Making a quarterstaff question.

[Karl Akkerman]

I notice how expensive pre-made quarterstaffs are from some of the online vendors. In comparison it looks like I can get an Oak dowel for significantly cheaper.

As such if I did get a 6ft or 8ft hardwood dowel would I have to do anything else with it, sanding down the ends, varnishing or other surface treatment, to make it safer to practice with?

Right now I have no training partner and would just want to use it for practicing basic techniques alongside my waster.

[Sal Bertucci]

I would recommend rubbing any wooden training tool you will use with linseed oil (Or equivalent). Otherwise the wood dries out, and is more prone to break.

I would be extremely confident in your control before sparring anyone with a staff. When you take a piece of wood, and shape it into a sword you get a training tool. Do the same with a staff and you get the weapon itself.

[Gene Tausk]

I would recommend rubbing any wooden training tool you will use with linseed oil (Or equivalent). Otherwise the wood dries out, and is more prone to break.

I would be extremely confident in your control before sparring anyone with a staff. When you take a piece of wood, and shape it into a sword you get a training tool. Do the same with a staff and you get the weapon itself.

Sal, I have been thinking of how difficult it is to safely spar with a quarterstaff and your description is the most lucid I have seen. Now I know how to describe the challenge.

I guess I will have to stop my A&M jokes!

[Sal Bertucci]

Well, to be completely honest I think I heard that from Stacy, so your jokes are safe from me!

[Hans Meier]

I would recommend rubbing any wooden training tool you will use with linseed oil (Or equivalent). Otherwise the wood dries out, and is more prone to break.

I would be extremely confident in your control before sparring anyone with a staff. When you take a piece of wood, and shape it into a sword you get a training tool. Do the same with a staff and you get the weapon itself.

Rattan Bo staves aren't that bad for sparring, they do introduce artifacts to your fights though (just as any weapon simulator).

Cheers, Hans.

[Stacy Clifford]

The mass of the staff is important in a lot of techniques with quarterstaff to properly defend attacks or beat to create openings. Rattan may hurt less in sparring, but a lot of things you should be trying to practice in sparring just wouldn't work right because it isn't heavy enough to behave properly. We don't only practice staff against staff, we also face wasters of various types which would also be heavier than a rattan staff.

[Karl Akkerman]

Well I just heard back from the lumber yard. For a round 2.5 in. X 8 ft. dowel they quoted me $101.25 for Hickory and $54 for Oak.

In your experience how does that sound?

[Gene Tausk]

Well I just heard back from the lumber yard. For a round 2.5 in. X 8 ft. dowel they quoted me $101.25 for Hickory and $54 for Oak.

In your experience how does that sound?

Wow, do you get a high-grade investment CD with that as well?

What do they make the staves from? Platinum?

Go to Home Depot get a dowel and some sandpaper and mineral oil. Make one yourself. $10.

[Stacy Clifford]

2.5" is more of a structural support than a weapon. The two staffs I have are 1" and 1-1/8" (1.125) and they are just about perfect. I prefer the 1-1/8" one personally, but you don't need anything thicker than 1.25" to get the job done. If you're making an octagonal staff (I've seen some, they're nice), then start thicker so you've got room to make the corners. My favorite one is hickory, not sure about the smaller one, but the English traditionally used oak, so either should be good.

[Greg Coffman]

In my experience, 2.5" sounds like a pretty big staff! 1.5" is as big as I, personally, would want to go. I've got a 6' X 1 & 1/8" oak staff that has held up quite well. It is the standard martial art staff, non-tapered, that you can get from many martial art stores which is where I bought mine.

Have you tried here:
http://www.dowelsondemand.com/index.html

Hickory 6' X 1.5" is $30.72 and $40.96 if you go up to 8ft. I don't know if you can beat that.

[Karl Akkerman]

Sorry guys I made a typo there. I meant to say 1.5 inches. However now that you mention it I hope I did not make the same mistake at the lumber yard when I ask for the price quot. Or given the price they gave me maybe I hope I did!

Gene, I can get a Douglas-fir in 1-1/2 inches X 8 ft for $12 but I want a hard wood.

Stacy, a staff that thin is not too whippy? I was concerned that a rod 85 to 96 calibers in length would not be stiff enough.

Greg, thanks for the link. The prices there sound much more reasonable. I will have to double check with my local lumber yard to determine whether or not I gave them the right diameter.

[Stacy Clifford]

I forgot to mention that my two staffs are 6 ft. long, but I have seen ones 8 and 10 ft. long at about 1-1/8" to 1.25" (probably the latter, but can't remember for certain) thick made of hickory and no, they were not whippy at all.

[Joshua Welsh]

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... Spear+Pole

$25 for a 7 foot ash pole. Probably the best deal you'll find, though if you order it from anyone online expect to pay more in shipping than the cost of the pole.

I found a stand of hickory trees, and grabbed a nice straight straight sappling that had been downed in a storm. It took a few hours worth of work to clean it up, but it's unique and free.

If you want a shorter staff, you can pick one of these up at lowes, in a pinch:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_42388-73-23-751 ... i_products

[Greg Coffman]

If you want a shorter staff, you can pick one of these up at lowes, in a pinch:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_42388-73-23-751 ... i_products

I like the end-balls that come with those. Very Meyer-esque.

[Karl Akkerman]

If you want a shorter staff, you can pick one of these up at lowes, in a pinch:http://www.lowes.com/pd_42388-73-23-7512-25_0_?productId=3033385&Ntt=wood+pole&Ntk=i_products

I did not even think to look in that section. I will grab one of those next time I am at Lowes. I can save getting the longer hickory one for later after I have some practice with one of these.