# Really an antique shillelagh finish?



## nameless

Hi all.

I'm well aware of the butter it and chimney hang it method of shillelagh finishing, but I recently came across the following.

It well accounts for the beautiful finish on an antique shillelagh cudgel that I recently acquired;

https://hemamisfits.com/2015/02/03/what-is-irish-stick-fighting/

Hugh had for many years been watching over the growth of a young blackthorn sapling, as if it had been an only child. It had arrived at maturity about the time the diabolical article appeared in the Quarterly, The supreme moment of his life had arrived, and the weapon on which he depended was ready.

Hugh Bronte returned home from the manse with his whole heart and soul set on avenging his niece. His first act was to dig up the blackthorn carefully, so that he might have enough of the thick root to form a lethal club. Having pruned it roughly, he placed the butt end in warm ashes night after night to season. Then when it had become sapless and hard he reduced it to its final dimensions. Afterwards he steeped it in brine, or " put it in pickle/' as the saying goes ; and when it had been a sufficient time in the salt water, he took it out and rubbed It with shamois and train oil for hours. Then came the final process. He shot a magpie, drained its blood into a cup, and with the lappered blood polished the blackthorn till it became glossy black with a mahogany tint.

The shillelagh was then a beautiful, tough, formidable weapon, and when tipped with an iron ferrule was quite ready for action. It became Hugh's trusty companion, esteemed and loved for its use as well as for its beauty. No Sir Galahad ever valued his shield, or trusted his spear, as Hugh Bronte cherished and loved his shillelagh. [17]

The method described here shows a very advanced method of producing a fighting stick, one which was very much ahead of its time. The use of brine might sound strange to most people who have seen what salt water can do to wood, but we are talking here about a controlled submersion which acts the same way as a modern chemical treatment by flushing any remaining sap and replacing it with salt crystals which close down the wood's pores. The same method was said to be applied to many fencing-sticks used to train sailors. The train oil (another term for whale oil) acts as a second barrier. Putting the knob in hot ashes also slowly transforms the wood fibers into carbon fibers. The stick is then dual hardened; the shaft stay more flexible to absorb parries and shocks while the top is harder resulting in more damaging blows."

What do you think?
I love the drama...
so many shillelaghs, so few magpies... *__-


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## RATTY

really good story there . the process of curing the stick is interesting .


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## Batakali

Yup! I've heard magpie or larks blood. People have seasoned them up chimneys, in manure piles,hung from the rafters and submerged in oil. I think a couple of people here have used the saltwater technique, still have to try it myself.


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## Rodney

Sounds like it's hard on magpies and larks. I'd eat a lark but would think twice about a magpie, probably would taste a lot like crow.

What I don't get about the story is the guy was able to shoot the magpie. It just seems that the shillelagh was a bit redundant.

Rodney


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## nameless

Rodney said:


> Sounds like it's hard on magpies and larks. I'd eat a lark but would think twice about a magpie, probably would taste a lot like crow.
> 
> What I don't get about the story is the guy was able to shoot the magpie. It just seems that the shillelagh was a bit redundant.
> 
> Rodney


"It's traditional!" - Boris Badenov *__-


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## nameless

Batakali said:


> Yup! I've heard magpie or larks blood. People have seasoned them up chimneys, in manure piles,hung from the rafters and submerged in oil. I think a couple of people here have used the saltwater technique, still have to try it myself.


I wonder if grocery store chicken blood would work as well. (Yes, I'm a hypocrite!)

I really cant imagine producing such a beautiful deep crimson/brown finish...

Maybe I'll just appreciate the one that I have, and keep on with the boiled linseed oil, and such.

If y'all are interested, you are welcome to peruse a few that I have made;

http://s2.photobucket.com/user/Beelzebubba101/library/?sort=6&page=0

And, thank you all for your responses.

What an interesting bit of history!!


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## Batakali

nameless said:


> Rodney said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds like it's hard on magpies and larks. I'd eat a lark but would think twice about a magpie, probably would taste a lot like crow.
> What I don't get about the story is the guy was able to shoot the magpie. It just seems that the shillelagh was a bit redundant.
> Rodney
> 
> 
> 
> "It's traditional!" - Boris Badenov *__-
Click to expand...

 it's the whole honor thing. Anyone can shoot a person in the back from behind a wall, but a shillelagh fighter challenged his foe face to face with the weapon he made in his hand.


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## JJireh

Great article, very interesting. Thanks for posting. I'll keep to the more ruddy stains over blood


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## nameless

Batakali said:


> nameless said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rodney said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds like it's hard on magpies and larks. I'd eat a lark but would think twice about a magpie, probably would taste a lot like crow.
> What I don't get about the story is the guy was able to shoot the magpie. It just seems that the shillelagh was a bit redundant.
> Rodney
> 
> 
> 
> "It's traditional!" - Boris Badenov *__-
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> it's the whole honor thing. Anyone can shoot a person in the back from behind a wall, but a shillelagh fighter challenged his foe face to face with the weapon he made in his hand.
Click to expand...

Exactly!

Perhaps re-baptizing/refinishing it with the blood of your enemies rather than magpies?

(Sorry, still talking dramatic ancient 'traditional' warrior stuff! *__-)


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## nameless

JJireh said:


> Great article, very interesting. Thanks for posting. I'll keep to the more ruddy stains over blood


Glad you liked it. It's nice to find something new...

I'm with you, by the way, but you should see the color and depth of this 'finish'!

It would be awful difficult to reproduce!


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## [email protected]

About the butter & chimney method of seasoning a shillealeagh. Does the butter have any effect on the hardness/toughness if the wood? Especially in regards to this being an impact weapon?


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## [email protected]

Would lard, grease, or a petroleum grease, while not being traditional have the same effect?


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