Well I'm in the market for some new heavyweight wooden training weapons, possibly some escrima sticks as well. I've been a fan of waxwood in the past but it seems harder and harder to find in good quality unless you go custom. What are your favourite hardwoods for heavyweight training weapons which can take some serious impact?
I have a set of hickory kali sticks and am a bit of a fan - a great wood, not too heavy and very resilient
I'd been considering hickory. It was good enough for the previous era as a nightstick so it certainly durable enough for some good hard impact. Where did you get yours?
bahi or kamagong. easy to find baston/olisi (eskrima sticks) in these materials. pretty easy to find a variety of other things in kamagong as well (e.g., bokken).
Cool. Thanks for the recommendations gents. I've had several hardwood training implements break over the years and some I'm only now getting around to replacing. I wonder if I could get wooden baat jaam do custom made from bahi...
Don't say I never gave you anything: http://www.tansmas.com/weaponry/kamagong/butterfly-swords-kamagong.html
Wow that's expensive.. and they're choppers. I think I'll be ordering these hickory ones instead But there is some other nice stuff on that site I might order.
Choppers? Yeah, kamagong weapons ain't cheap. I'm fortunate. I have two pair of kamagong sticks that friends of mine visiting the Philippines scored on the cheap and then gave me as gifts. I don't think I could legitimate purchasing them at import prices. Not right now.
Looks like nice wood. If I can get a nice pair made red boat style that would be awesome. Now to find me a custom maker! And essentially there's three common classes of BJD in wing chun nowadays: The red-boat style (aka Moy Yat style as he's the only one who continued using them) - these are the ones I posted which are much better for thrusting and which was a purpose built weapon The choppers - which are what most people are familiar with. Common in southern China because it was easier and cheaper to make. Bad for thrusting and requires a lot more gross motor to use. Derived from common work knives. The modern choppers - the blade is wider at the end. No historical precedence for these and they're godawful to use IMO There are other styles which are longer and some short ones which are thinner use by the fut ga guys. All of the ones which are built to be weapons taper to a nice stabbing point though.
Osage Orange is the hardest wood in North America. Good luck working it or finding anything made with it besides bows. Some traditional archery dudes swear by the stuff. I like the heft and color of red oak myself.
Another older thread, but thought I would comment. In North America hickory is a good choice for impact wooden weapons. It is a favorite for things like axe handles and maul handles because it is hard, strong, and tough. Part of what makes it tough is that when it begins to break, the fibers typically hang on for a while so the breakage is gradual and you can see it happening before it simply fails and flies apart. It is my understanding that some oaks, like red oak in particular, fly apart when they break, often without warning. This can cause dangerous splinters that go airborn. I’ve found it pretty easy to work on a belt sander and have made several staffs and spear poles and hiking staffs from it, without benefit of a lathe. I just cut a square dowel from a plank, about one and a quarter-plus inch on a side, and keep turning it on the belt sander. Then sand it smooth by hand to a 400-grit paper and give it a finish in linseed oil or teal oil. Sometimes the dowell that I start with is longer than I need the finished piece to be, so I cut it down after shaping it and then finish the remnant into a nice short stick, maybe two feet long or so. Those could be excellent kali sticks and such. Osage orange was mentioned in this thread, I’ve never worked it but I understand it is very highly regarded by bowyers. I would love to have a bow made from the stuff.
