Useful Links and Contacts
Useful Links and Contacts
Home | Sticks For Sale | Antler Sticks | Collectors' Sticks | Horn Sticks | Market Sticks & Crooks | Thumbsticks | "Womble" Sticks | One-Piece Sticks | Other Sticks | Work in hand | Stick FAQ | About Stickmaking Materials | Custom Sticks Price Guide | Feedback from customers & visitors | Contact me | |||
The British Stickmakers Guild. Membership is open to all stickmakers, collectors, and anyone else who has an interest in walking sticks/canes. Well worth the membership fee, if only for their excellent magazine, "The Stickmaker". | Website: http://www.thebsg.org.uk/ | ||
Calleva Stickdressers A very active group of UK stickmakers with a current membership of around 35 from Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and Sussex. They have a very full programme throughout the year with demonstrations of stickmaking at a variety of country shows, two national competitions (Highclere and Newbury), regular workshops at which newer members and novices are helped and encouraged, and various social events. I wish them well with their new Website (June 2004). Note their Web site now has a new address and I've updated the link (29/08/2008). | Website: http://www.callevastickdressers.org.uk | ||
Border Stick Dressers Association A group of traditional stickmakers in the Borders region. (For the geographically challenged, that's where the top end of England meets the bottom end of Scotland.) The Web site is maintained by member Wilf Laidler. Some very nice examples of carved rams horn sticks. | Website: http://www.wlaidler.freeserve.co.uk/webpage | ||
The Shillelagh Man John W Hurley contacted me a while back, having seen an old oak cudgel on my "Collectors" page. He was wondering whether I might agree to him using my photos of this item for a book he was working on. John is something of an expert on Irish stick-fighting and the various types of cudgels, shillelaghs, cipins and other blunt instruments associated with the noble Irish art of knocking the senses out of anyone thinking of doing the same to you. I was happy to be able to help, and my pictures are now preserved for posterity in John's "The Shillelagh Makers Handbook". This slim volume contains some fascinating information on the lore of making sticks and shillelaghs the traditional Irish way. Not having a handy dung-heap or peat-fired central heating, it is unlikely I will be able to try out some of the seasoning techniques explained here. But it's all interesting stuff, full of ideas to fire the imagination of any stickmaker. | Website: http://www.johnwhurley.com Buy "The Shillelagh Makers Handbook" and other books on related Irish folklore at: http://www.lulu.com/shillelagh | ||
For Hiking Resource Directory This site is a major directory of information for hikers. Links to equipment suppliers, information on popular hiking areas and trails, and just about anything else hiking-related. | Website: http://www.forhiking.com | ||
TotemWood A USA wood and stick carving site, linked with the "Stick Carving World Wide" Yahoo! discussion group. Lots of useful links for stickmakers and carvers. | Website: http://www.totemwood.us/ | ||
UK suppliers of stickmaking materials and tools (there are others, but I have used and can recommend the following): | |||
Martin Hyslop, The Highland Horn Company Ltd. (formerly The Hillend Horn Company Ltd) Martin is one of the leading UK suppliers of buffalo horn, as well as stag antler, seasoned shanks and other stickmaking materials. Also stickmaking tools such as Dreadnaught files and horn bending jigs. Martin tours the UK giving demonstrations in working buffalo horn. If you can get together a group of stickmakers and obtain access to a suitable workshop (e.g. a school woodworking department), then have a word with Martin and see if he can fit you into his busy schedule. | Email: highland.horn@btinternet.comPhone/fax: +44 (0)1381 622488(Mobile: 0774 810 5415) Address: Taigh Na Corrach Knockmuir Brae Avoch Easter Ross IV9 8RD UK Martin has now set up a rather nice Web site displaying his wares, which are available for purchase online: | ||
Dafydd Davies: Dafydd is another leading supplier of rams horn, buffalo horn, antler, seasoned shanks, horn bending jigs and other stickmaking items. As a cabinetmaker by trade, he is also able to supply a range of quality wood for stick handles. | Phone: +44 (0)1974 298 566 (evenings preferably)Address: Fron-Villa Llandewi Brefi Nr Tregaron Ceredigion Mid Wales SY25 6RS | ||
Chiltern Country Supplies, Reading, Berkshire: Alan Bateman can be found selling sticks, stickmaking materials and other country craft items at country fairs. A useful supplier of stag antler, buffalo & rams horn, ox-horn tips, seasoned shanks, ferrules, brass collars etc. Chiltern Country Supplies also have stick making and horn bending courses available and supply instructional videos. | Phone: +44 (0)1189 472936 | ||
Stroud Metal Co Ltd: "Manufacturers of ferrules and light and deep drawn metal pressings." The leading suppliers of stick ferrules, brass collars and other metal fittings. But be aware that some items are only available in bulk. Get together with friends and put in an order for 100 ferrules! | Website: http://www.stroudmetal.co.ukContacts: Mr R A Harmer or Mr M H MorfeyPhone: +44 (0)1453 763331Fax: +44 (0)1453 753804Address: Stroud Metal Co Ltd Dudbridge Stroud Gloucestershire GL5 3EZ | ||
