part to give it a little more grip. Just gotta go to the 2nd hand store & find the right size. Not much to lose if it doesn't work:)
I tried trekking poles and don't see the point in something that small when trying to traverse actual ground and not a worn path. I have a Cold Steel Blackthorn cane and a walking stick. The walking stick gets used a lot more because as you said, "you can lean on it." I think Virginia is the second spider haven of the world. The stick has save me a few times from orb weaver spider webs. Thanks for the great talk on walking sticks. Take Care and Stay Safe.
I need to start looking for a suitable maple to make myself one. I like the knot on the end of those you showed in this video The root ball on a maple would be perfect for that My idea to dry it would be cut it long and attach a eye screw in the ends. Hang it with wire from a good limb with a weight attached to the bottom hook. I think that would keep it from bowing while drying then linseed oil it a few times to preserve it
I like the straight staff just a little below eye level with a little piece of dear antler at the top to work as a rest for either a gun or a camera or even to hold a snake out of the way.
My staff helps give me an extra push going up hills. It’s especially useful crossing creeks where the proper length of the staff is determined by the height of the rocks or log I’m using as stepping stones plus the depth of the water to reach the bottom.
My old maple walking stick is more pointed at the end. I can jam it into anything to get a little more stability. I've thought about adding some sort of tip to it but have never needed to.
I cheated. Rather than stumble around the woods until I found a stick that might (or might not) work, I went straight to a hardware store and bought a long broom/mop handle. 😎 It has served me faithfully for decades.
Hey Blackie- I like these Silver Wolves videos you do. You are 100% correct when you state that a longer staff is better for bush crafting and varying terrain. Also, when crossing wide creeks or streams, the longer, the better. Youve hit on all the pros and cons between them. I have a homemade poplar staff that is chin height, which for me is the perfect height. Thanks for another good video and explaining the differences. Take care and be safe out there. P.S. What are your thoughts about adding lanyards to walking sticks/staffs?
Would you consider talking about this in a future video? A very confusing topic as I have heard different opinions about lanyards and really want to learn more from you
Yes. Love my walking sticks. Helps me get up more often than not.....the garden hoe without the blade but with the hook left on is an excellent tool as well....need to build me another one....maybe a really tall/long staff with a hook on the end, wrapped with sports tape at natural hand height for a hand rest/push ledge....Hmmmmm?
@@BLACKIETHOMAS you're the only person I've seen yet with enough common sense to have a "Silver Wolf Edition"....and I for one dang sure appreciate it! I'm as north east Fla backwoods as it gets, but it's still nice to hear other graybeards specifically talk about and show stuff that pertains to US.....the "Slow Hurry" matters.....Appreciate you!
more videos for the silver wolves on the way
Blackie just a link u might find interesting....
ua-cam.com/video/R2XtefrMNhg/v-deo.html
And another....
ua-cam.com/video/88iiMUKepSE/v-deo.html
🍀
Looking forward to it
The first one I made for myself as an Assistant Scoutmaster was made from Dogwood. I used a rubber “cane foot” and wrapped the staff with tennis racket tape where I’d be holding it most of the time. Topped it off with a length of 550 paracord. I was amazed at the value of this tool while hiking. I later transitioned to trekking poles. Love your series.
thank you for watching
A staff taller than eye level keeps you from serious damage if you slip. It also gives you a longer reach. Great information as always 👍
very true
This is true but I find it hard to lean on one that long and for those of us that need one for balance when walking and a prop when standing shorter is better. The "perfect" stick length is very personal due to use and need to the point I shaved 1/4" off my everyday cane for it to be my perfect length.
As a 75 year old, who has hiked with walking stick for many years, your comments are right on.
Outstanding Blackie, thank you that's what i had in mind, so many uses and so seldom seen or talked about
glad to help
Blackie, thanks for your common sense, no BS, videos. A suggestion that may help some people that we use in the Australian Bush and Outback is to tape a snake bite bandage in an appropriate spot towards top the stick. Wrap it in duck tape to make it waterproof and then tape it to the stick with a quick release fold at the end of the tape. Another handy mod it to run one band of luminous tape around the stick for night use. Helps to differentiate it at night from snakes when you are picking it up.
Thanks for that tip. a fellow Aussie that is thinking of making her own walking stick /staff, for the times I get out in the bush. what timber do you recommend? I love redgum, but would it be too heavy? I just need to keep my eyes open for a fallen branch that will suit my needs.
Another armchair bush man preaching male bovine excretment...and it's "DUCT" tape.
