Hiking stick from fresh wood?

[Goliath]

Hey guys,

For my next project I would like to make a walking stick. I already know which wood I want to use (well I have several options) but the problem is that I don't have any of those dried so I'll have to get some from the forest or something...

Do I really have to dry it before making something nice from it or isn't that a must?

Ps. I'll post pictures of the whole process in this thread if it's possible to find a nice sapling

 

[BobFromHolland]

Dry wood has several benefits in my view:

- doesn't make your hands wet (less blistering)
- is less flexible (gives more support)
- is less heavy
- is easier to carve

but there is no such thing as 'as must'. As long as you enjoy working on it

Looking forward to your pics!

Bob

 

[leon-b]

yes we would love to see photos as i too am thinking of making one
leon

 

[fred gordon]

Green wood will work fine. However, it can shrink as it dries so be careful what you do with it, also the bark will be more prone to chipping and peeling. As an alternative you can have all the nice bits drying somewhere and cut a couple of simple green sticks to last you in the meantime. I used a green hazel stick for a whole summer. As it dried out slowly I grew really fond of it with all its cuts and bruises. In the end I couldn't part with it. That was about 30 years ago and I still use it!

 

[Seagull]

the problem is that I don't have any of those dried so I'll have to get some from the forest or something...

Do I really have to dry it before making something nice from it or isn't that a must?

Hey up, Golly.

Dont mess about, waiting for your wood to dry ( for Gawds sakes)
Just chop your branch and make your stick, and use it.

You can straighten/ bend it any which way you want,,,,later , if ever.

It aint an exercise, forsooth, its what you would do if you needed a stick!
How,s that grab you?

Now, ,, if you want to go into production, then thats something else and you,ld never be happy with it, until you became an expert.

Anyway, I didnt think there were that many buckshee trees in Holland, that you could chop about.



Ceeg

 

[beachlover]

I chopped out a nice straight piece of blackthorn, trimmed it and used it green.
That was a couple of years ago and it has dried out since and is a "rustic" looking stick now. With hindsight (the most used tool in medicine and life is the retrospectoscope) I would have trimmed the bark off at the same time I think.

 

[Ben Trout]

Can't imagine you'll do any harm putting your new stick straight into service. Hang it up between times with a brick tied the bottom helps it stay straight apparently. Probably worth waiting for for it to dry before doing lots of carving but like what Seagull says!

Something with some character will be a better friend than something beautiful and flawless. That'ld just stay on the wall for fear of getting it muddy.

I've got a stave in progress at the moment. Have ignored my own advice about hanging the thing up and it's only 20 odd mil of curve over the length.

Have fun.

 

[Goliath]

Ok thanks for the responses guys!

If it isn't too hot tomorrow I'll go to the bush and try to find some nice pieces

Btw, there are enough small buckshee (I had to look that word up in the dictionary ) trees here to chop. Just as long as the forester doesn't see it you'll be OK

Btw, I'll probably use one of these types of wood, but it depends on what I can find...

-Maple
-Alder
-Cherry
-Aspen
-Chesnut
-Hazel

It will probably be Maple or Chesnut since that's pretty easy to find here

 

[Keith_Beef]

Btw, I'll probably use one of these types of wood, but it depends on what I can find...

-Maple
-Alder
-Cherry
-Aspen
-Chesnut
-Hazel

It will probably be Maple or Chesnut since that's pretty easy to find here

I've often cut a thumb stick from chestnut, or a straight stick or fishing pole from chestnut, hazel or black locust (robinia pseudoacacia). These three species tend to throw up slender, straight sticks from around the base of the trunk, especially if one of several trunks on the same root hase been cut.

Of the three, chestnut grows thickest, then the black locust, finally hazel is the slenderest ans possible most flexible.

If your stick is mostly for keeping a good rythm when walking, or for occasionally testing the depth of water when fording rivers, then the hazel would be lightest and easiest.

K.

 

[GreenManOfTheSouth]

as a stick for rugg'd walkin' the only thing is that green wood is heavyer. depending on the species can be *much* heavyer.
Easier (in general) to rough carve green, then add detail (and modify your plan to accomidate all that inconvenient checking in the wood!) once it is dry.
I love alder (red) to carve it comes to a beautiful finish but needs a *CONSTANTLY* rasor sharp knife to get fine carving as it is relatively long grained and soft.
Maple and cherry will carve beautifully dry, i havent green carved either though so . . . ..
Cheastnut - beloved of fine furniture makers so i assume it carves well

Hazel - one of my favourites Lovely white wood dont bother garving green though - checks like a b'stard. only 6ish moonths to a reasonably dryness though (depending on climate) carves well but you must avoid leavering the wood at any time as it does have a tendancy (IMHO) to tear.

aspen - not sure bout this - i think is what we call poplar - but not what you mean - polar sucks to carve, at all. turns ok. would make a passable basic walking stick

hope that helps!!

 

[Goliath]

Thanks again for the responses

I've ordered a nice carving book yesterday, called Carving Canes and Walking Sticks by Tom Wolfe. It's said that this is a pretty good book so I'm really curious It should arrive somewhere next week.

Also; I'm going to buy a nice whetstone (probably Fallkniven DC3 or DC4) next week to get my knive sharp again; it's really dull right now so I can't do much with it anyway...