# Handmade Hickory Eku



## Christopher Adamchek (Apr 30, 2019)

Hand made my own hickory karate eku (Okinawan [fighting] oar)
‍♂️

With a tung oil finish, im so excited its done


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## Flying Crane (Apr 30, 2019)

Nice.  I’ve made my own staff and spear shafts and tomahawk handles from hickory.  I love the stuff.


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## jobo (Apr 30, 2019)

Christopher Adamchek said:


> Hand made my own hickory karate eku (Okinawan [fighting] oar)
> ‍♂️
> 
> With a tung oil finish, im so excited its done


it's a nice piece of work, but do you have a foreseeable use for a fighting oar?

I supose if theres pirates in the vicinity it may come in useful?


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## CB Jones (Apr 30, 2019)

Christopher Adamchek said:


> Hand made my own hickory karate eku (Okinawan [fighting] oar)
> ‍♂️
> 
> With a tung oil finish, im so excited its done



Nice work.

We have a lot of friends that compete in weapon forms with ekus....eku....eki....what's the plural form of eku?


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## Brian R. VanCise (Apr 30, 2019)

Beautiful job!


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## Tez3 (Apr 30, 2019)

Deep in the recesses of my brain I remember I'd heard of 'fighting oars' somewhere, but they are lovely things to be sure!

As for uses, well a weapon is a weapon is a weapon!


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## Deleted member 39746 (Apr 30, 2019)

Now you can finally be a boatman!  

I was tempted to try making a quarter staff, but im not exactly sure how/ what the traditional/best method of doing it is.      I have heard taking  a sapling is the traditional way of making it and you need a draw knife.   I think its called that.      Kind of a lost art really. 

And i imagine Ash is quite expensive to get your hands on especially a sapling.


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## Danny T (Apr 30, 2019)

Nice!

Oh and don't let those who would make fun of your training.
There are some excellent reasons for working with odd type weapons like an oar:
*I - improved coordination*
Training with an object like the oar helps to improve your coordination in ways that only controlling something that you don't have nerve endings in can. The length changes the effective range and center of gravity as well.

*II - weapons of opportunity*
It's not just an oar. It's also anything potential its length and weight. You're training with anything cylindrical of roughly the same length. You'll have to make adjustments for weight/length/feel, but you'll be better equipped to fight with odd type of objects than if you haven't.

*III - historical preservation*
Whether or not this is important to you many choose to practice with historical weapons, a category which many martial arts weapons fall into, because they want to preserve, or in some cases, reconstruct, historical weapons practices. This can be because the weapon belongs to a martial art they've already invested time into. It can also be because of cultural heritage. Or, it may well be something a person simple enjoys doing.


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## Flying Crane (Apr 30, 2019)

@Christopher Adamchek i also intended to ask what your shaping method is.

I do not have a lathe, so I shape things on a belt sander.  I’ve found I can control the shape pretty well that way.

I typically buy a hickory board and cut it into square rods of about 1 1/8 inch on a side, by however long the board is.  Then I just start shaping them down, turning them on the belt sander.  There is a whole lot of hand sanding afterwards, and I finish with linseed oil and teak oil.


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## Blindside (Apr 30, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> @Christopher Adamchek i also intended to ask what your shaping method is.
> 
> I do not have a lathe, so I shape things on a belt sander.  I’ve found I can control the shape pretty well that way.



Have you considered a Japanese wood rasp like one of these? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004DIHDU0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They are incredibly good at taking off material, I have been doing sword handles with it and it really saves me a lot of time.


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## Flying Crane (Apr 30, 2019)

Blindside said:


> Have you considered a Japanese wood rasp like one of these? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004DIHDU0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> 
> They are incredibly good at taking off material, I have been doing sword handles with it and it really saves me a lot of time.


I’ve got one actually, but I’ve never used it.  I’ll give it a try.  Thx!


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## Christopher Adamchek (May 1, 2019)

CB Jones said:


> Nice work.
> 
> We have a lot of friends that compete in weapon forms with ekus....eku....eki....what's the plural form of eku?



