Hand Carve
What do you need to make your own hand carved hiking sticks? A pocket knife and a walk in the woods. Be sure your knife is solidly built. You don’t need more than a three-inch blade, but it needs to be strong enough that it won’t snap on you when you hit a knot in the wood. A locking blade is a good idea too, if you value your fingers.
What type of wood should you use? Any type you want, but be aware of the differences. Many people like hardwood hiking sticks because they can be very beautiful once polished up. That’s fine if you don’t mind the extra work it takes to carve hardwoods. Also be aware that they are heavy, better suited for decorating the cabin than for using on long hikes.
One of my favorite trees for carved hiking sticks is poplar. It’s light, and one of the easiest woods to work with. Young poplars often grow in over-crowded stands, so cutting a few out won’t hurt the forest. If you cut it in the spring or early summer, you can almost peel the bark off by hand.
Northern White Cedar is a much tougher wood to carve, but it is beautiful, straight, and one of the lightest. In a cedar swamp, you can find many dead young cedars that have not begun to rot. Cedar lasts forever, it seems, even when used untreated as fence posts.
Making Your Carved Hiking Stick
What if you don’t know your trees? Find a straight young tree in any area that could use thinning, and cut it. A short saw is the easiest way to cut your stick. Otherwise, you can use your knife, by cutting deeper and deeper in a circle around the tree until you can snap it off. Cut the piece a bit longer than you want your finished hiking stick to be.
How long should it be? A general rule is to have the hiking stick come up to just below your armpit. This is a personal thing though. If you want a fancy seven-foot staff, go for it.
Cut away from yourself, removing all the bark. Narrow down the bottom end, but not to a sharp point. You can leave the top flat, round it off, or even carve a spiral design into it. Use you imagination. Almost any piece of sandpaper can be used to smooth it, and you can apply stain or a poly acrylic finish if you want, or just leave it natural.
If you start with green wood, it is best to let it dry for at least a few weeks. Carving it while green can be easier, but it will often twist or bend then as it dries. You might prevent this by tying it to something straight to dry. Each wood is a little different in how it cuts and drys.
I wrap the bottom end with leather (with a small nail to hold it) to keep the stick from splitting. I also usually put a handgrip on it. This can be a piece of cloth or leather. Glue it on or glue and staple it. You can also drill a hole throught the stick near the top, to add a wrist strap.
Get creative. Use a wood burner to add designs to your hiking stick. Drill a hole in the top and glue a glass ball in it. Mark inches on it, so you can measure with it. Some of my best sellers had pewter animals nailed to them. Experimenting is one of the best parts about making your own carved hiking stick.
Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of lightweight backpacking. He has also made over 200 hiking sticks. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.TheUltralightBackpackingSite.com
Where to find hand-carved Mayan chess sets like ones sold by Chizen Itza street vendors?
A few years ago, I visited Chizen Itza in Mexico. On the trail back to the parking lot, there were street vendors who were selling local handmade goods like hand carved (Mayan Gods?) chess sets, brightly colored pottery, blankets, etc. Does anyone know of an online source for these products?
