# Cutting Rattan Making A Stick Or Two!



## Brian R. VanCise (May 26, 2008)

Well most of you did not know but for years I cut up rattan and made sticks commercially and sold them all over the place. Usually I would use 8 to 9 foot lengths that would have to be considered thick by my standards everything else I would just use until busted up during full contact sparring. So I still cut and make sticks but now only for my students. Heck, it is just not enough of a mark up to do it for everyone else. Well here is today's work for a student.

Now I am a firm believer in never throwing out a stick so when your sticks start to splinter always wrap them with tape. I use cloth hockey tape and have for years. Now I have about 1,000 sticks or so. :erg:


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## Imua Kuntao (May 27, 2008)

Iv'e been cutting up rattan staves. From 6ft, I get a pair of sticks, and a short stick or two small sticks (for knife).


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## tshadowchaser (May 27, 2008)

Nice looking sticks.
I think it adds something to ones knowledge of stick fighting if they make their own sticks.


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## Brian R. VanCise (May 27, 2008)

tshadowchaser said:


> Nice looking sticks.
> I think it adds something to ones knowledge of stick fighting if they make their own sticks.


 
Absolutely.  I would definately agree with that. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





  Plus it is fun!


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## geezer (May 28, 2008)

tshadowchaser said:


> Nice looking sticks.
> I think it adds something to ones knowledge of stick fighting if they make their own sticks.


I'm with you on that. Say do any of you guys go through the whole preparation routine--like soaking the sticks in brine, drying, then baking them in an oven, then burning and polishing them? I've lightly burned a few for looks, but never done the whole process. At les than $3 a stick from Frank's it doesn't seem necessary. But one of these days I've been meaning to take a matched pair, try curing one and leaving the other raw, then doing some serious striking drills using one against the other --just to see what happens. Anybody tried that?


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## geezer (May 28, 2008)

tshadowchaser said:


> Nice looking sticks.
> I think it adds something to ones knowledge of stick fighting if they make their own sticks.


I'm with you on that. Say do any of you guys go through the whole preparation routine--like soaking the sticks in brine, drying, then baking them in an oven, then burning and polishing them? I've lightly burned a few for looks, but never done the whole process. At less than $3 a stick from Frank's it doesn't seem necessary. But one of these days I've been meaning to take a matched pair, try curing one and leaving the other raw, then doing some serious striking drills using one against the other --just to see what happens. Anybody tried that?


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## Brian R. VanCise (May 29, 2008)

geezer said:


> I'm with you on that. Say do any of you guys go through the whole preparation routine--like soaking the sticks in brine, drying, then baking them in an oven, then burning and polishing them? I've lightly burned a few for looks, but never done the whole process. At less than $3 a stick from Frank's it doesn't seem necessary. But one of these days I've been meaning to take a matched pair, try curing one and leaving the other raw, then doing some serious striking drills using one against the other --just to see what happens. Anybody tried that?


 
You know I do not like burn patterns so unless there is a part of the stick that is damaged I do not burn it. (I only use damaged sticks myself and never sell them)  Truthfully I have found that nothing makes a stick last longer so for myself I cut the stick, sand it to make sure there are no rough edges then lightly warm it with a torch and that is it.  Oh and on the tip ends I use a little oil.  Then when the stick starts to fray as it eventually will I simply wrap it in tape and I have a stick for forever!


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## geezer (May 29, 2008)

Brian R. VanCise said:


> ...Truthfully I have found that nothing makes a stick last longer so for myself I cut the stick, sand it to make sure there are no rough edges then lightly warm it with a torch and that is it...



*Aha!!! I suspected as much*. All these years people have been telling me the "correct and proper" ways to prepare rattan, and it turns out to bee a bunch of hooey. And then there's those beautifully sanded and burned, fifteen dollars a shot _wanker sticks_ that break the first time you really hit them. Thanks Brian,now at last I can get over my guilt for just using raw rattan and a lot of tape.


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