Thank you 
hmmm, i feel like its like moose, so just eku
I have some interest in the forms, non for competing with forms, im excited to actually spar with it in the sand and water


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## Christopher Adamchek (May 1, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> @Christopher Adamchek i also intended to ask what your shaping method is.
> 
> I do not have a lathe, so I shape things on a belt sander.  I’ve found I can control the shape pretty well that way.
> 
> I typically buy a hickory board and cut it into square rods of about 1 1/8 inch on a side, by however long the board is.  Then I just start shaping them down, turning them on the belt sander.  There is a whole lot of hand sanding afterwards, and I finish with linseed oil and teak oil.



Table and jigsaw to get the rough shape
Planer to strip it closer to the shape 
And hours with an orbital sander (40,150,and 220)
Then 7 coats of tung oil buffing with 00 steel wool between each coat


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## harlan (May 1, 2019)

It’s lovely. What are the dimensions...the ratio of blade to handle?


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## Christopher Adamchek (May 1, 2019)

harlan said:


> It’s lovely. What are the dimensions...the ratio of blade to handle?



started with a 1in x 3.5in x 6ft hickory board
handle is 1in x 1.25in (oval) x 3.5ft 
blade is 2.5ft long
top of the blade is angled down about 15 degrees on either side and concave bevel near the middle 
back of the blade is slightly rounded 

making a 5ft one next with a 3ft handle and 2ft blade


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## Deleted member 39746 (May 1, 2019)

Danny T said:


> *III - historical preservation*



Making a lot of these is a lost art, let alone anything involved in using them as weapons.


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## Flying Crane (May 1, 2019)

Rat said:


> Making a lot of these is a lost art, let alone anything involved in using them as weapons.


Hickory is a good choice for weapon viability.


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## Gerry Seymour (May 4, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> Hickory is a good choice for weapon viability.


My understanding is Appalachian hickory is preferable to whatever "standard" hickory is. I've been contemplating special-ordering a couple of boards from a woodworking supplier, to make some staves from. Appalachian hickory staves seem to go for upwards of $100, so I can't see myself ever actually buying one.


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## Gerry Seymour (May 4, 2019)

Christopher Adamchek said:


> Hand made my own hickory karate eku (Okinawan [fighting] oar)
> ‍♂️
> 
> With a tung oil finish, im so excited its done


That's some beautiful work there, man. I've had an opportunity to watch ecu forms once at the school where I teach. If I were to pick one weapon other than a basic staff to learn forms on, that'd probably be it.


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## JR 137 (May 4, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> That's some beautiful work there, man. I've had an opportunity to watch ecu forms once at the school where I teach. If I were to pick one weapon other than a basic staff to learn forms on, that'd probably be it.


I’ve seen a few traditional Okinawan eku kata. My former sensei was quite good with it. It’s one of those weapons you don’t see often. I’d love to learn it. My current organization doesn’t use it that I know of.

My former teacher went the right way with weapons IMO. He pretty much made it a completely separate entity. His students learn the basics of the bo, a kata or two, and some partner drills. His weapons program has its own ranks, and various weapons at various ranks. Eku is one of the weapons. Not sure how far alone the program that is.


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## Gerry Seymour (May 4, 2019)

JR 137 said:


> I’ve seen a few traditional Okinawan eku kata. My former sensei was quite good with it. It’s one of those weapons you don’t see often. I’d love to learn it. My current organization doesn’t use it that I know of.
> 
> My former teacher went the right way with weapons IMO. He pretty much made it a completely separate entity. His students learn the basics of the bo, a kata or two, and some partner drills. His weapons program has its own ranks, and various weapons at various ranks. Eku is one of the weapons. Not sure how far alone the program that is.


That's the same structure Shorin-ryu Kensankai uses (the organization the dojo belongs to). Yudansha carry separate rank in Karate-do and Kobudo, and the classes are actually somewhat separate (except the yudansha classes, which change focus week-to-week).


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## CB Jones (May 4, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> My understanding is Appalachian hickory is preferable to whatever "standard" hickory is. I've been contemplating special-ordering a couple of boards from a woodworking supplier, to make some staves from. Appalachian hickory staves seem to go for upwards of $100, so I can't see myself ever actually buying one.



I believe Hickory from the Appalachia just grades better due to their environment they grew in or due to hickories in other areas just being over logged decades ago.


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## Flying Crane (May 4, 2019)

CB Jones said:


> I believe Hickory from the Appalachia just grades better due to their environment they grew in or due to hickories in other areas just being over logged decades ago.


I did look at some wood supply/information sites online, it seems that there are several species that go under the name of hickory.  I can’t say with certainty if any of the species are truly superior in some qualities than other, but growing conditions can definitely have an effect.


