# Yew questions



## juliouno (5 mo ago)

Hi, I want to make a yew walking stick for my beloved.I have lots of yew branches that could work Had a few questions. 
1. Is yew actually safe to use, as I know all parts of the tree are toxic apart from the red of the berries (which is delicious!) 
2. How should one finish yew for making a stick? Maybe this ties in question 1 and its potential safety to use.
3. What wood state is it best to make the stick, green/ seasoned, somewhere in-between?!

Many thanks for your help. 
Jules


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## valky307 (Nov 23, 2021)

Jules, I'm not familiar with yew but if it's like sumac the poison remains active even after the plant dies.
Sumac is plentiful in my area and quite attractive but I stay away from it for those obvious reasons.
Maybe using rubber gloves, and a mask in the process along with a good sealant and a thick finish would do the job but there's lot's of other great woods to work with without all the risk and suspense.
Good luck if yew decide to craft it.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

No experience using yew, but I've seen plenty of it being turned (mostly by UK woodturners) on a lathe for bowls, candlesticks, and so on. I've also seen a few stick makers who use it so I'd say it's probably safe for that use. The turners used some sort of food-safe bowl finish (you'd have to Google for brand names) and as I recall, the stick maker used varnish.

Yew is very prone to cracking from what I've read, so when you cut it, seal the ends well and give it a good long drying time. Maybe double the recommended year per inch of thickness.

Good luck and welcome aboard.


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