Please help me choose wood for a staff

[fearn]

Back when I was doing capoeira, one of the guys made a couple of berimbaus (musical bows) by hand-laminating the wood staves. They were gorgeous things, and they worked well under tension. But one did snap spectacularly. The glue failed, and the whole thing split.

The problem with a laminated staff is that its strength depends more on your skill in laminating. And unlike the berimbau above, the forces warping a fighting staff are going to be coming from all over the place, not just one direction.

Conversely, if you're good a gluing, it's probably a bit easier to get thin strips that are straight grained, so if all you can find is crap staves, it is an option.

Best,

F

Originally Posted by Nathaniel

Fern, you are probably right.

It is interesting to note after I posed the question over a laminate, I see #6 on the wood impact strength graph is a laminated rosewood composite.

The thought just came to me because I remember 3 or so years ago having a conversation with a Aikido instructor (http://forsythaikido.com/portal/) whose father in law was a wood worker...and made weapons for him and Laminate where among them...and I seem to remember him saying the laminate performed well.

Modern adhesives I know are impressive. But I suppose if laminates where that good...then more people would be using it.