That's the same structure Shorin-ryu Kensankai uses (the organization the dojo belongs to). Yudansha carry separate rank in Karate-do and Kobudo, and the classes are actually somewhat separate (except the yudansha classes, which change focus week-to-week).
I did look at some wood supply/information sites online, it seems that there are several species that go under the name of hickory. I can’t say with certainty if any of the species are truly superior in some qualities than other, but growing conditions can definitely have an effect.
Kingfisher uses several varieties of hickory in their weapons.I recall reading on a site somewhere (I'm pretty sure it was talking about best woods for weapons, comparing best Japanese wood wot best American wood) that Appalachian hickory is reliably better for impact weapons. I forget the reason why it needed to be Appalachian (though it might be as someone else said, just that it's easier to get high grade, clear hickory there). I think it was as a suggested replacement for Japanese white oak, which doesn't splinter on impact.
Do you know what species they mean when they call it “Appalachian” hickory?
Interesting. When I buy it at the lumberyard, it is simply categorized as hickory, there is no distinction of what species, so that is consistent with my experience as well. I don’t recall if it was call Appalachian or not, but I’ll pay closer attention.
I had noticed that about the different species, on the websites, the characteristics as described seemed pretty consistent.
There are several. It's literally any hickory from the Appalachian region. The growing conditions in Appalachia apparently give a better chance at clear (knot-free) and particularly split-resistant wood.
Or perhaps buy from a woodworking supplier. They are a bit more likely (though not at all certain) to know the variety of a given lot, since they deal in smaller amounts.
For many of the finishes I like (tung oil, for instance), you need several coats, with days of curing between. To properly protect a staff/walking stick I intend to take in the woods, I'd probably end up finishing it over 2-3 weeks.
Yup, I put on coat after coat. Linseed oil can take weeks to fully cure so it’s hard to know when it’s ready, but I love the finish. I tested linseed oil with the bucket of water and it did not fare so well, but I am certain it was not fully cured. If I let it sit for a month in warm weather and then tested it, I might get better results.
Osage orange was a favorite with Native Americans for making bows, I think it’s properties may be superior to yew.
I’d imagine a regular lumber yard or a place like Home Depot and Lowe’s would simply buy the cheapest variety of each type of wood without care to the specific type, ie buy the cheapest hickory they can get and not differentiate what type of hickory it actually is. An independent store (non Home Depot type) would probably be able to special order it.
