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I am off with the Lab to cut some sticks this morning for the coming season. Anyone else harvesting their own sticks?

I spent some time last night looking at dowels and garden stakes from the big DIY sheds. Can't make up my mind if I'm harvesting my own or buying in this year.

Found a new knot I want to try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN5FSYJvP9k

I looks better than my current scrap of inner tube.

Out of interest, do you have a preferred wood to harvest?

I like Blackthorn however Ash is so much easier to find and invariably straighter. I found a nice Blackthorn with a V in the top so could make a good thumb stick however it is just on the heavy side.

I will get them hung this afternoon and take a look in 8-9 months time for the Ash, the Blackthorn could be a couple of years away.

Sorry, that should have read Blackthorn and Hazel not Ash. They are all hung up now in the workshop awaiting my attention in a few months, it is a bit warm for my liking however it should do.

Ovenpaa wrote:...it is a bit warm for my liking however it should do.

Iirc in Ireland the tradition is to rub some oil or butter on the blackthorn and put it up the chimney for a few months. :)

I wimped out and bought some hardwood dowling from a diy shed.

*picks up teffylone*

"Hello? Nanny State ? It is ? Good. Quislin' Badger 'ere. We'd like to report a ooman. Very dangerous. Threat to Society. Pickin' 'is own sticks. Maybe big 'efty sticks. Yes, club category at the very least we thinks. Possibly even sharpened. We understand he's been consortin' with others. Discussin' the merits of different woods. On t'interweb. Clearly a terrorist. Best pick 'im up. "

I would hate to stuff one of my sticks up the flue of the stove as it is normally hovering around 350-400F when lit and I doubt a stick would last long. I have battled through the Blackthorn all beating season so it was rather satisfying to go back and thin a couple out, especially when I had to beat the same wood two days running and still bear the bruises on my legs and scratches on my hands from the last outing.

25-06 wrote:I seem to get Blackthorn, but never long enough, why is that? Looked around everywhere for longer specimen.

We blame Prokrustes...