Try Stick Diagram

[THOaken]

I feel like trying my hand at a hazel try stick today for a break from carving utensils. Does anyone have a list of cut and notch diagrams to put on the stick? I've looked at the Mors article but it's not too clear... I know a few cuts already, but I'd prefer a good illustration.

Thanks and sorry if this has been asked a hundred times already.

 

[Mesquite]

Try here (pun intended)

 

[THOaken]

Try here (pun intended)

That's exactly the article to which I was referring. Bwaha... Oh dear.

 

[Mesquite]

Try this then

 

[shaggystu]

Try this then

I was just about to send him that link, again

 

[Coldfeet]

Is a try stick just a pattern to follow to practice your cuts? or am I missing something?

 

[sandbender]

Is a try stick just a pattern to follow to practice your cuts? or am I missing something?

You are missing nothing, that is exactly what it is, it is much harder than it looks

You might also...

Try here

 

[THOaken]

You are missing nothing, that is exactly what it is, it is much harder than it looks

You might also...

Try here

Oh, nice pdf. Much clearer.

I was under the impression that the notches that could go on the stick range from novice to technically advanced. Is this correct?

Is this a good bit to work with? Hazel. I read somewhere that some notches are easier if you've got a thicker stick.

 

[shaggystu]

Oh, nice pdf. Much clearer.

I was under the impression that the notches that could go on the stick range from novice to technically advanced. Is this correct?

Is this a good bit to work with? Hazel. I read somewhere that some notches are easier if you've got a thicker stick....

That looks like an ideal piece of wood to me mate. I think that the thicker the stick the easier the cuts, purely because you've got more to go at, so the fiddly bits aren't so (does that make sense?)

The notches kind of range from easy to hard but that's a bit of a personal thing, you might find a particular cut easy that I find difficult, and vice-versa. It's all down to what you're familiar with with really, which is the whole point of the try-stick, to get you more familiar with the techniques.

Don't get bogged down in a formulaic approach, play around with it, practice the cuts you're not so good at and improve on the ones you find easy, have fun with it

 

[THOaken]

That looks like an ideal piece of wood to me mate. I think that the thicker the stick the easier the cuts, purely because you've got more to go at, so the fiddly bits aren't so (does that make sense?)

The notches kind of range from easy to hard but that's a bit of a personal thing, you might find a particular cut easy that I find difficult, and vice-versa. It's all down to what you're familiar with with really, which is the whole point of the try-stick, to get you more familiar with the techniques.

Don't get bogged down in a formulaic approach, play around with it, practice the cuts you're not so good at and improve on the ones you find easy, have fun with it

Cheers. Should I strip the stick of bark or does that not matter?

 

[Mesquite]

Cheers. Should I strip the stick of bark or does that not matter?

Personal choice on that.

 

[shaggystu]

Cheers. Should I strip the stick of bark or does that not matter?

Personal choice on that.

What Steve said, personal choice. I'd suggest that taking the bark off on this attempt might be a good idea though, it'll make it a little bit easier to do any marking out that you feel is needed. Pencil lines aren't cheating

 

[Mesquite]

What Steve said, personal choice. I'd suggest that taking the bark off on this attempt might be a good idea though, it'll make it a little bit easier to do any marking out that you feel is needed. Pencil lines aren't cheating

My personal choice is to actually leave it on and mark out the cuts on the bark with a knife

 

[THOaken]

What Steve said, personal choice. I'd suggest that taking the bark off on this attempt might be a good idea though, it'll make it a little bit easier to do any marking out that you feel is needed. Pencil lines aren't cheating

I'm only really familiar with the pothook and simple ones like rounding off the end of the stick, but some of these are mighty complex. This might sound a bit silly, but I don't really see how the article tells you how to do some of the notches. For example, the diameter reduction notch text doesn't actually tell you how to practically do it. It tells you what the notches do, but not necessarily how to make them. I know that to make a pot hook notch you make two crossing push cuts and remove 3/4 of the material. I've seen and done it with the use of Essential Bushcraft by Mears, but this guide doesn't really show you that. Does this make sense? I'm not over thinking it. I'm just confused because the text doesn't really explain how to do the notches and cuts.

Thanks.

 

[Mesquite]

I'm not over thinking it. I'm just confused because the text doesn't really explain how to do the notches and cuts.

You've just discovered the purpose of a try stick

It's to teach you how to do the cuts, notches etc. by trial and error.

Look at the one you're trying to do and think of how you would carve it. If it goes wrong then try another way

 

[Stew]

I'm only really familiar with the pothook and simple ones like rounding off the end of the stick, but some of these are mighty complex. This might sound a bit silly, but I don't really see how the article tells you how to do some of the notches. For example, the diameter reduction notch text doesn't actually tell you how to practically do it. It tells you what the notches do, but not necessarily how to make them. I know that to make a pot hook notch you make two crossing push cuts and remove 3/4 of the material. I've seen and done it with the use of Essential Bushcraft by Mears, but this guide doesn't really show you that. Does this make sense? I'm not over thinking it. I'm just confused because the text doesn't really explain how to do the notches and cuts.

Thanks.

You know the end result and have to Try different things to get there.

More than one way to skin a....er.....carve a try stick.

 

[shaggystu]

What Steve said, personal choice. I'd suggest that taking the bark off on this attempt might be a good idea though, it'll make it a little bit easier to do any marking out that you feel is needed. Pencil lines aren't cheating

My personal choice is to actually leave it on and mark out the cuts on the bark with a knife

You see THoaken, it really is horses for courses on this one, Steve and I both know what we're doing, and even though we take totally opposite approaches (IIRC steve doesn't even hold his knife in the "right" hand, he holds it in his right hand!) we're both "right", because we can both both do all the cuts. It's not really how you do them that matters, it's just that you work out what works best for you. It's an art mate, not a science

 

[Tiley]

I think the intention is for you to work it out with regard to the cuts.

Find a technique that works for you and, crucially, is safe and there you go! As with so many techniques and skills in bushcraft, practice does make perfect. Some of them are tricky but, once you've got it, they do become second nature.

When I teach this to kids - in a simplified version with only six or seven notches on it - they take ages to produce a rough, old, chopped about piece of wood but when we move on to spoons, they have a much clearer idea about how to do it - and safely!

It's great fun and a worthy test of your skills. I also reckon its easier to keep the bark on and not use pencil as it can be easier to understand and respond to the wood's quirks if the position of your cuts are not rigidly defined by a dark grey line on the timber.

Enjoy it!

 

[shaggystu]

....I'm just confused because the text doesn't really explain how to do the notches and cuts.....

It's a bit like one of those "spot the difference" puzzles. Look at the diagram, look at your stick, can you spot the difference? If you can, then they're the bits you need to remove (Rodin comments welcomed at this stage).

 

[Clouston98]

I enjoy try sticks, but find I rarely do all of it on one stick, the more space you have it is easier to work, rather than piling them on top of each other? Am I the only one? .