How to Make a Shillelagh Stick
- 1). Find a hawthorn tree with many thick branches. Examine the tree until you see a branch that looks heavy and dense with the traditional gnarled straightness of a shillelagh. The branch should be tapered but strong-looking. If you can't find a hawthorn tree, look for oak, ash or holly. All of these woods are traditional.
- 2). Put up a stepladder and put on some gloves. You must handle hawthorn trees with care. All American species have thorns on them, as do many European species. Find a space between the thorns and grip it firmly.
- 3). Saw through the branch with a branch saw, cutting at a particularly knobby section. Shillelaghs traditionally have a very bumpy, clubbed look.
- 4). Saw away all of the thorns on your shillelagh branch. If necessary, saw it to length, as well. Your shillelagh should come up to your bellybutton.
- 5). Hold your shillelagh down on a sturdy surface and slice through the bark with a sharp knife. Put the tip of the blade into the slice and peel away the bark.
- 6). Set your shillelagh in a cool, dry place to dry for about three weeks. This strengthens the shillelagh by letting it become dry and very dense.
- 7). Sand the shillelagh so the stumps from the thorns and the places you cut are rounded and smooth.
- 8). Stain your shillelagh if desired. Dark cherry, black hawthorn and walnut are all appropriate choices. Let the stain dry overnight.
- 9). Varnish your shillelagh with water-based weather sealer. Add about two coats with 2 hours of drying time between them.
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