The Irish Shillelagh A Traditional Blackthorn Cudgel Circa 1920 Ref8795p

  

THE IRISH SHILLELAGH: A TRADITIONAL BLACKTHORN CUDGEL CIRCA 1920 REF8795P. CUDGEL / WALKING STICK WITH NATURAL BONE HANDLE EACH A UNIQUE PIECE CIRCA 1920. This is a most unusual offering in that the Kerrie (knob) is formed by and replaced with a natural bone grip.

32 INCH 127 GRAMS Small chip at base which is of no consequence. When referring to a Shillelagh condition becomes almost irellevant. The Blackthorn has for centuries been the wood used because of its stability in all conditions and is practically indestructible!! Estate iem also bought at a trunk sale in Northern Ireland in the 1960s.

From information gleaned it had been in the family since at least the 1920's and probably longer. It had simply sat around the house as Gramps "walking and fighting stck". ; Irish: sail éille or saill éalaigh[1] [?], "thonged willow") is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty blackthorn stick with a large knob at the top. It is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore. Other spelling variants include shillelah, shillalah, and shillaly.

Shillelaghs are traditionally made from blackthorn (sloe) wood (Prunus spinosa) or oak. With the scarcity of oak in Ireland the term came increasingly to denote a blackthorn stick and indeed blackthorn stick is sometimes glossed as equivalent to shillelagh.

Wood from the root was prized since this would be used for the knob, and was less prone to crack or break during use. Curing and polishing Most commonly, the chosen wood would be placed up a chimney to cure for a duration of several months to several years; the accumulated layer of sootgave the shillelagh its typical black shiny appearance.

The less frequent methods were to bury the shank in a dung pile, or in slaked lime The stick may require protection from its dung bath by being wrapped in well-greased oiled brown paper (steeped in hog's lard or oil). Both of the previous methods would be finished with oils or sealants, etc. A further coat of special soot finish may be applied, [8] or a mixture of black leadand grease rubbed on with woolen cloth to a polishing finish.

Some examples may just be given a coat of black paint. Rarer still was brining, where the shank was placed into a basin of saltwater. The saltwater, being a hypertonic solution, would pull moisture from the shank with little warping. [citation needed] One isolated case of this brining method being used, by Charlotte Brontë's uncle named Hugh, has been documented.

Hugh Brontë is said to have rubbed train oil (whale oil) on the stick using chamois leather, and applied magpie blood to give it a darker appearance. I USE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE OPTIONS AVAILABLE WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE SAFETY OF THE GOODS. In terms of anything that "works" particularly, but not limited to electronic or photographic items no warranties are expressed or implied. I carefully and thoroughly examine all elements for evidence of fungus or blemishes and will disclose any if found without stripping the lens, be they photographic, binoculars or other.

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