Wood could be fire hardened by lightly charring and then scraping the char off. The wood underneath was darkened and hardened. It works well for making spears and projectile points. I don't know if it would be good for such a complex shape, but pre-metal working societies were ingenious in how they shaped and used materials. The technique would shape a shillelagh head nicely. Butter and heat would definitely dry and keep a cane from shattering on impact. Like how soaking a blacksmith hammer handle in tempering oil for a few days is supposed to add life to the wood.
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