hey Andy

i take my training sticks along to the local pottery cafe and ask them to put em in a kiln for a couple of hours .. you can also flame harden wood and then sand it smooth for appearance <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

some mates and I manage to hit each other regularly <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" /> when trying to train MA but still haven;t broken a hardened stick.. lots of normal ones but non that have been treated <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

also if you want to modify a CS hollow stick you can cut one end off, fill it's hollow center with fast drying cement or glue and leave it for a few days next to a heat source (central heating radiator) .. then cap the end and away you go .. i havent done this with a CS stick but have glue filed the center of a bamboo walking stick <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/loopy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
cheers

ug <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />