love watching your videos Francis , and thanks for all your advise , i have been making Hazel sticks for around three years now since Hazel appears to be plentiful where i live in the UK . and i agree patients is or was rather the first big lesson for me there are far more things to learn than you first imagine with this hobby , but like you say take it slowly and enjoy it . thanks again for your time and valuable knowledge that you freely give . i have found in my short experience that some of my best work appeared to just evolve into far more interesting pieces of work just by studying the individual sticks own shape rather than trying to force it into something it isnt ha works for me anyway . much thanks again. from UK.
Thanks for your insight Francis! Love your videos and the custom sticks you make! I started carving some sticks last year and was hooked. Now I have started my own business a few months ago here in Missouri, USA. I appreciate you sharing your beautiful work and talents! Take care!
Couple of days ago I got my chance to get my hands on some Holly and pretty much for the time being I'm just leaving it be letting it dry out so I can get started on some projects since I've been reading up on some stuff about Holly trees but yeah 👍👍
I have made wooden boken for years for my martial arts students and other practitioners, the two best species of wood for resilience and strength in America are hickory and locust (Osage orange)hickory being the best ,I have about 4 blackthorn (I think)I am now going to try my hand at walking sticks, enjoy your channel and contents. Master J.Jeff Jones 7th Dan Bushido karate.
I made all these mistakes haha went out late spring years ago to cut 2 blackthorne (took 3 days out to find 1 tree so had to make me dad one from a Hawthorne) rushed to make it, slight curve in it (had no idea about straightening sticks) but figured it added character. Couple years later i went to gather some more in mid summer - one is split down its full 5ft! The other two may be salvageable when i can get time to look at them. Was lucky to have the original i made lately, needs a little maintenance but really helped me stay mobile after breaking me ribs 6 weeks ago (I'm still cautious on the stairs!)
I hear December is a good time to cut. First check wood to see an make sure there's no green. To make sure it's seasoned. Also find a stick an when going out in December use a stick to check by gently tap the tree to see if wood is good. If the wood a good ping sound when tapping on trunk an up the length of bush. If there's no ping sound when tapping on Bush then it's probably starting to either rot or the wood is not seasoned. Unseasoned wood will not have a ping sound so if it has no ping sound when tapping don't use it. Also peeling a small piece of bark off as well
Hi. We just found your channel. Fantastic content and your a true craftsman. I’m on the look out for a new hobby/passion and for yrs I have always admired Irish walking sticks and would love to start making them. I think having the beautiful wood in my shed and working on revealing the beautiful stick from within it. I’m in Dublin and I see you use hawthorn. Would you have any recommendations on where to source some wood? Ty and I subd
I have a project idea and would like advice.. We have all see a sapling where a vine has grown around it making a spiral and the tree grows around it... I would like to wrap one with 4 gauge brass wire and am trying the figure the best way to tightly wrap it for the sapling to grow around it,then wait/watch for the desired look and dig it out of the pot,and have a very special cane for myself
Thanks for sharing Francis a Shillelagh yes it’s another piece of wood ! But in my opinion it’s not it’s Irish made in Ireland and has history behind it, thanks for your tips 👍 they are a talking piece and can be used as a tool 😊
Lots of maple in New Hampshire . When you say seasoned meaning drying it out? Edit you answered the question :). Very cool hobby sir i had no idea that the history of the shelialai goes back quite a bit.
Great video how many sticks per year is a good amount to cut to keep production following,? Been thinking bout setting up small part time hobby with bit of income maybe,hazel sticks is bit easyer for me
If blackthorn doesn't grow where you live, do research an take notes where you find how to grow blackthorn an try growing blackthorn. I looked up how to grow blackthorn so I'm going to try growing blackthorn try planting 1bush to start
I'm an American new but highly interested hobbiest in this field. Not looking to be a professional, and only using the "found" wood in my backyard. I have access to ash (many compromised by the emerald ash borer), some oak, and some maple. Having just "cleared out" my backyard of those wood trees, I wouldn't mind selling what I can produce (obviously without claiming them to be shillelaghs, and even offering disclaimers that they are no such thing and all locally sourced and personally tooled), but I have no idea what to do. Any advice you could offer would be appreciated.