Blackie your a woodland wizard
Excellent video as always sir
Good video Blackie , thanks for sharing , God bless !
you to
thank you for providing real and useful advise weekly
thank you for watching
Good info thanks for sharing.
glad to do it
Thank you for all of your videos. Love your tips and tricks.
glad to do it
My gramma used her stick to crack us upside the head when we were bad😉.
I made a 5 ft. walking/shooting stick from a piece of willow branch. I left a "V" at the top for steadying a firearm and two more down the length for sitting or kneeling as well. There were worm lines under the bark that looked beautiful once finished. Everyone who sees it is impressed with it. Good info Blackie !
I make walking sticks, and love the willow too. Always beautiful, light but rugged. Your idea for using it as a rifle support is excellent !
@@andrewbrewer7702 Thanks Andrew !
Walking sticks are very interesting. I'm seeing "survival sticks" now.
One example was the Crawford survival stick and that is worth a look just for the creativity of the design.
I like the idea of a long straight stick with a rubber base so I can put my coat and hat on it when I sit in the booth at the diner.
ranger rick in his tips and tricks books added many things to a stick to improve it
I have bought a commercial hardwood mop handle from Rural King, removed the finish and I am in the process of doing some carving and adding a few little things to make it my walking stick. I plan on soaking it in boiled linseed oil when finished. You are giving me so many good ideas to add and they are not expensive add-ons. Thank you again.
Thanks for these silver wolves videos !
glad to do it
Yeah Blackie! Great content as usual!
I use the rubber tips and put a Phillips screw in the center and drive it all the way in...
It makes them grip really well in icy conditions.
👍👍✊💯
very good idea
I use a nice waxwood staff....
waxwood will flex well and be a good staff
Keep the tips coming
I have 2 sticks made from black gum that I use regularly. I use a hip height walking stick for stabilizing my walking when my lower back gives me trouble and an eye height staff for roaming the woods. The taller stick is much better for getting around on uneven ground and the shorter stick is a perfect companion for everyday use.
sounds like a good staff
Great information
thanks
Excellent video about walking sticks it makes a lot of sense. I have a walking stick made out of cedar, East Coast Cedar, that I have had 15 plus years I have the rubber on the bottom I used to use it when I lived in Oregon, it wasn't the same one that I have now but it was a cedar walking stick but I did this walking stick the same as the other one I put a hole up in the bottom of the stick and screwed a long screw in the bottom of it not real long but long enough and if I was walking on ice or snow I would pull the bottom rubber piece off take out the screw, screw it through the rubber and put it back on the bottom of the stick and then I wouldn't slip on ice and or snow it has always works good for me like that the one I have now has the same setup but I'm to Dad blame old to try walking in high-altitude snow anymore plus my back wouldn't let me do it anyway. I also have one I use if I'm walking in a city or on sidewalks that is a spiral and it is a natural spiral. If you want to find any type of spiral walking stick look for honeysuckle vines and you are sure to find a spiral stick. Thanks for the video Blackie look forward to the next one
thanks for watching
Thanks for the great videos!
glad to do it
Good job, Blackie
thank you
Great information, Sir.
Thank you !!!
my pleasure
Great video as usual Blackie and very good information for us not so young anymore. You mentioned about the 4 strand barbwire fence and made me LOL then tighten up from a couple mishaps I had as a boy in the 60's. Still look at the scars and know not to do that anymore. Thanx again and cya later~
lol yep i went to hop over like i had a hundred times before and i slipped on launch and landed on my back on top of the 4 strand i itched the rest of the summer till it healed
I had a recent injury and found a low cane gave me cramps in my hand, so I took my goat/sheep leg crook and wrapped the shaft at the right height for a grip, and use that. It works great! It's about 4 feet tall, and super handy for reaching for stuff, too. Leg crooks are a lot narrower, and differently shaped than the wooden neck crook you were showing. Had to wrap the bottom with duct tape, because though it has a nice rubber end, there is a screw in the center bottom that makes it slip on floors. Much as I hate being dependent on the support right now, I'm really liking the crook as a tool to have handy--will probably carry it more after I'm better!
I’m working on making my own walking stick. Thank you.
Great info
thank you
Amazing advice. Thank you. I have been using a walking stick for most of my life and I have never heard about the nail. Great idea 💡
glad to help
Blackie, you're awesome! I especially appreciate your Silverwolf videos.
I spent my whole life outdoors. Now I'm 60. I'm not decrepit, but I can tell you I'm not like I was 20,30,or 40 years ago. Arthritis is sneaking up on me, and I wear bifocals. But I still love the woods. I love my muzzleloaders,traditional ones, not those inlines. Keep up the great work, my friend. Wishing you all the best.
