It is from these trees that the first shillelaghs were made. Initially called an Irish bata¸ or fighting stick¸ it takes its current name from the Shillelagh Forest in County Wicklow¸ Ireland¸ whose claim to fame was once its many massive oak trees. What Is a Shillelagh?įirst¸ a shillelagh is a quite specific type of knotty walking stick. They still don’t answer exactly what it is. Yet these details demonstrate only the reasons that a shillelagh is different from other canes or walking sticks. They also explain why shillelaghs have become such cherished collectors’ items. Add to that where the wood comes from¸ along with how its Irish fighting-club history made this walking stick a distinctive part of Irish culture and heritage¸ and all these details begin to provide you with a fairly good idea of what goes into a shillelagh. For example¸ besides the blackthorn wood¸ the particular way a shillelagh is designed separates it from all other walking sticks. In fact¸ even among blackthorn canes¸ there are certain details that identify a genuine Irish shillelagh. It also makes the best quality shillelagh.
While you may find a shillelagh for sale designed from ash¸ oak or holly¸ blackthorn wood is a traditional Irish choice. Specially designed¸ it has a rich Irish history that makes it unlike any other walking stick. That’s because there’s nothing ordinary about a shillelagh. Irish Blackthorn Walking Sticks & ShillelaghsĪn ordinary walking stick is often called by many names¸ but not one of those names is shillelagh. All thorns and spurs that have been completely removed should leave behind a fine dimple in the wood.If made by a craftsman familiar with the creation of shillelaghs¸ the cane should come to a fine taper.Knobs or protrusions left from the thorns should be spaced evenly around the shaft of the cane.Hawthorne looks very similar¸ but lacks the uniformity of blackthorn¸ and will usually have many irregularities in the wood grain.Here are four tips to check and be sure that any shillelagh is of high quality: We guarantee our shillelaghs to be genuine Irish blackthorn canes¸ but many other retailers sell imitations¸ crafted from hawthorne or other thorny bushes and trees. These thorns are removed in the process of finishing and sanding a walking cane shaft¸ but the dark wood and numerous knots and protrusions are left behind as a signature of the plant from which it came. It is a very hard¸ close-grained wood¸ and if harvested from the trunk of the blackthorn tree¸ any sample should be covered in sharp¸ vicious spines. 2.5 cm (base), 3.Also known as European Spiny Plum (Prunus spinosa)¸ this hardwood plant offers all of the qualities a cane-maker wants in his materials. It is a superb faux blackthorn stick which will never warp, crack, swell up, or splinter and is easy to maintain with a little soap and water. It was copied carefully, and then artfully modified to a point where it mimics nature. This Irish Blackthorn walking stick is inspired by an authentic Blackthorn from the private collection of Cold Steel®'s President, Lynn C. Cold Steel®'s recent forays into injection-molded polypropylene products have yielded such impressive results, that they have now produced a polypropylene Blackthorn with all the advantages of real blackthorn and none of its pitfalls. Over fifteen years ago, Cold Steel® made the effort to obtain and sell authentic Blackthorn sticks, but the venture turned out to be disappointing: Although the sticks sold well, blackthorn is difficult to come by and somewhat inconsistent in quality. As the English didn't want to appear unreasonable by outlawingwalking sticks too, the Irish got to keep their modified shillelaghs and the world gained a beautiful and functional walking stick known simply as the Blackthorn. To get around the law, the Irish turned the shillelagh into a 3-foot walking stick. In expert hands, the shillelagh was so fearsome that the English outlawed it during the final occupation of Ireland. The original blackthorn sticks were 2 to 4 foot long Irish shillelaghs, the national weapon of rural Ireland. It has been prized for centuries as a material for premium walking sticks. The blackthorn bush is found throughout Ireland and the British Isles.
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