Here are a few…
Hand Carved Wooden Bowl I – Walnut
|
|
Jewelers Wax Carving Block! Carve By Hand Or Machine $9.65 |
|
|
Jewelers Wax Ring Tube Carve By Hand Or Machine! $8.75 |
|
|
12 PCs GENUINE TURQUOISE HAND CARVE 22MM TRIANGLE BEADS / WHOLESALE LOW PRICES $0.01 |
|
|
12 PCs GENUINE TURQUOISE HAND CARVE 22MM TRIANGLE BEADS / WHOLESALE LOW PRICES $0.01 |
|
|
1x Men Punk Unisex Metal Carve Dragon Black Rubber Chain Hand Bracelet Wristband $4.99 |
|
|
SPECTACULAR! HAND CARVING GANESHA NATURAL BLACK GREEN JADE CARVE No Reserved ! $0.99 |
|
|
SPECTACULAR! HAND CARVING GANESHA NATURAL WHITE QUARTZ-GREEN BLACK JADE CARVE $0.99 |
|
|
real hand carve shell a cherub ride on the lion loose cameo $33.99 |
|
|
hand carve real shell two cherubs playing loose cameo gorgeous $28.99 |
|
|
high relief hand carve turquoise man loose cameo gorgeous $59.99 |
|
|
hand carve real shell mermaid cameo vintage ring 51/2 $24.99 |
|
|
Women Carve Flower Dangle Blue Turquoise Gift Hand Made Earring Necklace Sets s4 $0.82 |
|
|
Women Charms Blue Carve Flower Coin Sexy Gift Hand Vtg Necklace Earring Set s4 $2.76 |
|
|
real hand carve shell a cherub loose cameo $28.99 |
|
|
Lot 3 Pairs Wooden Hand Carve Circle Dangle Hippie Handmade Wood Earrings $17.95 |
|
|
Black & Decker EK700 9-Inch Electric Carving Knife, White $12.92 Slimgrip Electric Knife In White. Includes 9 Stainless Steel Blade Trigger Lock Non-Slip Blade Removal Tabs Non-Slip Grip And Flush Cut Blade Design…. |
|
|
Kiwi Pro Slice Peeler $1.99 Kiwi Pro Slice blue plastic handle peeler has a stainless steel wavy cut. Origin is Thailand… |
|
|
Rada Cutlery Deluxe Vegetable Peeler, Made in USA The Deluxe Vegetable Peeler has a bigger handle and longer cutting surface to make big peeling chores easy! Blade 2″, overall 8 1/4″. Rada cutlery is made of surgical quality, high carbon stainless steel. Hollow-ground blades ensure a precision concave surface for maximum edge retention and sharpness. The solid cast brushed aluminum handles create a ‘feel good in your hand’ balance for superior co… |
|
|
Dremel 225-01 Flex Shaft Attachment $23.79 Dremel Moto-Tool Flex Shaft with Comfort Grip Handpiece allows fingertip control to cut, grind, sand, polish and more 36″ Long Cable, 1/2″-Diameter SlIM Grip Hand Piece Integrated shaft lock button – for easy accessory changes. For use with Dremel models 275, 285, 395, 398, 780 and 800… |
|
|
Dremel 290-01 0.2 Amp 7,200 Stroke Per Minute Engraver includes Letter and Number Template $17.46 Ideal for identifying and personalizing your valuables as well as decorative engraving, Engraves wood, leather, tools, machinery, hard steel, stone, glass, ceramics, porcelain, plastics, and more, 115V, AC, 60 Hz, 0.2 amps, 7,200 strokes per minute, Includes replacement carbide steel engraver point… |
|
|
SE Pottery Tool – 11 Pc Set $5.45 An 11-Piece Set of Pottery and Sculpture Tools ideal for any creative project. The tools are made of metal, with wood handles for an easy grip. Each tool has two shaped heads (one on each end) providing a variety of different carving shapes to give you more flexibility for your designs. They are ideal for detail work in carving, sculpture, and jewelry making. Design your prototype and create model… |
|
|
How To Carve A Wood Spirit $20.00 A complete How To Carve a Wood Spirit DVD. With step by step Instructions for BeginnersDVD covers complete instruction on carving tools and carving the Wood Spirit beginning to end. If you ever wanted the basics for caving here is your opportunity. Carving is fun and easy. With practice you can create your own creatures and Wood Spirits. Wood Spirits make excellent gifts for the person who has… |
|
|
Instructional Stone Carving Video Volume 1: Relief Carving $12.99 This video demonstrates how to carve your name and address in sandstone using hand chisels. It will also demonstrate how to take regular chisels and convert them to stone carving chisels.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply…. |
|
|
How to Carve a Profile Wood Spirit $20.00 How to Carve a Profile Wood Spirit DVD is an instructional guide for woodcarving. This DVD shows beginning to end the carving of a profile Wood Spirit. If you ever wanted the basics for beginning wood carving here is your opportunity. Carving is fun and easy with instructions and now you can create your own Profile Wood Spirits. Learn from Betty Robertson who has taught local classes and has se… |
|
|
CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion (12 oz) $9.65 Moisturizes, restores & maintains protective skin barrier. Controlled release. Non-comedogenic. Developed with dermatologists. Helps restore and maintain the skin’s natural protective function. Patented multivesicular emulsion (MVE) formulation. Contains ceramides that moisturizes and soften skin. Non-comedogenic and non-irritating. CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion is a vital part of a daily skin care r… |
Leave a Reply