Driftwood walking sticks?

3

3wolves

Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Messages
1,061
Hi guys,
I live rather close to the coastline and often see intersting pieces of driftwood lying around. Would I be able to make a relatively sturdy staff out of it?
Thanks,
3wolves.
 
It’s possible, it really depends of the piece of wood.

Lot’s of variables, like type of wood and level of degredation.

Finding the right piece won’t be easy, but could be rewarding.

Personally I harvest mine from the woods, paying attention to the diameter, straightness, and type of wood.




"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike

Forest & Stream
 
I paddle and am around the water a lot and find a lot of nice smooth [bark gone] walking stick size sticks left from beaver feeding. I also find them around their dams and lodges. Ive got 4 or 5 thrown in the back of my pick-up now.--KV
 
Most of the driftwood I find on Lake Ontario is softwood or way too large to make into a walking stick. If you find a nice hardwood stick and dry it out it could work fine. Water isn't so much of a problem really. Green wood has a LOT of water trapped in the cells. There are logs that have been laying on the bottom of some lakes and rivers that have been there, basically trapped in suspended animation for a century or more. Drying it slowly so it doesn't crack into pieces is the trick. Paint the ends with latex paint or seal it with melted wax and set it aside for a season or two. Post some pics of what you find.
 
I've always found that striped maple with the bark left on makes a fantastic and nearly indestructible walking stick.

Most driftwood tends to be too dramatically curved and degraded to make a decent weight-bearing staff out of, but it can be done if you're patient enough to find a suitable piece. Driftwood fires, on the other hand, are a beautiful sight, and I recommend trying one if you haven't before. :)
 
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