cold steel wax wood staff

[wu_de36]

Just got mine in the mail today, and it is one thick bad boy. It is totally sweet and I wanna flip out and kill people with it ;)

Actually, I'm surprised by the thickness and weight. This is *not* a lightweight staff. Which disappoints me since I kinda wanted a thinner faster staff. I have plenty of heavy ones already. But this one has an interesting heft to it.

I did have a question about caring for it though. Should I apply linseed oil to it, or should I let it be natual? I know some woods shouldn't be oiled (cocobolo) and was wondering if it was true for waxwood as well.

[dwid]

At the martial arts supply store on Indianola (by Dante's Pizza and the gym), they have a whole bunch of thin waxwood staffs. The guy ordered them at Dr. Wu's request, and then Dr. Wu passed away before he was able to teach very many people the staff form that requires them.

[wu_de36]

thanks, dwid.

do you think that Ralek may accept a 2 on 1 sparring match? Though, my Tang Soo Do and your Pa Kua are certainly no match for BJJ :)

[NorthernShaolin]

Leave it along and let it go natural. As you use the staff, the human oil from your hands is all what it needs. The more you use it the oil from your palms turns the staff into a very light brown color. This is how CMAist can observe how much you practice using the staff. The oil seals the pores in the wood, which is really an air root, and kills the wormlike larvies that live inside the staff. If you do not seal the white staff with your human oil, these insects will bore out and leave very little holes. White saw dust appears near the newly bored holes. That's why these staffs will break when shaken hard.

As far as keeping the staff straight is another story. If you lean it against a wall, over a period of time, it will start to bend. Hang the staff like a pool stick, straight up by using a closet wall-hook for broom sticks. another way is to lay it flat on the ground but the floor better be completely flat or the staff will take its shape.