Help me pick a staff

[JamesC]

I'm going to be purchasing a staff either tonight or tomorrow and I would just like to get some recommendations from you guys.

It will only be used for practicing some northern style forms. I won't be hitting anything with it. I'll be getting one that is 72in.

So, any certain wood types, finishes, and/or websites you guys recommend for general purpose staff practice?

[David Jamieson]

I have several staffs.

My fav is rattan,unpeeled and straight with about a 1.5" diameter.

My next is one hand over the crown height Oak Staff with engraved dragons. more of a custom thingy.

And then there is 6.5 dragon pole and that is usually the super long tapered waxwood staf that you see in wing chun demos of staff.

Dowels from the hardware store work when beginning, but because they are machined and it is unknown as to where the faults are, they could shatter easy and often do.

That's why I like unpeeled rattan.

[Lucas]

get one of those tapered plastic glittery ones that you see at all the karate wushu turneys lol

then u'll be really bad ass.

[Lucas]

I have several staffs.

My fav is rattan,unpeeled and straight with about a 1.5" diameter.

My next is one hand over the crown height Oak Staff with engraved dragons. more of a custom thingy.

And then there is 6.5 dragon pole and that is usually the super long tapered waxwood staf that you see in wing chun demos of staff.

Dowels from the hardware store work when beginning, but because they are machined and it is unknown as to where the faults are, they could shatter easy and often do.

That's why I like unpeeled rattan.

rattan is my fav too...takes it a while to split and crack..you can beat the hell out of em...and then just add duct tape later...ya im ghetto

[GeneChing]

Staffs at MartialArtsMart.com (http://www.martialartsmart.com/weapons-staffs-batons-staffs.html)

If you're doing Northern, JamesC, you're probably doing a lot of sliding of the staff, so you'll need something smooth and not tapered (btw, we have those Lucas - it's not plastic, it's graphite and this is for you (http://www.martialartsmart.com/27-r.html), zombieninjadude :p). Does your Northern style rely on a lot of whipping motions? If so, I'd go with a rattan (http://www.martialartsmart.com/31-6072.html) or white waxwood (http://www.martialartsmart.com/32-84.html) staff. Personally, I prefer the rattans w/skin (http://www.martialartsmart.com/31s-6072.html) - unskinned tend to fray more quickly. You'd have to cut down our waxwoods, but that's simple enough. If you don't do a lot of whipping movements, there's nothing like a good solid piece of red oak (http://www.martialartsmart.com/30-s.html) - not springy, but will split someone's noggin nonetheless.

Hope this is helpful.

[Lucas]

this is for you (http://www.martialartsmart.com/27-r.html)
lol, wow man, now i have to get it since its elite! you know us zombieninjadudes cant turn down elite bo staffs ;)

[SPJ]

1. white wax wood or bai lan gan is the best.

not too heavy and pliable enough.

wushu ones are thinner.

2 PCV one with foam is ultralight weight

I bought them from martial arts mart, sponsor of this forum

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:D

[kristcaldwell]

i would go with waxwood. it's flexible and light - yet surprisingly durable.

[bawang]

i used steel pipe form furniture store

[Drake]

i used steel pipe form furniture store

Heavy. I bet you have very strong, manly hands.

[KC Elbows]

Heavy. I bet you have very strong, manly hands.

And yet, supple from the mayo.

[Scott R. Brown]

I like white oak!

Sand off the finish and apply oil. I have used Linseed oil cut with thinner! Be careful with the linseed oil, it will spontaneously combust if you store the oily rags in high temps like a summer garage!

Dispose of them properly, like at the Fire Department!

[David Jamieson]

white oak is good.

Scott, did you know that white oak doesn't need finish because it has a natural weather/water proofing aspect to it in the form of tyloses. A good smooth sand and you can get going.

In turn, your hands will oil the staff over years of practice. :)

[Scott R. Brown]

white oak is good.

Scott, did you know that white oak doesn't need finish because it has a natural weather/water proofing aspect to it in the form of tyloses. A good smooth sand and you can get going.

In turn, your hands will oil the staff over years of practice. :)

No I never knew that. In Aikido, everyone I've known and trained with always oiled their white oak bokken and staffs. Including instructors.

But i'll take your word for it, I know next to nothing about wood! I hear it comes from some kind of willd animal called a Tree! Is that true? Or just another MA myth?

[David Jamieson]

No I never knew that. In Aikido, everyone I've known and trained with always oiled their white oak bokken and staffs. Including instructors.

But i'll take your word for it, I know next to nothing about wood! I hear it comes from some kind of willd animal called a Tree! Is that true? Or just another MA myth?

I learned that secert of white oak whilst having to learn about types of wood that could be used for external application landscape architecture.

While researching the qualities of oak, I found that out about White Oak. It is particular to white oak and not found in other species of Oak. Other woods that have this quality are Black Locust and almost all the wood that is harvested of that variety is used to build boats because of that quality (tyloses).

Other woods that are suitable for staffs in that sense are:
Ipe, Jatoba and Teak which all have good flexibility, high density and are resistant to damage from moisture and are also firm and take a bit of concentrated force to break them. these will be hard to find, custom made and NOT cheap.

So, when you consider the actual usable purpose of a staff, you don't want it to brake when you use it upside someones head or on your pell (standing dummy) while you train full force striking with it.

BTW and FWIW, peeled rattan will shatter with little force while striking a heavy bag! they are crap and for form only. Completely useless in that sense. Unpeeled will hold well.

[SPJ]

PCV ones are extra light with empty center.

foam is good cushion

however it is difficult to slide

we have to slide our hands along the staff to change holding position

the smooth surface or waxed coating is very important

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