Pageant Pewter: Manufacturer of hand crafted English pewter pins (badges). Useful for embedding or mounting on stick handles. Subjects include animals, Celtic, fishing, equestrian, sport etc. But check the sizes first - many of the designs are too large for our purposes! | Phone/Fax: Sue Jones, +44 (0)191 270 0566 Address: 90 Weardale Avenue Forest Hall Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 7JA | ||
Craft Supplies Ltd: Craft Supplies deal mainly in woodturning requirements, but they do have a number of difficult-to-find tools, parts and materials relevant to stickmaking. They stock a wide range of native and exotic woods, aimed mainly at woodturners, but also useful to the stickmaker looking for something special for a handle or turned shank. Note: they stock Micromesh abrasive cloth, which is available in extremely fine grades. This is marvellous stuff for final smoothing and polishing of horn, bone, antler and synthetic plastics. Better than steel wool any day. (You can use it wet and rinse it out after use. Keeps the dust down and a small strip of it will last for ages). | Website: http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk | ||
Axminster Power Tool Centre: An enormous range of power & hand tools, along with abrasives, adhesives, safety equipment etc. Also a good range of woods, again aimed mostly at the woodturner but still useful. | Website: http://www.axminster.co.uk | ||
Ashem Crafts: Ashem are the only people I know of who make serious tools for producing turned shanks. Their range of rounders and trapping planes provide the means to do the job properly by hand or using a slow-speed lathe headstock. The tools aren't cheap - but when you think about it, they aren't that expensive either for what are essentially highly specialised planes made in very small quantities. I have now purchased a pair of rounding and tapering planes. I can confirm they are extremely well made and do the job very well. However, it does take some practice and careful setting-up to obtain the best results. | Website: http://www.ashemcrafts.com | ||
CFS Partnership: Specialist suppliers of glass fibre and resins, including West System epoxy and clear embedding resins, along with various filler powders, metal powders, pigments etc. | Website: http://www.cfsnet.co.uk | ||
Marplas Ltd: An alternative supplier for resins etc. as above. I haven't tried them myself, but they have been recommended. | Phone: +44 (0)1603 667303Fax: +44 (0)1603 64089Address: Martineau Lane Norwich NR1 2HU | ||
East Coast Fibreglass Supplies: Another supplier for resins etc. as above. Again I haven't tried them myself, but they have a useful-looking Web site and list at least one alternative to the usual West System epoxy resin and clear casting resin at reasonable prices. | Website: http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk | ||
Other craft-related sites: | |||
Local Products: A rapidly-growing online directory of local products available in the UK. Click on the logo to see what's available in your local area. |
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Little Bears: A retailer in Stansted, Essex, UK, devoted to teddy bears of all sizes from top makers like Dean's, Steiff and Merrythought, along with dolls' houses and accessories, and assorted craft products. Click on the logo to check out the Little Bears Website. |  | ||
Collectiques Hallmark Database: ...now appears to be an ex-database! Never mind, I've found another site that provides a good guide to English hallmarks (useful for dating silver/gold fittings on collectable sticks). But remember that any such guide is just that - a guide. For a more definitive opinion you will need to consult an expert. Or get yourself a copy of Bradbury's Book Of Hallmarks published by the Sheffield Assay Office. | Website: http://www.horologia.co.uk/hallmarks1.html | ||
The Great Dorset Steam Fair: Steam fairs/traction engine rallies are great fun and make a relaxing day out. The larger ones will also have a good range of traders' stalls selling just about anything you can imagine. These can be good sources of new and second-hand tools and materials. Junk stalls provide inspiration for "Womble" sticks and the odd collectable stick for renovation. Sawmill demonstrations can yield some useful wood for stick handles, garden furniture or use around the workshop, if you are prepared to season it yourself. The Great Dorset is the Big Daddy of all steam fairs. Allow a whole day just to take in all the stalls, then come back for another day just enjoying the displays. | Web site: http://www.steam-fair.co.uk/ | ||
Other steam fairs: Try these links for latest information. | |||
Home | Sticks For Sale | Antler Sticks | Collectors' Sticks | Horn Sticks | Market Sticks & Crooks | Thumbsticks | "Womble" Sticks | One-Piece Sticks | Other Sticks | Work in hand | Stick FAQ | About Stickmaking Materials | Custom Sticks Price Guide | Feedback from customers & visitors | Contact me | |||
This page last updated Friday, 29 August 2008
