Making a Walking/Hiking stick questions

I used a piece of maple. The stick is shoulder height and about 1.5" round at the top. It was a stick from a beaver dam that I collected over 20 years ago. I just got back into using a hiking stick. Maybe it's the years beginning to show but man, that extra support on the ups and downs really helped.

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What do you all choose to do for a strap? I prefer not to drill a hole through, so I use a wrap as a constrictor knot. I have used paracord, but like 2.5mm cord as well.

I have not carved anything yet, but does anyone carve or burn designs into their sticks?
 
Looks good John G and I enjoyed your blog too.

I like to use hickory for my walking sticks. A little heavy, but strong.
 
RedbeAR15 said:
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I like to use hickory for my walking sticks. A little heavy, but strong.
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I have a piece of heavy osage that I use to walk with, but then started using light weight sticks, I just dont need the stick to be that strong. Pawpaw is super light.
 
dipbait said:
I have a piece of heavy osage that I use to walk with, but then started using light weight sticks, I just dont need the stick to be that strong. Pawpaw is super light.
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We don't have Paw Paw around here, but I have used poplar before and it is lighter but typically can't take much stress. Having a walking stick break when using it for stability on slick rocks or trails can make for a bad day.

I may have to try some Ash
 
tip: wrap with paracord,then pull a long section of bike inner tube over that. Keeps the cord in place after you've pulled some off, and you can cut little sections off the inner tube too for all kinds of useful rubber band-y kind of needs.
 
I use Hop Hornbeam for my hiking sticks. Heavier than most but stronger Than I'll ever need. They used to use Hop Hornbeam for wagon spokes and tool handles.
Mine have been drying for 3 years. I cut off the outer and inner bark, leaving an almost pure white stick. Then I stain, polyurethane (sp?) them and then wax them with Howard's feed N' Wax.
 
I use Ron Hood's idea of a pinched steel tube for the tip. It is great for digging! I wrapped the hand grip with hemp and soaked it with epoxy. The laynyard is leather. The entire stick was coated in spar varnish.
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I once read a book by the "Woodwright`s Shop" guy Roy Underhill and it had a part about walking sticks and rustic furnishings made from saplings and branches the thing I remember most about it was he said to hang it upside down and don`t peel it right away also it said you can seal the ends but he didn`t think it mattered. I also remember it said the reasons for waiting on the peeling is it lets the wood dry more slowly helping keep check and cracking at bay, also the reason to hang it upside down serves the same . I have used box elder to make a few walking sticks ,if you can find one that will stay straight they are quite strong in the inch and a half range and taper well and when dry are super light. A buddy of mine liked to use Hornbeam AKA Ironwood but it is soo heavy.
 
My gradfather used to make them out of driftwood found on the beach. They were strong and light. As a boy I always wondered where did they start their journey as it was fun to imagine they floated in from another continent.
 
I make mine from cedar. I try to find standing dead saplings to begin with, then strip them of bark, rasp and sand down any protrusions and knots from branches. I don't attach thongs, just a personal preference. I do coat the finished stick with a urathane varnish and sometimes add a rubber tip. I've found that small saplings growing in the shade of larger hardwoods will generally be older for their size and stronger because of their slow growth. Cedar is much lighter than most woods available here and has a bit of spring to it without being too flexible.
 
Here are a few walking sticks I've made. The sassafras one is on the far left. I also threw a cane in there I made, epoxy/spectra wrapped fiberglass with micarta handle. The other sticks are hop hornbeam aka ironwood aka musclewood around these parts. Fun stuff!
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Bumppo said:
Mossyhorn, do you peel your sticks right away, or do you wait until they are partially cured, or wait all the year before skinning them?

Nice sticks, by the way.
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Thanks. It really depends on the wood and how thick the bark is. If it's an attractive bark like elderberry I'll just keep the bark on. I've got a year old piece of locust that I'm just starting
on, and I regret leaving that bark on. I had to use a flex cut draw knife to skin it with.
 
Ha timely thread.

just yesterday I was out at lunch stickin with a coworker on a little hike looking for diamond willow.

We found a bunch of nice sticks, now I just have to wait it out.

Co-workers made a few- recommends waiting to peel and keeping them in the garage over winter for curing.

I'll be keepin and eye on this thread for tips
 
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