About us

Black Knot Woodworking, a subsidiary of Slow Cycle, LLC, a sustainable homestead in Richville, MN, handcrafts Hikki Stikks and Yang Blades. For over 60 years we have enjoyed Saunas of every shape and size around the world.  Hikki Stikks were inspired by a curved sweat scraper we used in a farm sauna made from a milk house.  We've refined the design to create an unique hand crafted tool for sauna and steambath enthusiasts. Our passion for woodworking is rooted in a commitment to quality and sustainability.

How we make our products

For a Classic Hikki Stikk, we start with hardwood logs selectred from our firewood pile. We split the logs to make thin planks that follow the natural curves of the grain and thus maximize the strength of the finished product.  We saw and plane by hand, the thin planks into the basic Hikki Stikk shape, then we spend a lot of time sanding the shape to make the ergonomic handle, muscle kneading knobs and sharp edges.  We finish each Hikki Stikk with two coats of  clear, matte, polyurethane varnish to harden the blade edges and seal the Hikki Stikk from moisture.  Thus each Hikki Stikk is unique in all the world! 

 

For Rustic Hikki Stikks we search for curved branches of about the right size and except for the splitting, we  process them  similarly to the way we create Classic Hikki Stikks.

 

Yang Blades are made from  pieces that are too small to produce Hikki Stikks.