G'day Snuffy,

The "notched striker stick" is usually ust a length of whatever comes to hand ... with a few saw-cuts to created a serrated edge. I prefer to get a good piece of hardwood (ideally an Australian spotted gum: apparently "coryimbia maculata", these days, engineer's hammer handle) gently indented with a small rasp then sanded dead smooth.

This has a firm striking sound with minimal damage to the lagerphone's main stick. If you keep beating away with a crudely notched stick, you will end up sawing the bloody lagerphone in half - then you'll have to build another one!

That said, any (surplus ... ?) wooden object with the right profile could be used ... as long as it wasn't part of your wife's washday kit ... unless you want to be lumbered with next weekend's washing.

Regards,

Bob