Broom for stick making
- Thread starter Mungo
- Start date
Frank Homes
Well-Known Member
Well they make sticks from gorse which is a similar plant unless of course it's a bit of a joke.
Not a joke. There’s a hedge near me with some really nice straight stems that look like they’d make good sticks.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
Gorse stems are more woody than Broom, the latter being rather more whippy/springy than supportive. The branches are suitable for besom making, but I’d doubt that many ‘broom sticks’ work as intended ( I’ll check with ‘the witch’ and be back to you on that score, of course
)
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Challenge with broom and gorse is that they are fast growing and the wood is not dense - rather its quite pithy.
Hazel is a much better wood for stick making and has long been used for sticks and sheep hurdles etc.
Best is hawthorn, blackthorn etc. slow growing but makes very tough sticks. Needs straightening thought.
Straightening - cut when green and hang with a good heavy weight on the other end and leave for a year or two to straighten and dry out.
Or use steam - wood once hot goes plastic and will bend quite easily.
Hazel is a much better wood for stick making and has long been used for sticks and sheep hurdles etc.
Best is hawthorn, blackthorn etc. slow growing but makes very tough sticks. Needs straightening thought.
Straightening - cut when green and hang with a good heavy weight on the other end and leave for a year or two to straighten and dry out.
Or use steam - wood once hot goes plastic and will bend quite easily.
Polar Lynx
Well-Known Member
Hazel we use. Light and straight and easy to find. Cut the bottom section as it tend to have a slight bend.
I have plenty of Hazel, and agree it’s great (my stalking sticks are Hazel).
But I saw perfect looking stems in a broom hedge and started wondering.
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