My Go at Making an Irish-Style Cudgel
So, I got this idea stuck in my head a while back about trying to make one of those traditional Irish walking sticks, you know, the kind sometimes called a cudgel or shillelagh. Seemed like a neat project, something hands-on using natural wood.
First thing, I had to get my hands on the right kind of wood. Traditionally, they use blackthorn, but finding a good piece isn’t always easy. I spent a weekend hiking some local spots known for dense brush. Found a few possibilities, mostly Hawthorne which is kinda similar. Picked a sturdy branch that had a bit of character, decent thickness, and a natural knob on one end which I thought would make a good handle.
Getting it Ready
Couldn’t just start carving right away. Green wood needs to dry out, or season, otherwise it’ll crack later. This part took patience. I read you’re supposed to cure it slowly. Some folks use chimneys, but I don’t have one set up for that. So, I ended up leaving it in my shed for a good long while. Felt like ages, probably several months. I kept checking on it, making sure it wasn’t splitting too bad as it dried.
The Shaping Part
Once it felt dry enough, I started working on it.
- Cleaned off the remaining bark. This took some elbow grease with a drawknife and sandpaper.
- Started shaping the shaft, trying to keep it relatively straight but leaving some of the natural waviness. I didn’t want it looking machine-made.
- Focused on the knob end, smoothing it out to fit comfortably in my hand. Didn’t want sharp edges.
- Sanded the whole thing down, starting with rougher grit and moving to finer stuff. Took a lot of time to get it smoothish.
Finishing Touches
I thought about staining it dark, like you often see, but I kind of liked the natural color of the Hawthorne. So, I decided to just use a natural oil finish. Rubbed in several coats of boiled linseed oil over a few days. Let each coat soak in properly. This really brought out the grain and gave it a nice, subtle sheen, plus it helps protect the wood.
How it Turned Out
It’s definitely not a perfect, store-bought walking stick. It’s got its own bumps and personality from the original branch. The weight feels good in the hand, solid. It’s more of a rustic piece, something that looks like it came from the woods because, well, it did. Took a fair bit of time, mostly waiting for the wood to dry, but the actual shaping and finishing was a fun weekend project. Pretty pleased with how this little experiment turned out. It’s sitting by my back door now, looks quite nice there.
