Devil's Walking Stick

[Cwalker935]

So it's not always about turning the best looking pen, in this case it's about turning a very difficult material for a special reason. Here's the story, last year before his stroke Dad conspired with his preacher's wife to steal the preacher's hiking stick. He cut 6" off of it and asked me to make a pen. The preacher was mystified as to how his stick suddenly got shorter. The stick was prickly ash or "Devil's Walking Stick" and has a large very pithy center. I told Dad that I couldn't make a pen from that. In cleaning up my shop this past weekend I found the cut off piece in a bucket of end cuts. I decided to try to stabilize it and turn it. Dad has been down lately and really perked up when I told him that I was going to give it a try. That really put the pressure on me to make it work. I drilled a hole in it in the hope that I could stabilize the center. Even after stabilization it was still very soft in the center. I managed to get one turned on my second attempt. I left the contour a little fat because I was so afraid of getting into the pithy center. Dad is going to be thrilled to give to the preacher.

 

[rcbennett]

That's a great story, thanks. I would have thought the stabilization would have fixed the pith issue, good info to know. Tell your dad, to tell the pastor, that all good pastors should have their hand around the Devil's neck.

 

[elkhorn]

Good job on the pen, Cody. The story behind it really adds to the pen.

 

[magpens]

What an interesting story ... and an interesting pen !!!

 

[Jim15]

Nice story, thanks for sharing. Pen looks very nice.

 

[Hawkdave]

G'Day Cody. What a great pen with a great story attached to it. Well done mate!!

Dave.

 

[TurtleTom]

I was ready to be amazed!!
But not, the true devil's walking stick is Aralia spinosa, one look at the tree and nobody's gonna turn one of those.

 

[Cwalker935]

I was ready to be amazed!!
But not, the true devil's walking stick is Aralia spinosa, one look at the tree and nobody's gonna turn one of those.

The preacher had indicated to Dad that it was Devils Walkingstick and that he had cut the thorns off to make his walking stick. He had been using it for years. The piece that I worked with looked very much like your picture with the thorns removed. It's possible that he was referring to some other plant but it was definitely a thorny plant of some sort.

 

[Cwalker935]

I was ready to be amazed!!
But not, the true devil's walking stick is Aralia spinosa, one look at the tree and nobody's gonna turn one of those.

The preacher had indicated to Dad that it was Devils Walkingstick and that he had cut the thorns off to make his walking stick. He had been using it for years. The piece that I worked with looked very much like your picture with the thorns removed. It's possible that he was referring to some other plant but it was definitely a thorny plant of some sort.

I should add that the preacher is a Master Gardner and knows his plants.

 

[TurtleTom]

I don't know whether to be afraid of a preacher using the devil's walking stick or respect. That's the plant, there's very few true thorny plants in the US, honey locust is my favorite for walking sticks because of their crooked nature, I always wanted a true devils stick but I have never found one I could cut. I make a fairly decent faux black thorn from hawthorne.

 

[Magicbob]

A great looking pen, a great story, and 3 happy men.
Good job

 

[Jgrden]

I like the story and he pen .