Saturating a dowel with oil??

[Packard]

I watched a video the other day from a domestic (USA) maker of wood walking sticks—though presented as a disguised fighting stick.

The demonstrator said something like, “Unlike the off-shore walking sticks, which are made from very dry wood, our sticks will not easily shatter.”

He goes on to demonstrate the brittleness of the imported sticks by striking them in the middle with one of their own sticks.

He claimed that their sticks, made from oak, hickory or walnut are saturated with oil to improve the strength.

I have never heard of oil being used to strengthen wood. I can’t imagine it would penetrate very deep. Any truth to the statement?

 

[luvmytoolz]

Given enough time oil can penetrate quite deeply depending on the type of timber and how open the grain and pores are, but I wouldn't have thought overly brittle walking sticks to be a problem of any significance.

 

[Packard]

Given enough time oil can penetrate quite deeply depending on the type of timber and how open the grain and pores are, but I wouldn't have thought overly brittle walking sticks to be a problem of any significance.

They are calling them walking sticks, but marketing them as fighting sticks. I suppose the strength of the stick is more important in combat.

He was referencing hickory (think baseball bats), oak and walnut. I think the oil bit was b.s. maybe the wood used for the imported sticks is less sound.

Traditional Irish fighting sticks are made blackthorn roots. I’m guessing it is a very dense wood.

What is an Irish fighting stick called?

A shillelagh (/ʃɪˈleɪli, -lə/ shil-AY-lee, -⁠lə; Irish: sail éille or saill éalaigh [ˌsˠal̠ʲ ˈeːlʲə], "thonged willow") is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty blackthorn stick with a large knob at the top.

 

[MikeGE]

Maybe the hidden sword blade in the fighting stick is adding to its strength.

 

[Packard]

Google A.I. says it can strengthen wood, but the extended version backs off that claim. It kind of looks like my question influenced Google’s A.I. response.

“Can adding oil strengthen wood.”

Google Search

 

[woodferret]

Open pore vs closed pore? I'm thinking like bending empty straws vs filled ones.