how to choose a good rattan stick?

[arzh]

hi everybody

i am a beginner, and i want have some informations about what of characteristics that the rattan stick should having and how to choose it.
thanks for yous answers
arzh  

[Venancio Bacon]

arzh,

the closer the nodes (the circular rings around a fired rattan) the better.  these close nodes tend to be heavier because it is more compact.  so, as a beginner you should possess lighter sticks to practice precision and speed, then the close node, heavier sticks, for power.  also, get urself bahi (center of coconut trunk) and kamagong (iron wood) sticks, just cuz all the cool eskrimadors have one or the other or both.  when in an actual confrontation, be sure to have the heavier stick, because the light ones will bounce back hard on your face when you hit someone's skull with it.

cheers...

[Anonymous]

the first characteristic should be the price, it should be cheap no more than $10. they will end up braking so don't blow a bunch of money on them. the skill is in you not how pretty or expensive the stick is.

[Timor Maranga]

to put things in perspective... regular eskrima rattan sticks in the philippines cost less than a dollar.  and if you hang around rattan furniture manifacturing shops, they'd be free. this is a very inexpensive plant, but for some reason people are making lots of money selling these sticks for 10 to 15 bucks a pop here. go figure.

[guest]

You want to have lots of nodes and skin intact.  The thicker the better.  Also, it should be a dry.  Leaving them out around high humidity ( i.e. rain ) causes them to become rubbery and they will warp or bend.  Keep them in a dry place.  A little furniture oil helps to keep them in good shape.  Some people prefer to put electrician's, hockey, or duct tape in the high impact area.  That usually preserves them longer.  You can, also, use polyurethane to cover them to keep the skin intact.  There is wonderful stuff called plasti - dip that helps to protect the stick from moisture as well as provide good grip.  Try experimenting with the previous and you will get a lot more mileage out of your rattan.  Good luck.

[hurcum]

I will hold it length wise or straight up and down and let the end bounce from a foot or a foot and a half. Rattan generally makes a nice dry click sound. Also look at both ends and if their are lot's of pinprick holes my opinion is that the pith or filler in between the fibers is too dry and leaves no cushion for absorption As for price, you are not in the phill. so pay what the average market price is or order some.
It may be cheap somewhere else, but unless it is growing somewhere in France....

[Anonymous]

Woof All:

  Nice detail Hurcum about the pinholes.  Reminds me of a stick I had years ago that was loaded with nodes--ideal according to this criterion- yet it shredded in unusually short order.

  In contrast I had another stick with few nodes, but deep linear grooves that shredded everything in came in contact with unaffected.  Silat Maha Guro Victor De Thouars complemented the stick when he saw it and I made a gift of it to him.  For all I know, its still shredding , , ,

Guest, anythin more you can tell us about the "plasti"- exact name, where to buy etc?

woof,
Crafty Dog

[K Williams]

Guest, anythin more you can tell us about the "plasti"- exact name, where to buy etc?

woof,
Crafty Dog

http://www.plastidip.com/consumer/products.html

[Anonymous]

ummmm i pick up a stick and if its energy feels right, then its a worthwhile purchase...
brian

[sting]

A friend of mine was an early Jimmy Tacosa student.  He told me that
he would harden his sticks with a thin coat of superglue.  That seems kinda of expensive to me, but some of those paint on bandage products
should fit the bill.   For $1-2 per stick, you may be able to harden them. You'll have hardened sticks that are also disinfected !  I've never tried
this, but I bet if you paint the areas that fray the most, the stick will last longer.

[jayceblk]

So with all this does anybody have a recomended site for sticks?

[Poidog]

I always go with www.bloodsport.com.  I've never had any problems with Nick's sticks and am willing to pay the price for his top quality sticks.  They last a long time even through hard training.

[metis]

we spiral wrap above the grip w/ 'strapping tape'-fiberglass packing tape , then use strips of duct tape lengthwise. ok if you don't mind changing the balance and weight significantly.

[Crafty_Dog]

Please forgive the advertisement, but right here at www.dogbrothers.com we sell three models of rattan sticks (the Top Dog, the Salty Dog, and the Crafty Dog) and also the Actionflex sticks.

[metis]

heh, i'll probably be ordering the Salty Dog sticks.

i use 36" and even when i can get to the rattan warehouse (2.5 hr. drive), find a dense stave, reasonably straight with no worm holes...i'm not likely to get two decent sticks out of that stave, then have to buy two, at $18/ea+$$$Gas$$$.. so to have someone hand pick me a good stick for about the same price is worth the money. imho.


and mail order? forget it. i tried H. H. Perkins. asked for 1 1/4". one end was 1 1/4", the other was 3/4". and the whole thing was wavy as a kris.

[jayceblk]

So if you were going to go to a rattan furniture store or order some from a rattan supply place what would be the process to make it into the stick you want?