C008 - Collector's item(?): an ebonised maple knobstick cane.
Length 34.5 inches (88 cm)
Another stick picked up on our way through the Cotswolds.
This one has no pretensions to greatness, it's just a simple turned maple shank topped with a metal knob. When I bought it, the "ebonised" finish was in a very sorry state. ("Ebonised" is auctioneerspeak for "painted black" - it doesn't mean it could ever be mistaken for ebony, even in a coal-cellar at night).
The slightly battered metal knob appears to be plated brass and carries the maker's mark "W.M"
The original black lacquer finish had mostly worn off - and quite a lot of it appeared to have parted company with the shank when sticky tape had been ripped off it at some time in the past.
In the circumstances I figured I couldn't possibly make it any worse than
it was already, so I decided to try my hand at creating a more effective ebony
appearance, and stripped off the remains of the original lacquer. I used potassium permanganate to darken the light-coloured maple wood
considerably, then applied a heavy black stain (inkjet printer ink, if you must
know). After a couple of applications of linseed oil, finished off with a
couple more coats of Tru-Oil gunstock finish, the result was far better than I
could have hoped for. There are faint traces of dark brown grain just about
showing through the not-quite black finish here and there. I reckon that if you must start off with maple, then this is the nearest to ebony you're ever going to
get! The original ferrule was missing, so I fitted a new steel-tipped brass one,
cunningly "distressed" to complement the appearance of the rest of the stick.
(Well, actually I just nipped it in the vice a bit too tightly, but I reckoned
it would improve the overall impression so I went ahead and fitted it anyway!)
Although this stick is quite lightweight, it has reasonable strength and is quite stiff. Coupled with the simple knob head ensuring any weight applied is directed straight down the shank, It offers a reasonable amount of support for a medium-weight person.
I think it might prove ideal for someone who takes part in historical re-enactments (hint!).
SOLD
...to someone who takes part in historical re-enactments.