One of my son in laws surprised me with a Shillelagh for Christmas. He is a really skilled craftsman and the most accurate carpenter I have worked with. He made the trim pieces for this studio. When he cuts a piece of wood it is dead accurate always.
Anyhow, this fall after most of the leaves had fallen, we took down the invasive Buckthorn that grows down by the lake.
Where the rough ground is, is the start of the conservancy. This is land we own, but can't alter it, but are required to remove invasive species. We actually own about two thirds of the lake, but can't use it or touch it. In fact the conservancy are actually a buch of Nazi's in my opinion, but that is another issue. Anyhow Buckthorn wants to proliferate right at the lake's edge.
At the beginning of November after the leaves had largely fallen, one of my son in laws and I, set about removing the Buckthorn. One of the branches struck me as a
Shellalah and I commented on it. So I explained what is was. It is a device used as a walking cane and for personal protection by the Irish. I thought nothing more of it, and continued taking barrow loads of the stuff to his truck.
I had no idea myself that these Shellalah were almost all made from Buckthorn wood, and they often have that knot that makes the lethal end of the implement.
So, you can imagine my total surprise when I opened my daughter's and son in law's present on Christmas day.
So he made it, out of the branch I commented on.
It is beautifully crafted and absolutely perfect in every regard. it took him, many, many hours. He seasoned it using the rarely used salt brine method. This gives it great strength and blackens the wood. The handle is the knot I had commented on, that made me mention Shellelahs.
So any intruder here can consider himself receiving a fractured skull from my Shellelah!