Thanks Francis for great advice. In my day to day work coppicing, I come across a lot of ash sticks which I could cut with a good base for handles - also thumbsticks. Would they be of any value?
The biggest mistake I made is when I cut a massive bundle of mixed .. Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Hazel, Privet, Rhododendron .. and Holly. I put them in the middle of the loft where its nice and airy.. So around 5 years passed and I popped up to get a few down to set away making.. and the Holly just sort of crumbled in my hand ! .. Among the bundle there was a stick with a semi rotten block at the top, because they were mostly cut for one piece Knob handle Shillelagh style.. and this stick was infested with Woodworm beetle eggs and larvae .. The whole bundle was infested, but there was worse to be found . . because the wooden rafters in the attic were also badly infested too ! .. So a big lesson there for anyone who is planning on storing sticks in a house.. Make sure you keep them away from bare wood !!
@@FrancisMcCaffrey5 Oh nice thanks a lot. I've been getting interested in shillelaghs as my grandmother recently gave me her father's one and he was an Irish carpenter
Rhino Alestorm my father is also a carpenter I was born into the smell of wood. Trying to get my dad onto one of these videos he has a wealth of knowledge
love watching your videos Francis , and thanks for all your advise , i have been making Hazel sticks for around three years now since Hazel appears to be plentiful where i live in the UK . and i agree patients is or was rather the first big lesson for me there are far more things to learn than you first imagine with this hobby , but like you say take it slowly and enjoy it . thanks again for your time and valuable knowledge that you freely give . i have found in my short experience that some of my best work appeared to just evolve into far more interesting pieces of work just by studying the individual sticks own shape rather than trying to force it into something it isnt ha works for me anyway . much thanks again. from UK.
Hazel sticks are lovely too. Glad you follows my ramblings
Thanks for your insight Francis! Love your videos and the custom sticks you make! I started carving some sticks last year and was hooked. Now I have started my own business a few months ago here in Missouri, USA. I appreciate you sharing your beautiful work and talents! Take care!
I wish you well with your business.
@@FrancisMcCaffrey5 Thank you Francis!
What you said was absolutely true. Having done this for about three years, I wholeheartedly agree that patients definitely needs to be utilized
So true most give up too soon because they want instant results it took me 10 years to make this a sustainable business model.
Thank you Francis for your time and knowledge learning loads from you and will keep watching your video's
Couple of days ago I got my chance to get my hands on some Holly and pretty much for the time being I'm just leaving it be letting it dry out so I can get started on some projects since I've been reading up on some stuff about Holly trees but yeah 👍👍
Great advice in this video
I have made wooden boken for years for my martial arts students and other practitioners, the two best species of wood for resilience and strength in America are hickory and locust (Osage orange)hickory being the best ,I have about 4 blackthorn (I think)I am now going to try my hand at walking sticks, enjoy your channel and contents. Master J.Jeff Jones 7th Dan Bushido karate.
I made all these mistakes haha went out late spring years ago to cut 2 blackthorne (took 3 days out to find 1 tree so had to make me dad one from a Hawthorne) rushed to make it, slight curve in it (had no idea about straightening sticks) but figured it added character. Couple years later i went to gather some more in mid summer - one is split down its full 5ft! The other two may be salvageable when i can get time to look at them. Was lucky to have the original i made lately, needs a little maintenance but really helped me stay mobile after breaking me ribs 6 weeks ago (I'm still cautious on the stairs!)
I hear December is a good time to cut. First check wood to see an make sure there's no green. To make sure it's seasoned. Also find a stick an when going out in December use a stick to check by gently tap the tree to see if wood is good. If the wood a good ping sound when tapping on trunk an up the length of bush. If there's no ping sound when tapping on Bush then it's probably starting to either rot or the wood is not seasoned. Unseasoned wood will not have a ping sound so if it has no ping sound when tapping don't use it. Also peeling a small piece of bark off as well
A GOOD PLACE TO START !!! THANKS !
