Question about Striking / Tooling Sticks

[tmwp43]

I’m here to confess my curiosity about Stricking / Tooling Sticks, along with my lack of knowledge about them.

I am hoping this community can help me to understand the construction and use of these sticks so I can reproduce one or two for myself. I am very excited to try tooling with one.

I have some these sticks that similar to a maul.

Others I’ve seen are 18” to 20” long. Some with both ends square and a handle in between, others with square end and tapered to the opposite end.  I’m somewhat confused as to the use of the longer version.

Questions:

1). Is the extra length just there for counter balance? Also used like a maul?

2). Or is the extra length used of the lever point, using it and the elbow resting on the table as the pivot point?

I have purchase enough Katalox I believe to make a long and a short version, but need your help/input before I can make the first cut.

Thank you

Tane

[ChasCS]

Please post pics of these sticks.

So what you want for tapping the leather carving tools, are a nice maul or rawhide mallet.

 

 

Chas

Edited December 24, 2017 by ChasCS

[tmwp43]

Thanks for the input Chas. I will try to post some pictures. I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

I have several mauls and rawhide mallets. I'm just interest in trying new ways of doing things. To make sure i'm not missing something I might like better or that could improve my product.

 

[ChasCS]

"Stick" with the maul and mallet and you will be much better off. ;-)

Those tools you shared, might be best for splitting fire wood. 

 

Chas

Edited December 24, 2017 by ChasCS

[tmwp43]

a couple more examples

[bruce johnson]

I have attached pictures of two of my favorites. The longer length is good for counterbalanced action. These came from a fairly historic local saddlemaker and one is seeing daily use in a friend's shop now. Until you have tried one, I'd say you've maybe missed out. These were very commonly used in the old "stamp all day" shops. By resting your elbow and holding it in the middle, the counterbalance effect requires very little effort. Just rock it back and forth and let the action and weight make it do the work. For small face stamps like bar grounders, small arc of rock. larger faces like wide bevelers - larger arc. Not more uumph behind it to swat it, just more range of motion. Once you get your muscle memory down for the effect of the stamp, you can literally fly with these. 

[tmwp43]

Thank you Bruce. You have made my day. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me.

I'm even more excited to get this project started now. Hopefully that can take place on Tuesday.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Tane

[bikermutt07]

There was a manager that used to work for Tandy that used the same rocking motion with a small round mallet.

He kind of held his hand in a "hang ten" fashion and just rocked the mallet back and forth.

For all the investigating I've done into this hobby, I have never seen these.

Thanks guys, learn something new everyday.

[plinkercases]

Bruce any way to post a shot video of you in action with one?

[ChasCS]

I prefer maul and mallet, but each to their own, devices... ;-)

 

 

Chas

[ChasCS]

I suppose, anything that leaves an impression, is going to work for you...

But some tools are more appropriate for the job at hand.

Those sticks appear to be from an earlier time in leather tooling history.

 

Chas

[OLDNSLOW]

I'm with the ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^mutt on this one ya live a learn, I would like to see more of how the arm motion is with one of these whacker sticks, I was think that some of those posted would make a good burnish tool / whacker stick who knew, well I guess some of ya did, me a good ol heavy maul works.

[Mjolnir]

This Idea has a lot of merit and i'm curious about the history. It does have potential for a double sided tool. Maybe different shapes? same weight. I would still think a poly or rawhide would be best. thanks tmwp43.

Ps. And never forget as ChasCS pointed out. that an impression can be made just by flapping your lips  

[ChasCS]

3 minutes ago, Mjolnir said:

This Idea has a lot of merit and i'm curious about the history. It does have potential for a double sided tool. Maybe different shapes? same weight. I would still think a poly or rawhide would be best. thanks tmwp43.

Ps. And never forget as ChasCS pointed out. that an impression can be made just by flapping your lips  

Oh the shame... Haha

Thanks for the lovely compliment. ;-)

I do express myself quite well. 

Chas

[MakerUnknown]

Fascinating how we humans gain knowledge collectively and then lose it. Or maybe not lose it entirely but can only be found in small pockets here and there. You'd think we wouldn't have to keep relearning stuff but civilizations come and then the dirt seems to cover them up only to sprout again.  Will the internet be the repository for all knowledge or will it too suffer something akin to the dark ages?