Been using them long before I needed one. It's just an invaluable tool. The first time you flick a copper head off the trail into the woods prove it. You dig, pry, cross creeks and ditches way easier with a good walking stick. The list is endless.
and not training required we just seem to know how to use it
I have several. One I got in Ireland. Another I used herding sheep. But the one I use the most is eye level tall. And covered with metal badges. The bottom has a crutch tip from Walgreens. It a brag stick. My reenacting stick was a maple sapling I cut while tapping trees . Many many uses.
Blackie, thank YOU for all the support you give us.
i try my best
Great video as always. Hiking staffs are useful in so many ways. Also a great project to do with the kids.
my grandad used his to keep me in line many times
Hello Blackie !
you can even wrap paracord around the stick ...
yes sir i will be doing another video showing ways to add to the stick
Thanks Blackie
you are welcome
Great video
Thanks!
I really appreciate your explanation on different uses for different sticks. My dad needs to see this and I am sending it to him.
Good video. I make sticks myself. Keep up the good work
I use one. Balance as well as always having stick for my tarp shelter.
Good video.
thank you
Yup. Got a few different ones. My favorite right now is a bamboo about 6’ that I cut and cooked myself to temper it. Very light and strong. On the bottom I put a combo tip. It’s a rubber tip that screws on to a spike about 2” long. Works great.
sounds good
I also use a bamboo pole with a rubber cane cap on bottom, and paracord wrapped grip.
Love your talk on walking sticks. Great explanation!
Ive seen more then one of those at goodwill..great video as always!
thanks
Yeah, good stuff. I'm getting to the place where having a stick of some kind in the woods is about mandatory. good to see some practical advice about what to get and how to use it.
I love my Leki trekking poles but they just don’t have the character of a good hiking staff, especially if you add a few medallions to recount your adventures.
But, for an equalizer in the city nothing will ever match my grandpa’s walking stick with a solid brass knob on top the size of a baseball. Game over for anyone who dared challenge that.
Love the video as always.
yep those walking clubs would serve well in a close battle
Excellent! I need a walking stick! Great info 👍👍
I like the idea of using a garden hoe and getting rid of the plate, leaving a kind of flat hook that can be used for multiple purposes.
it can be very useful
im finding your info on walking sticks really interesting and useful. Thank you.
glad that you do
another great story Blackie
Black great video as always..you had forgotten and ancient fighting tool that dates back as far as 1325 BC Called a staff sling. Other usage was for food procurement. Growing g up in El Paso TX back in the 50's we us kids would setup cans on dunes about as far away as we could see..and have quite a competition. 😂 Times was different then..not bragging but I could hit a corn can from 60 yards 6 out of 10 times. Oh my ..what a walk down memory lane I just had..Thanks Blackie
i have seen them in use out west but in my think woods we dont get to use them much but your correct they will work well
Spider fighter and a decent snake thrower too
yep multi use
Thank you for sharing Blackie. Truly enjoyed your video.
thank you for watching
I for 1 am enjoying the silver wolf series. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm getting a little age on me now. I had to cut down an ironwood tree back in March. I'll be making me a replacement for my locust walking stick I've had for around 10 years and will be passing it along to an older friend for his camping during retirement. Keep up the great work blackie!!
thanks for watching
I've been using and collecting walking sticks for nearly 40 years, long before I needed to use one. Funny side effect is catching Public Transport in peek hour. Even in my 20's, 30's some one would offer me their seat, back then I would thank them but refuse, these days I gratefully accept.
If you make your own it becomes highly individualised and customised to you, like an extension of your body. Start out longer than you need and cut a bit off, and if that is not comfortable, cut a bit more off till you get it just right for you. I use a forearm crutch as that gives me the maximum support, but it has an extension to it so I can also use it like a hiking staff to descend slopes. It is very distinctive and unique, but making it from wood is quite difficult and it does have metal reinforcing points.
