Hello, it's been probably over a decade since i visited the forum already!!! i just acquired a sparth head from a smith in prague and i'll eventually have to haft it. i was wondering apart from ash what would be the other historically accurate wood used? we have some yellow birch, maple and oak where i am as well as ash and i planned to use a young tree as a haft instead of a board or something to make it... pictures of my axes because i didn't want the post to be empty. both were made by the same smith. i bought them both on etsy from paganfanshop.

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The bible of sixteenth-century European staff weapons is Waldman's Hafted Weapons in Medieval and Renaissance Europe from Brill. All of those can work but keep in mind the Ph (acid / base) of some oak and the difference between red and black oaks. Handy online reference https://ageofdatini.info/vocationes/wood-spears.html

I can't comment on the question, but I do have a question for you Etienne: who's the maker? It looks like a nice sparth head! Do keep us updated on how the hafting goes, please!

Do you know https://www.wood-database.com/ (en anglais)

You might want to look into what the local nations used for spears and axe-helves. I think birch can make good walking sticks.