[ChasCS]

There are large computers in deep underground bunkers, mountain side, much like the world seed bank.

So yeah, that will always keep it safe, for eternity. 

 

Or or you can buy the wiki book. Haha

 

Chas

[JD62]

Hi guys, in Ken Griffin's Scrap Book he talks about the proper hold and use of the striking stick. You can often find the book on ebay, it has a lot of good ol' information not in the newer books!

[bruce johnson]

Bikermutt pretty well described the motion I use and was taught by a couple guys who made a living stamping. They were elbow resting, wrist rocking fools. Basically the stamp  driving tool of choice was a teeter totter and all you did was keep it rocking. The weight and fall of the driver did the rest. I never got as good as they did at keeping my elbow down, but i could go pretty long time spans. A few years ago some shoulder stuff was catching up with me and some of the tooling got to be a chore after a full day of work. The leatherwork side of my business was expanding but the tool side of things was growing faster. I had to make the decision and now mostly deal in tools based on my experience of using a lot of them. 

Just to show where I'm coming from I am attaching a picture of the stamping tool driving tools I have on hand and have used. Some I've used a lot more than others. Most of these are on my bench or recent acquisitions. I've got some in other sizes, some out on "try it first" deals and a couple "compare and send me back the one you don't want" trials. These are what I have right now handy. Some were early tools or ones like  i used starting out 30 years ago as a hobby and doing my own repairs. Some were heavily used in my busiest times. One is as recent as probably made last month. 

back row Left to right -

Striking stick -BTW, that is rawhide on both ends - 8 faces to wear before it needs to be recovered. If I was doing a lot of work, it would be right there handy/Rawhide maul/Unmarked maul and that's all I can say - nice poly type head head material/Don King maul/rawhide mallet/Bob Beard maul/Barry King tapered maul/CS Osborne split head hammer with rawhide inserts/three Wayne Jueschke tapered mauls and one laying in front. The two on the left have MILES on them. That's one reason I have them but there are others. The sticker price  of $100 plus on each doesn't make them everyone's choice

Foreground left - Clay Miller I just got a week ago/Harbor Freight hammer with fiberglass and rubber faces/Bear Man maul with the burl handle. 

There's probably a few I haven't tried but these represent most of the major players.

 

[bruce johnson]

JD62, 

Thank you for the nudge. I knew I had seen it somewhere and was looking through my old stuff and wasn't finding it in the Shelton or Stohlman things yet. Yes sir! Right there at the beginning of the Ken Griffin book. 

[YinTx]

BAH!  I was distinctly told by someone NOT to hold my hammer/mallet this way.  Is this the correct method that I should be using, not holding it like a hammer???

YinTx

[tmwp43]

Wow. I want to thank everyone for their contributions to this thread. I am amazed that my curiosity has sparked such a great discussion and sharing of knowledge.

I appreciate all of you, wish you the best and look forward to any additional postings.

Tane

[JD62]

Thanks  Bruce I didn't have my phone handy !

[bruce johnson]

1 hour ago, YinTx said:

BAH!  I was distinctly told by someone NOT to hold my hammer/mallet this way.  Is this the correct method that I should be using, not holding it like a hammer???

YinTx

This is how I hold a maul or striking stick.  I still hold a hammer or mallet like a hammer but didn't use them much for stamping after I got serious. I had to hold my elbow too high to be comfortable. The only exception is when I was striking a big face stamp like a maker stamp. Then I would stand up and swing from the elbow like hammer. If I was using a big basket or geometric stamp I might add a little pepper on the stroke and use some forearm to add some force to the hit. I found that I could do so many hits and then set the elbow down for a 5 second rest, then go again on those bigger face stamps. I could keep that rhythm for a few hours easy enough. FWIW, Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" was just right - 13 hits. That's how I counted.  I switched to a maul pretty early on when I got serious and went through the MaulMaster and MaulMaster2 before I got my first Barry King maul. I moved up from there to different weights for different stamps and a heavier one for punches. I tried a few makers to find the ones that I liked best. Each maker has merits but straight vs tapered and then balance points, head material, and handle shape are different and all play a factor in the choice of which is better for a particular person. Sometimes you can pick one up at a show and tell if it will fit your style or not. Sometimes it takes a month or two at home. 

