Stimo22 Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Hi All I have just found a twisted blackthorn stick which is only the second one I have ever seen and is the right size for a nice thumbstick. The only problem is a couple of rub marks where the bark is through, has anyone removed the bark from a blackthorn and if so was it when it was cut or after it is dried and straightened and what do they look like after Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Hi All I have just found a twisted blackthorn stick which is only the second one I have ever seen and is the right size for a nice thumbstick. The only problem is a couple of rub marks where the bark is through, has anyone removed the bark from a blackthorn and if so was it when it was cut or after it is dried and straightened and what do they look like after Any pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 I have tended to rub them down with fine grit paper and this leaves different colours, purples, blues , oranges sometime, then when oiled or varnished the colours look real good. Your correct that blackthorns with a twist are not a common find. Honeysuckle tends not to grow amongst it . I have just bound some young half inch nuts with cord to see if I can't produce a few artificially, I have some black thorn as well and you've nudged me into looking for the same treatment. Anyone else tried artificially producing twisted sticks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stimo22 Posted January 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2017 Thanks for the info , I will give it a try on a spare piece of blackthorn. Below is a photo of the twisted blackthorn that will need straightening when dry. As can be seen I have found a twisted blackthorn before on right hand but not big enough for me, but latest will be so should make a good stick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted January 2, 2017 Report Share Posted January 2, 2017 I have tended to rub them down with fine grit paper and this leaves different colours, purples, blues , oranges sometime, then when oiled or varnished the colours look real good. Your correct that blackthorns with a twist are not a common find. Honeysuckle tends not to grow amongst it . I have just bound some young half inch nuts with cord to see if I can't produce a few artificially, I have some black thorn as well and you've nudged me into looking for the same treatment. Anyone else tried artificially producing twisted sticks?I think I remember my grandad trying,but it was hard to keep the tension right on the binding. Too tight and it just gets grown into the stick, you have to keep slacking it off, the same as a honeysuckle stem would grow out with a stick, but tight enough to put a mark on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumpy22 Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 nice looking sticks. look forward to seeing more gentlemen. i will be cutting some hazel and blackthorn shafts this weekend. still have a few from from last year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) I think I remember my grandad trying,but it was hard to keep the tension right on the binding. Too tight and it just gets grown into the stick, you have to keep slacking it off, the same as a honeysuckle stem would grow out with a stick, but tight enough to put a mark on it Thanks, I will keep an eye on that. Logical really because a honeysuckle would grow with the stem, so the string needs re wrapping a few times. I'm doing a few more this week with cord rather than string, so that would be easier to re wrap/loosen. May trying a double wrap one in each direction. Honeysuckle climbs clockwise .. that's in the northern hemisphere ...wonder if it goes the other way in the southern, like a drain turns the opposite way??? On edit....wonder if elasticated cord would work ? Lay it on with no effective stretch initially, it should in theory give/stretch as the stem grows, tightening with time. HMMMMMM Edited January 3, 2017 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamekeeper1960 Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 The difference is the honeysuckle grows with the shaft it will remain as tight as ever just the stem gets thicker as well so widens the gap as it grows ! Thats the problem whatever you wrap around stays the same size Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derbyduck Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) I did four some years ago and used fencing wire ,well someone found three of them so I don't know how they turned out but the one that didn't get found had the wire buried into the bark and in some parts it was completely covered ,well it didn't look good so unwound the wire and left the stick still growing , I went back about a year later and I found the bark had grown over and it was a fair looking twist ! I supose I could do it with blackthorn . DD Edited January 6, 2017 by derbyduck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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