a couple newbiw questions

Depends a lot on what part of the country you're from. I have seen oak, maple, hickory, iron wood, cedar and hemlock. Typically a pine, hemlock, or cedar will give you enough length and taper without being too heavy. Several people make their own cabers (like a glue-lam beam) and that gives them control over length and taper.

No problem with steel cleats while throwing hammer.

I would say during a practice you can curse and yell at your implements. I would refrain at a games as most are family friendly. We are there to entertain and not to offend.

Dyin' ain't much of a living, boy. - Outlaw Josey Wales

My cabers for my training group are as follows:

The Newbie: 11' 6" and about 35 pounds...doug fir. I use this for total first-timers.

Bethany's Candy Stick: 15' 3" and about 45 pounds, maybe 50....eucalyptus (which cracks and splits like crazy as it dries out.) This is a challenging womens stick and good for many men for their third or fourth workout, as they start to get the pick and the whole balancing act, down..

The Beast: 12' 6" and about 100 pounds...cypress, and it's dry. Short but heavy. I'll be using this a lot this season.

The Cardinal: 15 exactly and about 80 pounds...it's a tapered down (in the bottom 6 feet) doug fir 6 x 6. This was a totally straight stick last year with an impossibly large handle. I worked on it this winter and I suspect this will be my mainstay stick next year.

As Yet Un-Named: 15' 10 and about 110 pounds. This is white ash, and wet because I barked it and painted the ends and got urethane on it within two weeks after cutting it. I have it in case any A level throwers come out. I might cut it down to a little bit under 15, which will drop the weight to about 90 pounds and be another good stick for me, personally.

Bend in a caber is ok. I have seen several competition cabers that are curved.

Do try to avoid the knots, though. I hear thats where the splits are easier to make.

Drink to the fame of it, honor the name of it, The Tartan.

brandon wrote:

i use cypress trees for my caber, ( a 17' , has a good feeling weight) they are nice and straight and thats all that grows around my house.

Can I come down and cut down some for practice cabers my friend? I broke my pine tree caber (Highly DON'T recommend).

Robin Walker

"The danger in life is not to set a goal too high and never reach it, but to set a goal too low and reach it."
GSP quoting Michaelangelo

sure mountain man, let me know when you are ready. i might try to cut a few soon. ill cut a few extras and give you a holler

visualize it, plan it, lift it!!!

JCLEV wrote:

Dennis Hafford has a caber thar is real crooked and it will twist in your hands when you pick it...he calls it the politician.

man that sounds about right...lol

I am going to look for a cedar for my next one, about 20' but they are not near as heavy as the blackjack oaks, they say the blackjacks soak up rock through their roots, and they will throw sparks off a chain saw, and never try to run a nail through one

Life is like a road, sometimes you go up the road, sometimes you go down the road...Deputy B, Fife