No. 070 - A slim nose-out market stick or short crook in ram's horn with
a stripped blackthorn shank.
Because of the cost of the material and the amount of time it takes to work the horn, I don't normally make ram's horn sticks for general sale. However, I did this one, just to keep my hand in, at our stickmaking evening classes.
The horn was of decent quality and quite long, but of rather small cross-section, so there was limited scope for avoiding the inevitable surface imperfections. These have been filled with epoxy resin to provide a smooth surface and should be accepted as a feature of the stick.
There are some very nice colours in the horn, ranging from grey to honey-colour.
The handle has a classic nose-out crook shape - what you might call the "Bo-Peep" look. It is married to the slim blackthorn shank with a black buffalo horn spacer.
The stripped shank has been smoothed down, but retains the typical knobbly character of blackthorn. In time, the surface will darken somewhat with exposure to light.
A slim and elegant stick which can be held as a crook/staff or cut down to make a nice lightweight but strong market stick. Not suitable for rounding up Bo-Peep's sheep, though! Maximum overall length 47 inches (120 cm).
SOLD