Say hello the the Irish oak Shillelaghs

Http://www.mccaffreycr... - shillelaghs and walking sticks

[@Coopersboy7]

Just finished up making a self defense club/shillelaghs about 22” long, made from black locust. I’m born and raised in Alabama, and we have SEVERAL good hardwoods to choose from. Black and honey Locust, hornbeam, several different hickory, several oaks, beech, ash, sparkle berry bush, black walnut etc. I’m my experience black locust, although rare in my area, is the hardest best suited for clubs. It is very very rot resistant, and is the fastest growing hardwood in North America with 40% more hardness than hickory. I’ve been making clubs of all kinds since I was a kid. There’s still nothing like going out in the woods and finding the perfect tree for a club or walking stick. Idk how locust compares to blackthorn, but they seem very very similar. Both are covered in thorns too! Love your videos man

[@jimhill2087]

I love the variety of woods!

[@tonyalways7174]

Something utterly charming about wooden sticks. In northern Scotland Rowan trees and Hawthorn grow like weeds so I’ve seen a lot of them but my own favourite stick is made from Gorse.

[@FrancisMcCaffrey5]

How long does gorse take to season I haven’t used that but I heard it also takes years to full season the wood

[@tonyalways7174]

@@FrancisMcCaffrey5 I left a bundle of it for 3 years in the rafters of a shed before I made the first one but I don’t think it had fully hardened and it split and frayed from using it to flush pheasants. I made another one the following year (so 4 years from harvesting) and I still have it 20 years later although the end is looking a bit tatty and it doesn’t get used so much.

[@Outrider74]

I love the wood grain, especially on that second stick. Those are excellent!

[@FrancisMcCaffrey5]

Thankyou

[@anarchyfox325]

Francis mc caffrey very nice work makes my job a lot easy I thought them sticks had to be made from blackthorn only now I knows it gives me more avenue's to explore. 👍🐺🐾❤

[@FrancisMcCaffrey5]

it was made from whevever hardwoods were local such as rowan tree, holly , irish ash and hazel. Blackthorn was the best wood and hardest so it became the main wood associated with Shillelaghs.

[@anarchyfox325]

@@FrancisMcCaffrey5 why thankies much obliged I was going to experiment as from part south Italian we has very hard wood more so than blackthorn I may try that as old saying goes never knock it till ya try it proof is I pudding 👍🐾🐺:-)

[@FrancisMcCaffrey5]

sure why not, doubt it is harder than blackthorn. Blackthorn is the Ferrari of Shillelagh woods! why not set up a stick fighting group in italy promoting irish Blackthorns.

[@anarchyfox325]

@@FrancisMcCaffrey5 you be surprised the wood when rotten is dang hard. It makes super hard tool handles has a white and yellow coloured wood too covered in 5 inch thorns that are very sharp its way worse than blackthorn nothing like blackthorn berries just nice white flowers its called gadzia in our language not sure what it be in English is you on twitter I show ya,my sticks and carvings and wood and tools 🐺🐾👍

[@manfreddorflein2514]

in germany the shepherds made her sticks only from blackthorn and sometimes from hawthorn, in scotland took the farmers hazelwood, oak is in my opinion not from the farmers, but when somebody like this wood its ok too

[@FrancisMcCaffrey5]

Thank you Manfred

[@slingshotwarrrior8105]

Very beautiful work!

[@Trev794]

The nob handle is very well done Francis. You can see how much work goes into getting such a nice finish

[@FrancisMcCaffrey5]

Thanks Trev.

[@rickgreenhalgh1357]

That gives me an idea for an ebonised oak stick...

[@emeraldfox7175]

Just made and sold some of these at my local farmers market..

[@davidirwin7145]

Excellent Francis...

[@domrye5025]

Hi Francis, These are some great pieces and you've inspired me to have a go at making some myself. I've got a bit of Hazel and Oak ready to season. Would you recommend straightening them before or after seasoning? Cheers for the videos

[@bosse641]

They are nice.

[@waynemcmillan5970]

Nice finished stick.

[@christopherort2889]

Love the look of oak. Do you have any in stock?

[@FrancisMcCaffrey5]

I will I have it seasoning I’ll have about 20 in April and the rest at the end of the year

[@kevinflem2036]

Can you make more of these Irish oak Shillelaghs?

[@thekingfisher48]

Where did you get that stand at Francis? I'm looking one similar. Cheers

[@gsfahrerbobo4234]

Hallo francis, how far is it from kerry to your craft store??

[@johnellis5865]

How do you get the nob?

[@FrancisMcCaffrey5]

Hard carve seasoned wood roughly then rasp and lots of sandpaper

[@tonyofarrell2775]

For day to day use ,which wood is the strongest ,for use as walking stick?

[@FrancisMcCaffrey5]

good question, I would think Blackthorn but both are really dense hardwoods and would be stronger that any other woods

[@tonyofarrell2775]

@@FrancisMcCaffrey5 ok ,thanks for that

[@alanmullen8250]

How long does it take to season the wood?

[@FrancisMcCaffrey5]

2/3 years

[@TheGreatest1974]

That’s a shock isn’t it? I’m waiting 3 years for my sticks I’ve just cut, to dry, before even starting them. But you can use the time in between to get all the things you need, like sandpaper of differing grades, woodstain, varnish, a heat gun for straightening, a straightening stand and a scissor car jack, gloss black paint, sanding sealer, ferrules for the bottoms of the sticks, leather cords for hiking sticks. Gather all this over the time you have waiting for drying and you’ll be ready for action. 👍