I’ve got a walking staff I harvested from the woods. Length is about eye level for me, and seems a perfect length. Helps greatly on really rocky terrain and crossing creeks. I put a copper plumbing cap on the end, drilling a hole and using one of those tap-con style concrete screws to hold it on. The copper is soft and catches on the rock a bit, and the screw is a hardened steel and makes a good cleat for digging into the rock and stopping some slips.
sounds like a good staff
Hello Blackie just a note, i used to hike with a wooden stick ,it was a help if you turned your knee or ankle. jim
LOL! I can see me in my local Tractor Supply asking for a Shepherds Hook. If they don't look at me as if I am stupid hiding the fact they are I will be taken to the bird feeder section for one of those metal stick in the ground hangers. Otherwise very good advice. BTW you can also find more traditional long walking sticks in similar stores. The local (very small town) Ace Hardware has a selection. One suggestion is to always get a stick that is too long when purchasing it because you can always cut some off (I got down to 1/4" for a cane to be perfect) to shorten it to your preference. BTW you can cut off as much as needed but remember once cut you cannot make it longer so a little at a time then test it versus a lot and ruin it. The same is true if you are making your own always start with something much longer than needed. BTW I walk with a "cane" even around the house at times but always when out and use a stick for more uneven ground. For those who worry about how it looks to others (think less manly or weak) not being able to get out and do things is the true weakness when there are things that can help you still get out and do them.
Also with the rubber, if you angle the walking stick, you dont need to worry, I use it to cross rivers and where the rocks are covered in slime, all you need is the pile of rocks to jam the stick into, and you have an anchor. Many ways to anchor.
🇺🇸👍🇺🇸👍🇺🇸👍
thank you
Hi Blackie, greeting from Australia 🇦🇺, thank you for your time to make these videos, much appreciated, you can also make them into a measuring system by burning inches on the frame,.
very true ..
I am glad you did this silver wolf series. You should “stick” with it.
Thank you so much sir . May Gods Angels guide and protect you always
I learned cane fighting when I studied Hapkido,, I’ve also needed a cane for walking for about a decade now,
The walking stick with the knot on the end is an Irish Shillelagh. The British outlawed weapons in Ireland so the Irish started carrying walking sticks. Keep up the good work brother.
will do thank you
My stick was made from sasafrass. Had a vine around it of course. I count on it quite often! Thanks Black ie good info again!!
my pleasure
I like your videos Blackie, nice sticks also 👍
Good job on this series!! Good info to share!! Working on one right now!!
C ya on the next
video !!
👍🐺🧙♂️🦊🤙
Thanks the video.
hi Blackie i use a cane and waling stick great content and info
thanks for watching
I have a 39" fiber reinforced plastic that I use walking the dog. And shepherd's crook 62" for more uneven terrain like getting down the river bank for fishing. Trained with a 62" staff in karate but wish I had left it 72". I'm 62" tall.
Another awesome video Blackie
Lol bro I love it...I still look like a weirdo out there trout fishing with a random stick I find, but you need one man...makes everything so easy, and I have a passion for the walking stick as well, as a young feller out there...why bust my shins etc when I can brace with a stick and take all of that away...simply working smarter not harder.
Enjoy this series. Helps a lot for this Silver wolf!
glad to do it
Nice video thanks
Trust them 66 silver wolves👣💖
lol
Good stuff my friend 🤠
Blackie, Great Video and Spot On. I have my cane to walk with to help with my balance, I have a Boy Scout staff , hiking stick , and one I made myself from a tree off my farm . Thanks for sharing this information. I appreciate you sharing your Time and knowledge and wisdom and experience also the Silver Wolves series is a Great Series for us older guys who think we are still 24 years old in our minds. Tim L.
i am now in my 60's..and to be honest pretty wornout...but deep inside that 18yr old boy still lives ..and feels he can still take on the world head on..some times the old man talks the boy into Not doing something stupid and risky...and other times the boy talks the old man into it lol
Ain’t that the truth!!!
Living with MS for 30 years. Really speeds up the aging process!
@@BingWatcher I have heard that, I had a Spinal Stroke due to Covid on February 18th 2021 ,I was unable to walk and was bedridden ,in a wheelchair for several, several months. God and Prayers got me out of the bed and wheelchair also I refused to give up I use a cane to walk now to help with my balance. I'm 62 years old now but in my mind I'm still 24 years old and bench pressing 350 pounds and squatting 600 pounds that's been a few years ago. Blackie has done so much to keep me positive to get me back in the outdoors. Tim L.
@@timlacy2284 Hey, glad to hear you’re turning the corner on your recovery. Been there before and it’s not easy but you are going to be able to make it happen. And when you look back you realize how strong you are! Blackie is an amazing person!
I not only have ankle, knee and hip issues, Ive also have shoulder injuries so regular height canes dont work for me. My current daily use cane is an extendable metal one that's 40" with a 10" grip, it comes about mid chest to me. It works around town, getting to a shopping buggy etc and even on urban trails but I still prefer a nose height walking staff. The same with a fighting cane, its really too short to be really useful for me but they are legal to carry everywhere
always use the staff that works for you.. i understand the shoulder
Great video Blackie.
