136 - A unusual one-piece blackthorn stick in the form of a stylised leg cleek.
Maximum length approx. 44"/ 1120mm.
Diameter approx 1-1/8" / 28mm at top of shank, tapering down to 7/8" / 22mm at the tip.
Heavy weight, very strong.
Note: the colour of the wood is not as pale as the photos might suggest, has
some nice markings to it, and will mellow further over time.
The shank was really too heavy and thick all over (with no taper to it), so I would have to whittle it down to size, thereby losing the excellent bark. However, I figured I could leave a small section of the bark intact, providing visual interest and creating a clear divide between shank and handle, even though it's really all one piece. So this is what I did, taking the opportunity to exaggerate the blackthorn's knobbliness in the process.
I shaped the natural crook into a highly stylised version of the traditional narrow "leg cleek", a shepherd's tool used to catch a sheep by its hind leg. I deliberately added a bit of wiggle and twist to the nose of the crook, again to add visual interest. Because the crown of the handle crosses the wood's grain, I inserted a stainless steel reinforcing rod through this section, capping it off with a piece of abalone shell set in black epoxy resin. The stick is finished in Tru-Oil for a natural appearance and to allow the wood to darken gradually with exposure to light.
The handle is shaped so that it can be gripped in the manner shown using either hand, which is very comfortable. Note that this grip would not be suitable for those with big thick fingers! Held in this way, the stick needs to be shortened by maybe one to two inches (25 to 50mm) to suit my 5'10" (178cm) height.
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