(Editor’s Note: This is the third article in an occasional series of easy-to-build construction projects for the outdoors Man Cave.)
Every Man Cave needs a handcrafted walking stick, to lean up in the corner near the door. Just grab it and go.
What we’re going to make is a sturdy stick fitted to the individual’s height, with some artistic, and practical additions. Walking sticks aren’t just for show or ceremonial events, like a campfire the night before opening day of deer season. They’re a useful tool in the outdoors.
There’s a good reason to take along a walking stick when heading out to rough country, for whatever the reason — hunting, fishing, scouting for deer or turkey season, bird / wildlife watching, hiking or just casual exercise.
A sturdy stick provides stability and safety when crossing creeks, and walking over rocks and uneven terrain, to help alleviate pressure on knees, legs, and hips when stepping up and down. As you get older a little help is appreciated when climbing a steep slope, or descending when the ground is slippery or leaf covered.
Project No. 3:
Our walking stick is going to be handcrafted from native hardwoods, made to fit the user’s height, and adorned with incised carvings and natural bling.
How long should your walking stick be? The length of the stick depends on your height. To take a measurement, stand up straight, with your arms down to your side. Then raise your arm (right arm if right-handed or left arm if left-handed) to a 90 degrees angle. That height is where you want to grip the stick.
So, for someone about 6-foot tall, a 50-inch stick should be about the right length, with the center of the grip about six inches from the top of the stick.
This will leave enough room to drill a hole through the stick to attach a cord or wrist strap.
Materials:
A sapling is preferable to a length of branch, which may not be as sturdy due to uneven grain. Look for a sapling about 1 1/4 inches in diameter that is very slightly curved, and as free of side branches as you can find. Cut the sapling at ground level. This larger (diameter) end of the sapling will be the top of the stick.
Any durable hardwood will do, including ash, oak, hickory, walnut, sassafras, persimmon or red maple.
Construction Tips:
A folding hand saw is ideal for cutting saplings and their side limbs. To contour the surface of your hiking stick, place it in a small bench vise with padded jaws. The fastest way to remove bark is with a draw knife, but a large wood rasp will work too, and you can file down any knots or bumps on the surface of the wood. Use the rasp to slightly round off both ends of the stick.
What you do from this point on is a matter of personal choice.
A round (rattail) file is ideal for cutting notches or spiral grooves (fluting) in your walking stick. An exacto knife is the perfect tool for carving small details into your stick, but be careful.
The blade is very sharp. It’s best to wear a cut resistant (kevlar) glove when whittling or chip carving.
Drill a 5/16-inch hole through the stick for a leather strap, loop of nylon or hemp string. Epoxy on a rubber chair tip (1 1/8 to 1 1/4-inch) so the stick won’t slip on bare rock or asphalt.
Give your walking stick a coat of stain and/or polyurethane, to deepen the wood tones and preserve the finish. Feathers and wooden beads, attached to your wrist strap, are optional.
Walking sticks are collectible family heirlooms that will last a lifetime.
Art Lander Jr. is outdoors editor for KyForward. He is a native Kentuckian, a graduate of Western Kentucky University and a life-long hunter, angler, gardener and nature enthusiast. He has worked as a newspaper columnist, magazine journalist and author and is a former staff writer for Kentucky Afield Magazine, editor of the annual Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide and Kentucky Spring Hunting Guide, and co-writer of the Kentucky Afield Outdoors newspaper column.