[tmwp43]

My current collection. As I am sure you can tell some I prefer over others. There have been some that have come and gone. Usually to someone that felt more in-tune with them than I did. 

I am really looking forward to trying my new creations, once they are finished.

Tane

[ChasCS]

52 minutes ago, bruce johnson said:

This is how I hold a maul or striking stick.  I still hold a hammer or mallet like a hammer but didn't use them much for stamping after I got serious. I had to hold my elbow too high to be comfortable. The only exception is when I was striking a big face stamp like a maker stamp. Then I would stand up and swing from the elbow like hammer. If I was using a big basket or geometric stamp I might add a little pepper on the stroke and use some forearm to add some force to the hit. I found that I could do so many hits and then set the elbow down for a 5 second rest, then go again on those bigger face stamps. I could keep that rhythm for a few hours easy enough. FWIW, Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" was just right - 13 hits. That's how I counted.  I switched to a maul pretty early on when I got serious and went through the MaulMaster and MaulMaster2 before I got my first Barry King maul. I moved up from there to different weights for different stamps and a heavier one for punches. I tried a few makers to find the ones that I liked best. Each maker has merits but straight vs tapered and then balance points, head material, and handle shape are different and all play a factor in the choice of which is better for a particular person. Sometimes you can pick one up at a show and tell if it will fit your style or not. Sometimes it takes a month or two at home. 

Smoke On The Water. I have met Ritchie Blackmore the guitar player for Deep Purple, so many years ago, when they played here in Edmonton. Vanilla Fudge were the opening act. I saw this very cool looking fellow, dressed immaculately, and decided to walk over and say hello. I knew most of the hippest folks in town, but had not met this fellow, before that night. I asked him how he was enjoying the wonderful concert. He said it was pretty good, but that the next band would be better. Upon asking him why he thought that, he replied. " Because I play guitar for them."

Go ahead, Ask me, if I was impressed? Haha yeah. But you know, that song Smoke On The Water?, was actually written about my most favorite musician, band leader, incredible guitarist, singer and all around super composer. Frank Zappa. A fire destroyed all of their musical equipment at that show. And the song was written... I had seen him in my early teens, when a friend, along with his older brother and I, hitchhiked from Edmonton to Vancouver B.C. For a "Mothers Of Invention" concert. Years later, in that same venue (Kinsman Firld House) that Deep Purple played here, Frank Zappa had just finished their show, and when the lights went on, we were all standing around deciding which party we would bless,  with our company. That's when one of my friends Tim said, "Why don't you go over and say hello to Zappa?" Haha, yeah very funny.  "No seriously, he's standing right over there." I turned around to look, and there he was... That was quite the night. Earlier on, waiting for a second friend to arrive downtown, we were going to head to the venue together, the three of us. It had been raining a bit that night and we were dressed up, so, were standing inside the front entrance to the Royal Bank building. I had stepped outside to see if Morris was near, and saw him standing kitty corner, to me. We waived and I was going to go back in and tell Tim.  That was when a rented station wagon pulled up to the curb beside me. The passenger window buzzed down, and the fellow asked me, if I could direct him to the nearest liquor venders. I was trying to give him simple directions, only a couple of blocks away. But he asked me, if I would please show them where it was, as they were in a hurry. So I said sure, and climbed in the back seat. Just as we were rolling, I asked them, "Are you guys going to the Zappa show tonight?" The driver slammed on the brakes, and they both turned around to face me saying, "We are Zappa!" Wow, can you imagine my surprise when I realized who I was riding with. Ian Underwood was driving, and the chubby man, with the big beard, was non other than one of the Turtles band, both singers from the Turtles were touring with Frank's band. It was Howard Kaylan, you know of Flo and Eddie. Haha

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flo_%26_Eddie

I mentioned to Frank, about the liquor store ride, and he said "Yeah I know, they had told me, about your kindness.

& so, I got Frank to please put his autograph in my address book. He asked me where to write it, and I said under F, but it was already full, so he wrote it under Z, for me...

Yes, that was my probably my most memorable day or night...ever. I could go on and on. But don't wish to bore the reader. ;-)

 

Merry Christmas, and to all a very good night. Chuckles

 

Chas

Edited December 25, 2017 by ChasCS