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Carved Walking Sticks

 

Druid with Walking Stick

Diamond Willow

Carved Michigan Diamond Willow

 As an amateur wood carver,  I am taken by the form and beauty of the wood from a shrub or small bushy tree known as Diamond Willow.   An interesting aspect of the Diamond Willow is that there are beautifully embedded natural diamond shapes found on its branches and trunk.  It is widely believed that a fungus, which causes the wood to twist and grow in a unique way so as to avoid this fungus, causes these shapes.

Having carved in other hardwoods, the Diamond Willow has become my favorite.  In addition to it's aesthetic appeal, It is light weight,  strong,  and easy to carve with simple tools.   Walking sticks are interesting to work with and the end product is functional.  I have assembled some photographs of my carved walking sticks.  Many of them are Diamond Willow, and all of the wood blanks were procured  in Michigan.

 

Click on thumbnails for larger image

Each stick has it's own personality

    My #001 first attempt at carving form into a Michigan Diamond Willow Stick.  Atop of the stick is a morel mushroom with carved hemp rope style handgrip with enhanced shaping of natural diamonds in wood.  The wood carves easily, but being a novice this stick took some time before it was completed.

Natural beauty of the Diamond Willow Diamonds slightly enhanced through carving.                         firstwalksticka.jpg (53444 bytes)                       My first attempt at carving a walking stick. 

                                                                                          

                                                 

                  

    Again #002 another Diamond Willow stick with a lot of curve which I took advantage of when carving the rope grip. The mushroom is quite small as the stick is somewhat shorter, and of a smaller diameter. 

Diamond Willow with enhanced diamonds.                        A much shorter and lighter Diamond Willow Stick with small mushroom and carved Hemp Rope.                       My second Diamond Willow stick, a different variety with more curves.

 

 

 

    This is #003 walking stick carved in Sugar Maple.  As this wood is dense ,  I spent a lot of time honing tools.  The Morel mushroom carving was really tough on the tools.  The wood spirit was given a paint job because of the light colored maple and as with all my sticks several coats of lacquer after sanding & sealing.

Carved Sugar Maple Stick                      Sugar Maple Stick with Morel Mushroom & Wood Spirit                       My third walking stick from Sugar Maple       

 

 

                                

    My first attempt at carving a form into Black Walnut  to produce a 37 " walking stick /cane.  I use this stick while walking the dog as it is sometimes necessary to fend off other more than curious canines. 

Black Walnut Cane                     Black Walnut Cane with the heartwood showing through sapwood.                       My First Attempt at a Black Walnut Cane which I custom fitted to my own hand.

 

                                                   

 

  My #004  is a Diamond Willow  stick with the diamond patterns enhanced.  I really like the natural color and basic shapes of natures creation.  

Michigan Diamond Willow Stick with diamond patterns enhanced.                    Michigan Diamond Willow Stick

 

 

 

  My #005 stick,  another Diamond Willow with two differently styled hand grips (upper & lower) is in progress. The upper third is rough carved.

Michigan Diamond Willow with carving in progress.

 

 

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Page last updated on 09/29/2011

Copyright © 2000 – 2011 Richard Flake All Rights Reserved