Which wood?

[Nick Hames]

<img src="/forum/images/icons/confused.gif" alt="" /> Which wood is better for making wooden wasters; Oak or Hickory? <img src="/forum/images/icons/confused.gif" alt="" />

Thank you for your time
~Nick

[M Wallgren]

Hickory!

Oak is a tad bit to brittle! My experience is that hickory lasts longer.

[Nick Hames]

Thank You <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Jonathan Scott]

to add another wood in the mix, what about Ash?
What are its advantages/disadvantages to hickory? I think I remember on the Raven Waster site something about Ash being better suited for anything that's doing thrusting (a little more give that way), and hickory for all around impact durability (so as an example say an english quarterstaff, maybe a wooden rapier foil of ash and a messer or longsword made of hickory), can I get a confirmation on that?
Also, which woods were actually used (I'm guessing Ash and oak were in there, but what other woods? I think I remember poplar and linden being used perhaps for shields...)for wooden wasters historically in regions of Europe (England, Germany, and Italy being the main places in question as that's where most of our manuals come from, right?)? Do we know? Do they have hickory in Europe? Or did medieaval and renaissance men-at-arms focus more on training with steel blunts (like the feders in the German manuals I have seen thusfar), and wooden wasters were more of an introductory tool for beginning and/or younger scholers of the sword?

[Rod-Thornton]

"Hickory!

Oak is a tad bit to brittle! My experience is that hickory lasts longer...."

I am not so quick to opine in the absolute. I own both sorts of wooden wasters....and here's what I can tell you about each.

1. Hickory - sure, harder, Raven waster is good, but when it failed (after 1.5 weeks of service!) it simply CRACKED and split right along the whole length. This was right along the same lines as when the wife and laid our hickory hardwood floors....not pre-drilled...and c-r-a-c-k-! the whole length would split! (True enough, Carina at Little Raven gave me a prompt replacement).

OAK:. Doesn't seem to be as hard. More poruous and open grained. Made two for about 9bucks each though by tracing oak shelving (grade 1 board) and table-sawing/planing to finish. It however did NOT split along the lines, but rather slowly splintered away to an unsuitable condition..... splintered abit...we peel away the chip and re-sand it...splintered abit on occassion...repeat as often as necessary. In short, more of a true "waster" in that it wasted away. Both have lasted about the same time in service.

Now to offset each....the hickory one was more pricey being commercially made, while the oak ones were less pricey being mroe do it yourself.

Not to sound wishy-washy....but both have their pros and cons in my opinion. To my mind, the question becomes one of whether or not one is handy with woodworking and powertools. If so, maybe opt for cost and occassional woodwork....if not, go commercial and select a tighter-grained wood from a company that will stand behind their product when it fails....cuz it will.