The Martialist: The Magazine For Those Who Fight Unfairly

After
reading Don Rearic’s excellent and detailed article on the
sjambok,
I ordered one from
Cold Steel. 
(This article applies to the old-style sjambok.  Cold Steel has
since created new versions of the tool that have much thicker, molded
handles, making wrapping the handle unnecessary.)

The sjambok is a remarkably inexpensive and powerful
weapon.  Cold Steel’s sjambok is made from some sort of semi-flexible
plastic (mine was shipped bent over itself, actually, and still has a slight
kink in it as a result).  A hybrid of fighting stick and whip, the sjambok
cuts fiercely into its targets.  Flicking the wrist produces a sharp whip
that will produce lacerations in a human opponent.  Very little power is
required to generate these strikes.

I opted for the shortest version of the sjambok — 36″
long.  At its thickest point it is 1″ in diameter, but it tapers to
only 3/8″ at the tip.  While still somewhat unwieldy in that it is
difficult to carry discreetly at that length, the sjambok would make an
excellent “car weapon” and perhaps even a home defense tool.  In
longer lengths, indoor use would be impractical.

The old-style Cold Steel sjambok suffers from a serious defect,
however.  Its ribbed plastic handle is
awful.  It is uncomfortable and almost
feels
sharp to the touch.  Taking the suggestion from Don’s article, I
decided to remove the handle and rewrap it with red paracord from
Ubraidit. 
You, too, can wrap your sjambok handle using the expedient wrap that I use
(which is not as good as Don’s wrap, but slightly faster if you’re impatient
like me).

Step 1:  Get a
pair
of scissors and remove that wrap.  Be careful not to score the sjambok
itself with the edge of the scissors.  The handle will come off completely
when you cut enough of it away — only friction and pressure holds it on.

Step 2:  Get a drill and a drill bit that is the
same diameter as (or, preferably, slightly less than) the paracord. 
Obviously, you’ll need paracord. 
Black mil-spec paracord is available from
actiongear.com,
while the red cord I used is, as I said, from
Ubraidit. 
Drill one hole a half inch or so from the existing lanyard hole of the sjambok. 
Drill another straight through down the shaft, keeping in mind that the distance
between the two holes is the length of the handle section of your sjambok.

Step 3:  Use a lighter to burn the end of the
paracord.  Wearing leather gloves, tease the end of the hot paracord into a
point so it will be easier to thread the cord through the hole.  (You can
also roll the hot end of the paracord against a hard surface to taper the end of
the cord, but this will leave bits of molten nylon behind.)  Thread the
cord through the bottom hold, knot the end, and pull it as tight as you can.

Step 4:  Pulling the paracord as tight as you
possibly can, begin rolling it around the shaft of the sjambok as shown. 
You may want to keep a glove on one hand so you can pull with that hand without
pulling the cord taut against your skin.

Step 4:  When you get to the other hole, make a few
loose wraps over the top of the hole.  Thread the paracord back down under
the cord, through the hole, and up and out the other end, pulling it under the
wraps.  If you’ve done it right, pulling the cord tight will cinch up the
final loose wraps and leave a bulge in the wrap.

Step 5:  When the handle is completely wrapped, cut
the ends of the knots and burn them to melt then securely.  Add a wrist
lanyard if that is your preference.  I don’t usually prefer such lanyards
for short fighting sticks, but the sjambok seems like a weapon on which it is
prudent to have such a retaining strap.

Congratulations!  You’ve made your
sjambok your own by investing some of your own effort in it to
customize it.   The wrapping technique described here can be used
for any plastic handle that will accept drilling for the mounting of
the cord.

Be proud of yourself and enjoy
what you’ve made.