Hair sticks!

[John K Jordan]

Here's a simple little spindle project, hair sticks, nice gifts for friends with long hair. Very quick and easy to make!!


Cherry burl, olive, b&w ebony, eastern red cedar, mahogany, and gabon ebony.

We have several friends who like to use sticks to hold long hair out of the way. I took these to a friend in Italy.

While she was trying them out I took a short video of her teaching a 4-second twist-and-stab securing method. A veterinarian friend said she puts up her hair when about to wrangle a horse or alpaca. Both prefer the sticks to those stretchy hair things.

A few frames from the video clip:

hairstick_lesson_small.jpg

I make hair sticks from almost any species, sometimes textured a bit or made with some variation in diameter for better holding. I generally start with a 7" to 9" blank maybe 5/8" square.

JKJ

[Dave Fritz]

Nice John, good practice for sure. Might try some for my granddaughters. Thank you.

[Peter Blair]

John you work is alway cool to see this time I also find it inspiring. I bet these would be popular at my annual art sale here in BC. Thanks for sharing with us.

[Reed Gray]

I did make some years back. Huge difference in personal preferences, anywhere from 4 inches to over 6 inches. Pretty much a chop stick...

robo hippy

[John K Jordan]

…Huge difference in personal preferences, anywhere from 4 inches to over 6 inches….

True about the length. I’ve learned to ask for length preference ahead of time if possible.

… Pretty much a chop stick...

I was told some people use pencils if a hairstick is not handy.

JKJ

[tom lucas]

John,
What are the finished dimensions on these? Say just the Mahogany one?

[Edward Weber]

Not that the ones you made aren't nice looking but, from personal feedback. Putting a small bump (enlarged diameter) or swell at the pointy end, helps to keep them from pulling/falling out.
You don't want to make them so slick that they won't stay put.
Looking good is only part of their function.

[John K Jordan]

John,
What are the finished dimensions on these? Say just the Mahogany one?

Tom, I don't quite remember. I think these are about 7" long. I didn't measure the diameters.

...Putting a small bump (enlarged diameter) or swell at the pointy end, helps to keep them from pulling/falling out.

Edward, so true, that's why I wrote they are "sometimes textured a bit or made with some variation in diameter for better holding". But I didn't explain well.

The wild figure of the first one, the cherry burl, provided enough natural unevenness down the length (hand sanding, lathe off) which keeps it from slipping.

I made the rest with some variation in diameter down the length, thicker towards the pointed end by about 10-20%. Even the black ebony one has some slight swelling plus the little grooves which help keep it in place. The diameter variation may be difficult to see in the posted photo but it's easier to see by zooming into one of the higher resolution original photos.

But it's quite easy to feel and control the variation while shaping on lathe. I support the tip of the skew while turning using the "left hand steady rest" method, moving the fingers of the left hand down the wood with the cut and can easily feel the relative diameter between my fingers and thumb. I shape until it "feels right" down the length.

Also, I've been led to believe that keeping the sticks in place may be easier if the hair is not too loose! This may require some twisting and pinning skill. I have no personal experience with this.

JKJ

[Robert Henrickson]

During archaeological fieldwork in Iran and Iraq in the 1970s, my wife used thin twigs 5-6" long with bark stripped off and no further smoothing. I suppose those may still be somewhere among the souvenirs of those long ago days.