Shillelagh

A shillelagh is an Irish cudgel, usually having a knob on the end, and traditionally being made of blackthorn or oak. Possessing neither blackthorn nor oak, I used the materials I had available to craft my own version of the Irish cultural weapon.

The club is made from a well-sesoned piece of apple wood with a gnarled knot at one end. I have found apple to have a smooth, refined grain, to be moderately dense, and to accept stain somewhat spottily. Thus, the wood is finished only with a linseed oil varnish.

The shaft of the shillelagh is wrapped with stranded copper wire for grip. I flowed super glue between the strands of wire every few turns to prevent unwinding, and secured the ends of the wire in pre-drilled holes. Copper tubing driven through the shaft at the end serves as a lanyard hole.

The knot which makes up the shillelagh's head split in three places while drying. My solution was to fill the cracks with more super glue and, before the glue dried, pack the void with copper filings. The result was a kind of mortar which, after sanding level with the surrounding wood, gives an attractive inlay effect.

Both sides of the head have an "eye," and between the two, the grain curves downward like a frowning mouth, giving the club something of the look of an angry serpent.

Created by Sean Corron, April 2, 2011.