Materials - Dog Rose
(Rosa canina)
Materials - Dog Rose
(Rosa canina)
|
|
|
The dog rose in flower in a hedgerow beside a footpath near Dunstable, Bedfordshire (formerly a railway track). |
The common wild rose or dog rose can be found growing in hedgerows and woodland throughout the country. It is well-known for its attractive flowers and its sharp thorns, but what interests the stickmaker is its habit of sending up long, uniformly round, fast-growing stems, often of prodigious length. These will gain support from neighbouring trees and shrubs, often growing right to the top of the tallest trees before arching over and spreading through the foliage. Without such support, the rose will grow into a straggly shrub, sending out low, horizontal stems and spreading along the hedgerow.
|
A typical unsupported hedgerow dog rose in bloom (growing by the canal side near Tring, Hertfordhire). |
|
Although the long stems are seldom straight, they usually have only a simple, gentle curve, free of kinks and "dog legs", and respond well to straightening with heat. The wood hardens considerably as it seasons. There is a very thin core of pith in the centre, just enough to provide a useful drilling guide without unduly affecting the strength of the shank.
Dog-rose stems are generally quite slim, and though very strong and resilient, they do flex a bit more than a hazel shank of similar size. They are therefore best suited to use as thumbsticks and lightweight canes.
|
Here's the sort of stem we're looking for, growing up through the scrub as straight as an arrow (near Dunstable) |
|
An old dog rose can eventually form a real tree, with a thick trunk and main branches, so it may be possible on occasions to fashion a more substantial shank from this old wood.
|
This one is well on its way to treedom. Note that the older stems lose their thorns and the bark becomes deeply fissured. |
|
The bark is variable, but often of a dark red colour and interestingly marked with a network of darker and lighter lines.
|
Some very colourful stems growing by a footpath near Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire (another abandoned railway line, as it happens). |
|
The thorns (which should only be removed after the wood has thoroughly seasoned) leave the stem studded with little scars. When smoothed down, the overall effect is most attractive. However, the outer bark on older stems is often unstable and is liable to crack, split or come loose during seasoning. This need not be a problem, though, because underneath the outer bark lies a thick layer of inner bark, which is generally more stable. The uniform muddy brown colour of this inner bark is not in itself very attractive, but the thorn-scars come to our rescue; once sanded down to this level, we get interesting "contour maps" where the layers of wood and bark are revealed around the scars. The under-bark responds well to staining. It is a bit soft and fibrous, but will soak up plenty of varnish, drying to a hard, tough finish.
(See my thumbstick #065)
A final note -
The dog rose is sometimes referred to as "briar". This can be rather confusing,
as "briar" also refers to the wood of the Mediterranean tree heather
(Erica arborea)
, which derives its name from the French "bruyere". The highly desirable burr
wood of the heather's root-ball is used for making pipe bowls, being very
resistant to burning. This makes sense, as heathers are known for their ability
to regenerate following brush fires.
And while we're discussing etymology, the name "dog rose" is said to derive
from the use of the root to "cure the bite of a mad dog". Myself, I think I'd
prefer to get to the nearest hospital pretty damn quick rather than digging up
rose roots!
This page last updated Saturday, 04 January 2003