Every journey begins with the first step.
Hi. We just found your channel. Fantastic content and your a true craftsman. I’m on the look out for a new hobby/passion and for yrs I have always admired Irish walking sticks and would love to start making them. I think having the beautiful wood in my shed and working on revealing the beautiful stick from within it. I’m in Dublin and I see you use hawthorn. Would you have any recommendations on where to source some wood? Ty and I subd
You have to cut your own and wait 2 or 3 years to season
I have a project idea and would like advice.. We have all see a sapling where a vine has grown around it making a spiral and the tree grows around it...
I would like to wrap one with 4 gauge brass wire and am trying the figure the best way to tightly wrap it for the sapling to grow around it,then wait/watch for the desired look and dig it out of the pot,and have a very special cane for myself
Thanks for sharing Francis a Shillelagh yes it’s another piece of wood ! But in my opinion it’s not it’s Irish made in Ireland and has history behind it, thanks for your tips 👍 they are a talking piece and can be used as a tool 😊
I love my stick I use it for many things. Tend to carry it more and more often. I can understand more and more why people loved their sticks.
Lots of maple in New Hampshire . When you say seasoned meaning drying it out? Edit you answered the question :). Very cool hobby sir i had no idea that the history of the shelialai goes back quite a bit.
Great video how many sticks per year is a good amount to cut to keep production following,? Been thinking bout setting up small part time hobby with bit of income maybe,hazel sticks is bit easyer for me
If blackthorn doesn't grow where you live, do research an take notes where you find how to grow blackthorn an try growing blackthorn. I looked up how to grow blackthorn so I'm going to try growing blackthorn try planting 1bush to start
I'm an American new but highly interested hobbiest in this field. Not looking to be a professional, and only using the "found" wood in my backyard. I have access to ash (many compromised by the emerald ash borer), some oak, and some maple. Having just "cleared out" my backyard of those wood trees, I wouldn't mind selling what I can produce (obviously without claiming them to be shillelaghs, and even offering disclaimers that they are no such thing and all locally sourced and personally tooled), but I have no idea what to do. Any advice you could offer would be appreciated.
Make sure you wait until the wood is seasoned before you start working on them. That’s the first piece of advice.
Thanks Francis for great advice. In my day to day work coppicing, I come across a lot of ash sticks which I could cut with a good base for handles - also thumbsticks. Would they be of any value?
Yes ash is a hard wood many use to make sticks.
The biggest mistake I made is when I cut a massive bundle of mixed .. Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Hazel, Privet, Rhododendron .. and Holly. I put them in the middle of the loft where its nice and airy.. So around 5 years passed and I popped up to get a few down to set away making.. and the Holly just sort of crumbled in my hand ! .. Among the bundle there was a stick with a semi rotten block at the top, because they were mostly cut for one piece Knob handle Shillelagh style.. and this stick was infested with Woodworm beetle eggs and larvae .. The whole bundle was infested, but there was worse to be found . . because the wooden rafters in the attic were also badly infested too ! .. So a big lesson there for anyone who is planning on storing sticks in a house.. Make sure you keep them away from bare wood !!
That is your college education! Not all sticks make it.
Should the ends of the wood be sealed before or after the curing?
Nvm, I watched your video on seasoning the wood. Thank you for sharing
Should post this on the Shillelagh Guild
Thanks Alex you can post it
How long should the stick be in relation to the height of the person wielding it?
Easiest way is half your height with shoes on.
@@FrancisMcCaffrey5 Great, thank you!
Did my comment inspire this video?
Yes it did . Ask as much as you want helps me create these videos
@@FrancisMcCaffrey5 Oh nice thanks a lot. I've been getting interested in shillelaghs as my grandmother recently gave me her father's one and he was an Irish carpenter
Rhino Alestorm my father is also a carpenter I was born into the smell of wood. Trying to get my dad onto one of these videos he has a wealth of knowledge