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## Gerry Seymour (May 5, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> I did look at some wood supply/information sites online, it seems that there are several species that go under the name of hickory.  I can’t say with certainty if any of the species are truly superior in some qualities than other, but growing conditions can definitely have an effect.


Kingfisher uses several varieties of hickory in their weapons.I recall reading on a site somewhere (I'm pretty sure it was talking about best woods for weapons, comparing best Japanese wood wot best American wood) that Appalachian hickory is reliably better for impact weapons. I forget the reason why it needed to be Appalachian (though it might be as someone else said, just that it's easier to get high grade, clear hickory there). I think it was as a suggested replacement for Japanese white oak, which doesn't splinter on impact.


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## Flying Crane (May 5, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> Kingfisher uses several varieties of hickory in their weapons.I recall reading on a site somewhere (I'm pretty sure it was talking about best woods for weapons, comparing best Japanese wood wot best American wood) that Appalachian hickory is reliably better for impact weapons. I forget the reason why it needed to be Appalachian (though it might be as someone else said, just that it's easier to get high grade, clear hickory there). I think it was as a suggested replacement for Japanese white oak, which doesn't splinter on impact.


Do you know what species they mean when they call it “Appalachian” hickory?


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## CB Jones (May 5, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> Do you know what species they mean when they call it “Appalachian” hickory?



Pig nut or Shagbark.  But they dont differentiate it.  When sold it is sold as hickory.  Hardwoods from Appalachia is given the Appalachian moniker.


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## Flying Crane (May 5, 2019)

CB Jones said:


> Pig nut or Shagbark.  But they dont differentiate it.  When sold it is sold as hickory.  Hardwoods from Appalachia is given the Appalachian moniker.


Interesting.  When I buy it at the lumberyard, it is simply categorized as hickory, there is no distinction of what species, so that is consistent with my experience as well.  I don’t recall if it was call Appalachian or not, but I’ll pay closer attention.

I suppose if one were to really want a particular species, they might need to do their own lunberjacking, going after a specific tree somewhere, on their own property or something.


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## CB Jones (May 5, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> Interesting.  When I buy it at the lumberyard, it is simply categorized as hickory, there is no distinction of what species, so that is consistent with my experience as well.  I don’t recall if it was call Appalachian or not, but I’ll pay closer attention.
> 
> I suppose if one were to really want a particular species, they might need to do their own lunberjacking, going after a specific tree somewhere, on their own property or something.



Often time species in the same genus have the same characteristics in lumber so they dont wory about differentiate between.  Hickories, Red Oaks, White Oaks. Etc...

Because Hickories and some other hardwoods from Appalachia grade much better they have to be differiated from others and sold at a higher price.


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## Flying Crane (May 5, 2019)

CB Jones said:


> Often time species in the same genus have the same characteristics in lumber so they dont wory about differentiate between.  Hickories, Red Oaks, White Oaks. Etc...
> 
> Because Hickories and some other hardwoods from Appalachia grade much better they have to be differiated from others and sold at a higher price.


I had noticed that about the different species, on the websites,  the characteristics as described seemed pretty consistent.

One thing I did notice was that the hickory species are not resistant to insect attacks, or weather, so definitely need to finish the work with some kind of sealant and protect it.  I had made a hiking staff, and it occurred to me that someone could be on a multi-day hiking/camping trek and could be in wet weather for several days at a time.  Would hate to see the staff begin to deteriorate if everything stays wet for a while.

I finished a leftover piece with teak oil, and with a combo of teak oil and linseed oil then stuck the end of it in a bucket of water and left it for 24 hours to test it.  It came out pretty well, didn’t seem to harm it after I got it dried off again.  I figured that was a pretty good test.


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## Gerry Seymour (May 5, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> Do you know what species they mean when they call it “Appalachian” hickory?


There are several. It's literally any hickory from the Appalachian region. The growing conditions in Appalachia apparently give a better chance at clear (knot-free) and particularly split-resistant wood.


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## Gerry Seymour (May 5, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> Interesting.  When I buy it at the lumberyard, it is simply categorized as hickory, there is no distinction of what species, so that is consistent with my experience as well.  I don’t recall if it was call Appalachian or not, but I’ll pay closer attention.
> 
> I suppose if one were to really want a particular species, they might need to do their own lunberjacking, going after a specific tree somewhere, on their own property or something.


