Everyone either has or knows what a walking stick is. Anyone have a picture of one they made or some tips on how to make one that will last a long time?
• First find a stick the height your looking for. • Then find you a knife (a sharp one) and whittle away the outer and green layers of bark evenly so it doesn't cause you extra work (easiest to finish in the middle) • Store it in a dry place over night to let it dry • After the stick dries you will be able to see the inner bark which is different than the actual wood, you can use a putty knife to smooth it out and remove the inner bark • Add your customization to your stick for personality (some typography, staining, rounded edges, etc) • After all your customization is finished add a thin layer of Varathane to preserve the wood (use it in an outdoor setting and wash your hands well afterward)
I prefer to find saplings of an appropriate wood, gently dig around the base to get a look at the root ball, if it looks like a good handle (cane or walking stick) or a good knob pull it up and go from their, if not carful oh replace the soil. Replacement hoe/rake handles are a fine coice if you just want effective. A long bolt driven into the end finishes it, or you can get fancy and use the machine/lag combination furniture bolts for interchangeable ends.
I may have got confused over the translation! but a "walking stick" to me is something an old person uses, whereas I use a walking "pole", usually a single wooden sapling, with a "ferrule" on one end and a carved hand grip on the top.
That would be a "cane" lol. And despite the "old and decrepit" perception they are generally leagal but viciously effective defensive tools. Walking sticks are generally Senonomius with "trecking pole" this side of the pond.
A walking stick can be a useful tool. My brother always carried one with him when we were kids. He saved us from many snakes with that stick. It could also be used to scare away aggressive animals. My dads friend made him a beautiful walking stick that had a design he had wittled on it.
If that walking stick is a piece of long wood that you use for protection in the mountain path then I completely agree that you need one when you are in the woods. The walking stick is just a long slender branch of a tree. It can be a y0ung bamboo pole as long as from the ground to your shoulder. But the best is the branch of ipil-ipil which is slender but sturdy and fit to be an improvised weapon. With a pointed end, it can be a lance. Walking in grassy area exposes you to the danger of a snake bite. The walking stick can be used to pave the way so the snake will know that you are coming and it will move away. When a wild animal appears, say a wild boar that is an attacker, you can use the pointed end as a weapon. And when you pass by a tree with a ripe fruit, you can use your walking stick to assist you in picking the fruit. There are many uses of the walking stick but I cannot enumerate all of it simply because I have used that just once or twice... on the occasion that I went to the mountain to visit a family friend.
I made mine from a walnut branch mrs has a hickory one we made ours to height that a rifle is rested on easy to steady our shot quick and easy. The mrs keeps me inline with hers a good smack from hers and i behave lol
We went vacationing at Big Bend National Park in the southwest region of Texas, right on the Mexico border. There is a plant down there called the Agave. Looks like a Yucca with a long, straight stem coming out of the middle, reaching maybe 5 feet in length. The Mexicans harvest these and turn them into awesome walking sticks. They cure them and paint them up attractively with pictures of horses and stuff. We were in need of walking sticks as we were hiking, and found these for sale. They work great.