Thanks Blackie a good stick is a big help in the boonies
Great video for us old folks! I've got an old bamboo cane that I use for webs & weirdos, but the tip is lousy. I'm thinking I might be able to pound an old drill bit in the hollow part to give it a little more grip. Just gotta go to the 2nd hand store & find the right size. Not much to lose if it doesn't work:)
yep make it to fit your needs
You could try a hardened masonry nail.
Howdy Blackie! I have a friend named Larry Shaw!
awesome
I tried trekking poles and don't see the point in something that small when trying to traverse actual ground and not a worn path. I have a Cold Steel Blackthorn cane and a walking stick. The walking stick gets used a lot more because as you said, "you can lean on it." I think Virginia is the second spider haven of the world. The stick has save me a few times from orb weaver spider webs.
Thanks for the great talk on walking sticks. Take Care and Stay Safe.
i agree treking poles are ok on flat ground but in real woods or hills give me a staff
I need to start looking for a suitable maple to make myself one. I like the knot on the end of those you showed in this video The root ball on a maple would be perfect for that My idea to dry it would be cut it long and attach a eye screw in the ends. Hang it with wire from a good limb with a weight attached to the bottom hook. I think that would keep it from bowing while drying then linseed oil it a few times to preserve it
yo are correct use the root ball for the top and cut long let dry with a weight and then trim to fit
I've made several from Bois d' Arc. The hard part is finding a straight limb but when you find one, they're hard to beat.
i hear it can be tough to find down her we have a tree/bush called sparkleberry super tough when dry but nearly impossible to find a straight piece
I like the straight staff just a little below eye level with a little piece of dear antler at the top to work as a rest for either a gun or a camera or even to hold a snake out of the way.
Another great video haven’t seen the weather video is it coming soon
its on the list
If you think about it the rubber tips are actually a Safety Tool. They used to sell the Tips at Walmart.
My staff helps give me an extra push going up hills. It’s especially useful crossing creeks where the proper length of the staff is determined by the height of the rocks or log I’m using as stepping stones plus the depth of the water to reach the bottom.
My old maple walking stick is more pointed at the end. I can jam it into anything to get a little more stability. I've thought about adding some sort of tip to it but have never needed to.
thanks for watching
Sparkle berry is some though walking beating stick what ever you need it for
I would use it to move brush aside on the trail for snakes.
so do i
I cheated. Rather than stumble around the woods until I found a stick that might (or might not) work, I went straight to a hardware store and bought a long broom/mop handle. 😎
It has served me faithfully for decades.
those serve well
Another benefit is that you can push weeds out of your path in overgrown areas, a big help in tick avoidance.
correct and to see if a snake is under it
I use my Shepherds Crook to pull myself up bank of a creek by grabbing a root, tree, etc.
they work well for that i would carry one when canoeing to be able to grab up the bank to pull up or to hold against a current
I’ve got a sizable collection going. Perhaps if I’d started earlier my knees wouldn’t be as bad today.
Hey Blackie- I like these Silver Wolves videos you do. You are 100% correct when you state that a longer staff is better for bush crafting and varying terrain. Also, when crossing wide creeks or streams, the longer, the better. Youve hit on all the pros and cons between them. I have a homemade poplar staff that is chin height, which for me is the perfect height. Thanks for another good video and explaining the differences. Take care and be safe out there. P.S. What are your thoughts about adding lanyards to walking sticks/staffs?
laynards can be a help as long as they are placed in such a away to not catch on things and cause problems
Would you consider talking about this in a future video? A very confusing topic as I have heard different opinions about lanyards and really want to learn more from you
Yes. Love my walking sticks. Helps me get up more often than not.....the garden hoe without the blade but with the hook left on is an excellent tool as well....need to build me another one....maybe a really tall/long staff with a hook on the end, wrapped with sports tape at natural hand height for a hand rest/push ledge....Hmmmmm?
my aunt used a hook of a old hoe stick as a snake stick
@@BLACKIETHOMAS you're the only person I've seen yet with enough common sense to have a "Silver Wolf Edition"....and I for one dang sure appreciate it! I'm as north east Fla backwoods as it gets, but it's still nice to hear other graybeards specifically talk about and show stuff that pertains to US.....the "Slow Hurry" matters.....Appreciate you!
Just hide the stick from the wife if you forget her birthday or your anniversary….Have fun stay safe
sound advice