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Find quick answers to your questions below...

Do you still sell Indian Clubs?

We have moved our line of Indian Clubs to its own company website. Visit us at RevolutionClubs.net for a large selection of Indian Club weights and designs.

For inquiries regarding our Indian Clubs, email us at [email protected].

Should I use a Hickory or Rattan Singlestick?

Hickory Singlestick
  • Recommended for Strength Training.
  • Not recommended for full contact sparring unless you have decent experience, a controlled sparring environment, and an opponent you know and trust. Even then we do not recommend sparring at more than 75% power and speed.
  • The Hickory is 1" in diameter and significantly heavier than Rattan.
  • The drilled holes are different, but the difference can be made up by wrapping tape around the Singlestick to better fit the 1" hole.
  • Newer sticks come with a clear finish. There isn't much you can do to help prolong its life. Your level of contact will determine that mostly. 220 sandpaper if any splinters start.

Rattan Singlestick
  • Excellent for full contact sparring.
  • The 3/4" will hit moderate, the 1" packs more of a whollup. Those are mostly for the shorter escrima prodcuts.
  • We recommend wearing at minimum something as thick as a sweatshirt for padding, a mask or helmet, and gloves.
  • For Strength Training you can wrap a small towel around the Rattan to increase its weight and wind resistance for a good workout.
  • Rattan varies from 5/8" to 7/8" in diameter.
  • Not much to do on maintenance. It will eventually start to break. You can duct tape it for a little extra life.

What diameter Staff is recommended for HEMA?

Diameter determines how heavy the staff will be, how quickly it can move, and how hard it will hit. Historically there is not much reference to the thickness/diameter of staves.

One reference has staves starting at 2 inches, then naturally tapering to the tip. Wood was grown in a very exact manner to obtain the length, strength, and taper of the wood to keep it straight, long, and strong for spears. We do not have the knowledge today to create them in that manner, so the staves we provide do not taper. On the shorter staff work, tapering is not as much of an issue anyway.
  • The 1" Staff is lighter and quicker, allowing more control and an increased speed of attack.
  • The1-1/8" Staff and 1-1/4" Staff are not as fast, but have a more devastating effect on a target. This seems to be closest to what we see in the manuals.
  • The 1-1/16" Octagon Staff is a nice compromise between sizes. The octagon shape feels good in the hand, and will do an increased amount of damage to an opponent. But its not good for training as the edges can get worn down and they are rougher on your hands.
  • We also offer a 1-1/2" Hickory Octagon Staff. This is a specialized tool that requires knowledge of using weight for offensive and defensive purposes against an opponent. This is reflected in certain specialized Asian martial arts, but has not yet been found in Western sources.
Other important factors when considering which staff to choose are the user's height, arm length, and strength. Take these aspects into consideration and discuss it with your instructor if possible.

Can I use a laminated staff as a walking stick?

We do not recommend using laminated staves for outdoor walking sticks without significant pre-treatment. Our lamination is designed to be solid and water-resistant, but the density of Hickory makes it very difficult to make the process 100%. Moisture can still effect the glue and the Hickory, which can allow fungus to develop and turn the wood black.

The staves you receive have 2 layers of oil on the wood, which is a good start. In order to prepare a laminated staff to be a hiking stick, we recommend at least 5 layers of Minwax Spar Polyurethane (the more layers, the better). This product can be found at most hardware stores.

A rubber blunt and metal ferrule is also required. The impact of walking will affect the glue, which is more brittle than the wood, and can cause failure at the lamination if not properly mitigated.
If you do not follow these directions, any splits that occur will not be covered under our warranty.

Note: If you are screwing anything into the end of a laminated staff, such as a walking stick spike or knob, this greatly weakens the wood if done improperly. Be sure that the pre-drilled hole is the correct diameter per the manufacturer's specifications. You must add a metal ferrule as well. Otherwise the thin walled wood will create a very weak spot and break.

What length of staff to do I need?

The bo staff is traditionally 6' long. Most modern bo practitioners use a bo a few inches longer or shorter than they are. A longer bo extends your reach, while a shorter bo is easier to manage. You may want to order one a little bit longer than you think. You can always trim it down later. Ask your instructor for exact measurements he may recommend for your particular style and body frame.
Other measurements for a jo staff are your measurement right below your armpit.
We offer 3 round sizes. The 1", 1-1/8", and 1-1/4".
The 1" is a good size for quickness and standard training.
The 1-1/8" is a bit heavier. Its feels comfortable in most people grip. Its a good compromise of strength, impact force, and speed.
The 1-1/4" being the heaviest is good for stronger people and larger hands. Its very strong and used in groups that do more training that required harder blade impact. This is typically selected as a quarterstaff for western martial arts and no so much as eastern martial arts. Its extra weight makes it slower, but also hits harder. Be careful.
We offer octagon as well. These feel very nice in your hand. The 1-1/16" had a solid martial feel to it. Good for solo training and personal protection. I don't recommend steady impact training with it, since the angle can wear down quicker than a round staff.
The 1-1/2" octagon is a monster. This is only used for specialized martial training. They require a larger grip and strength (or fitness) to use.

How do I care for Rubber Poleaxes and Spearheads?

We use a high quality natural rubber, so care is fairly minimal. Any waxy white coating that is on the rubber is wax that is used to help pull the part out of the mold. So it should rub off. Otherwise any car care rubber product should be fine. Like turtle wax.

Round or Octagon Staff?

Octagon:
Pro:
So the octagon feels good and tough in your hand.
Against an opponent will do greater damage than round.
Better indexing, especially when using with a head on it.
Best for solo work and person protection.
Con:
With intensive training with a partner, I have heard it can start to be rough on your and your opponents hands.
Impact with another staff, its more likely to form splinters on the edges.

Round Staffs:
Pro:
Easier to clean, sand and maintain.
More durable overall.
Con:
Nothing really.


Solid or Laminated Staff?

The advantage of the laminated staffs:

Two layers of wood are glued together, this causes the grain of the two boards to crisscross. This greatly resists splits in the staff that often start along the grain of the wood.

Since the wood is thinner, whenever we dry the wood, there is much less harm done to the cells of the hickory. So we are drying a 1/2" piece instead of a 1" piece of wood. Lower temperatures are used and the wood stays much stronger.
The thinner hickory is sourced for betters areas of the USA. So I am able to inspect and sort the wood much more. Removing knots and wavy grain from the mix. The lower quality hickory I can use on other products thats not as important. The high quality hickory I can use for staffs and swords.

Because of this extra processing, the laminated staffs are more expensive than the solid. At 1-1/4" diameter, the solid is typically good enough for light to moderate use.