Or perhaps buy from a woodworking supplier. They are a bit more likely (though not at all certain) to know the variety of a given lot, since they deal in smaller amounts.


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## Gerry Seymour (May 5, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> I had noticed that about the different species, on the websites,  the characteristics as described seemed pretty consistent.
> 
> One thing I did notice was that the hickory species are not resistant to insect attacks, or weather, so definitely need to finish the work with some kind of sealant and protect it.  I had made a hiking staff, and it occurred to me that someone could be on a multi-day hiking/camping trek and could be in wet weather for several days at a time.  Would hate to see the staff begin to deteriorate if everything stays wet for a while.
> 
> I finished a leftover piece with teak oil, and with a combo of teak oil and linseed oil then stuck the end of it in a bucket of water and left it for 24 hours to test it.  It came out pretty well, didn’t seem to harm it after I got it dried off again.  I figured that was a pretty good test.


For many of the finishes I like (tung oil, for instance), you need several coats, with days of curing between. To properly protect a staff/walking stick I intend to take in the woods, I'd probably end up finishing it over 2-3 weeks.


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## CB Jones (May 5, 2019)

Black Locust wood would be great for weapons as well.  It is extremely hard and stable. 

Also Osage Orange wood might be good as well....much harder than hickory.  It density might make it a little to heavy though.


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## Flying Crane (May 5, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> For many of the finishes I like (tung oil, for instance), you need several coats, with days of curing between. To properly protect a staff/walking stick I intend to take in the woods, I'd probably end up finishing it over 2-3 weeks.


Yup, I put on coat after coat.  Linseed oil can take weeks to fully cure so it’s hard to know when it’s ready, but I love the finish.  I tested linseed oil with the bucket of water and it did not fare so well, but I am certain it was not fully cured.  If I let it sit for a month in warm weather and then tested it, I might get better results.

The teak oil worked really well, I did multiple coats and then gave it maybe a week before I did the test.


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## Flying Crane (May 5, 2019)

CB Jones said:


> Black Locust wood would be great for weapons as well.  It is extremely hard and stable.
> 
> Also Osage Orange wood might be good as well....much harder than hickory.  It density might make it a little to heavy though.


Osage orange was a favorite with Native Americans for making bows, I think it’s properties may be superior to yew.


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## CB Jones (May 5, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> Osage orange was a favorite with Native Americans for making bows, I think it’s properties may be superior to yew.



Yes.

Yew, hickory, and black locust all rate around 1600 to 1850 in Janka hardness scale....osage orange rates 2400 in hardness.

Osage orange and yew also have very hard spring back qualities that make  them ideal for bows.

Janka hardness table
The Janka Hardness Test for Hardwoods

Good Wood database
Osage Orange | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)


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## CB Jones (May 5, 2019)

Purple heart wood has a 2700 rating....hence why it is popular in making high quality bo


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## JR 137 (May 7, 2019)

Flying Crane said:


> Interesting.  When I buy it at the lumberyard, it is simply categorized as hickory, there is no distinction of what species, so that is consistent with my experience as well.  I don’t recall if it was call Appalachian or not, but I’ll pay closer attention.
> 
> I suppose if one were to really want a particular species, they might need to do their own lunberjacking, going after a specific tree somewhere, on their own property or something.


I’d imagine a regular lumber yard or a place like Home Depot and Lowe’s would simply buy the cheapest variety of each type of wood without care to the specific type, ie buy the cheapest hickory they can get and not differentiate what type of hickory it actually is. An independent store (non Home Depot type) would probably be able to special order it. 

A specialty supplier would probably have several different types of each. And actually know what you’re talking about when you ask for something like Appalachian hickory instead of the blank stare 99% of the Home Depot guys would give you. Come to think of it, I don’t recall ever seeing hickory in a place like Home Depot; only poplar, pine, and oak. 

I’ve never heard of all the varieties of hickory nor practically anything else mentioned here either.


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## Gerry Seymour (May 7, 2019)

I currently have a request out to an online supplier to see if I can get some custom sizes. They normally do small stuff (for knife handles and such - nothing longer than 36" listed on their site) and a few boards, but they have a good selection of exotic hardwoods that aren't terribly expensive, so I've sent an email to see if I could get a longer dowel or 2x2 of purpleheart. If it goes anywhere, I'll drop a note here for anyone interested.


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