Walking sticks

SkunkWerX said:
Poplar wood is good. It is a hardwood, but realtively lightweight.
Dries easily, easy to peel the bark.

if you want decorative, go with something that has more interesting grain, Poplar is "plain jane", but can be smoothed easily, and makes for a good hiking stick. You aren't going to do much prying with it. The lightweight is a trade-off for brittleness.
Poplar makes excellent kindling. When dried, it burns hot and fast.
You could use your walking stick for an emergnecy fire, if need be.
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I chopped Down a young Poplar walking stick last fall. It's about forehead tall and as it dried through the months I turned it, were it stands in the corner, to avoid warpage. It was a little wiggly when pounded down initially but now has dried into stiffness. I also use it to steady my aim while shooting/hunting.
 
I always thought that those high-tech light weight walkng sticks were a gimmick until I tried them. I've prefered them over wooden poles ever since. The advantages are;

1) Weight

2) Collapse-ability - for stowing when climbing/scrambling

3) Versatility - for use as tent poles etc. It's not impossible to use wooden poles in this situation but telescpic poles work much easier. Example? Peg out the tarp loosely on the ground, crawl inside then extend the telescopic walking pole to exactly the desired height.

4) Durability - I've used the same set of poles on multiple adventures and the lightweight allloty has soaked up all kinds of abuse.

rockshelfsticks.jpg
 
I have found using a cheap/metal potato peeler works great and fast removing the bark off wood (thin barks, never tried thicker ones yet).
 
Dantor said:
I have found using a cheap/metal potato peeler works great and fast removing the bark off wood (thin barks, never tried thicker ones yet).
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Heresey I say!
This is bladeforums, where knifeknuts come to gather and you pass up on a "knife moment" to use a potato peeler???!!!
:p
:D

My hiking stick is from what the locals called silver birch, don't know if that's the correct name or not, but it is a good piece of wood.
A continuing project as well.
Here's the latest adornment
stickinlay.jpg

My 'mark' inlayed in copper wire :D
 
Vee3, the Cold Stell vaxwood staffs were suggested several times in outdoors forums (maybe even here). I don't have one, but coincidentally just handled a 6' one in an Uncle Sam's outfitter store about an hour ago.
It is a nice, strong but still somewhat flexible wood, not too heavy either. I found it too thick for my purpose, but it would definitely make a good hiking staff if you are not into ultralight. I think, that it is stronger and lighter than a similarly sized hickory or ash staff, and would be a superb self-defence piece too.:thumbup:
 
I use Bamboo as well. Chair tip on bottom and top. Paracord wrap for grip- cheap, light and does a good job.
Bill
 
I made one a while back when i lived in florida out of a cypress sapling. the knob on the end was a good handhold. it was light and flexible, but fairly strong.
 
DH1 said:
Just looking for some general info on selecting a proper walking stick. Dead wood? A live branch sawed off?

I figured I might need one after I sunk my foot in mud a few days ago in the woods near my backyard....should have tested first:o
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DH1;4134379,
I made my walking stick out of a 4' piece of rattan I got from Cold Steel (I think is called a lahte) and on the top end I cut a taper to receive Cold Steel Bushman and then I wrapped it and covered it with leather down to the second joint on the rattan. So far it has drawn blood from a pair of attacking Chow-Chow and warded off a pit bull. I made a quick and dirty funky sheath to fit over the Bushman so I don't cut myself while walking my dog.
FWIW, rattan is not hollow like bamboo but is solid with a fiberours core inside. The Indians and Pakys use them for crowd control since they carry quite a whollop and don't break as easy as bamboo.

Ciao 4now
Ron :D
 
littleknife said:
Vee3, the Cold Stell vaxwood staffs were suggested several times in outdoors forums (maybe even here). I don't have one, but coincidentally just handled a 6' one in an Uncle Sam's outfitter store about an hour ago.
It is a nice, strong but still somewhat flexible wood, not too heavy either. I found it too thick for my purpose, but it would definitely make a good hiking staff if you are not into ultralight. I think, that it is stronger and lighter than a similarly sized hickory or ash staff, and would be a superb self-defence piece too.:thumbup:
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Thanks for the mini-review Littleknife,

I think I'll buy one. For $20, I won't be out too much if I don't like it. And yeah, seems like 2" diameter on the big end of it might be a bit large for my hand, but that's what belt sanders are for :) . I've thought about the self defense angle of the things too - It seems like it might be better for whacking and poking than most...
 
Vee3, you are welcome.
Had I not bought recently the rake handle at Home Depot, I might have bought the waxwood staff yesterday.

By the way, I did a search, and it turned out that the rake handle is ash, and not hickory. Apparently the longest (5') hardware store hickory handles are that of some brooms, but most long handles are made of ash.
If ash was good for spear handles, I guess it is good enough for hiking sticks too. :)
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a potato peeler technically a knife? Can a rock be a knife!

"Cut me with either, do I not bleed!" lol
 
OK, a potato peeler is technically a knife :D


(but you need to do better ;) stick around we'll help you spend your money :D )
BWAhahahaha!
 
yeah, its stupid, the stupid crap you can sell to people. I dont mean any offence, just fartin around here. You know Shatner sold a kidny(i think) stone for 75 k, and then with a little more built a house for a family in orleans.

damn, I wish i could pass golden stones.
 
Hornbeam is sometimes referred to silver birch. Very hard and tough wood.

When my hip gave out, I went for the hiking stick "deluxe": high density hickory from kingfisher http://64.177.159.181/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=kf&Category_Code=wo
You may have to look twice to appreciate the beauty and the craftsmansship, but it is a very nice staff. Of course only the appreciation of the aestetics will justify the price. Its top grade wood, but it is functionally not all that different from one that you cut and season yourself.
 
Don't take me for it. I am pretty sure that is right but I have been known to mix names up :(. I will double-check at home.
 
Sorry Ebbtide, I goofed. I am trying to learn my trees, but I have a hard time keeping the local names straight. Hornbeam is referred to blue beech or water beech even though it is part of the birch familiy.

If you are in the woods you can relatively easily recognize hornbeam by the combination of the structure of the trunk which is often descibed as "looking like sinewy muscle like a flexed arm" with a smooth light gray, bluish bark.

Silver birch is simply the most common birch, I knew it as downy birch....oh well. Getting to know trees is to me the most difficult part of woodcraft. I still have to carry a book around.
 
go buy a bamboo stick cut it off at the joint, wrap duct tape around both ends. Mine has lasted about 20 yrs. how can ya go wrong with that.
 
hey, you could also cut just below a joint, and stuff survival stuff in the chamber, then duct tape over it
 
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