Hiking staves, making a new one

[Gonzo1]

 

Please help, I'd like a new stave. I have several of the stock BSA $3 hiking staves. Over the years I seen many home made staves. I could select a branch from the several trees on my property like oak and maple. When is the best time to take the bark off? Or, is it better to leave the bark on? Should I stain it or not? What about polyurethane or varnish?

 

Your comments are appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Gonzo1

[packsaddle]

Oak is heavy, as is hickory, but they are strong. I left the bark on my hickory one but not the oak. If weight is a consideration, sweet gum is light and strong and easy to find. I'd take the bark off while it's still green.

My favorites of all time are of lodgepole pine, exquisitely carved, and my #1, a misshapen length of Pacific madrone. It will be hard to find that one around these parts though. The madrone is the strongest wood I have ever seen for its weight and the grain is very fine. And the extremely smooth, red bark is beautiful left on, or else it peels fairly easily.

One more consideration is the ease of carving in which oak and hickory are not good, actually terrible. They are hard and the grain is very difficult to work. For that I favor the lodgepole pine, especially a long straight shaft for insetting the hiking medallions purchased at various national parks, etc. Again, for this I remove the bark...any time it's convenient.

I like to carve a grip that custom fits my hand. Or if I get time I add a dragon or forest spirit or eagle or something.

 

A while back I collected a nice new stick in the Georgia mountains, straight and strong cherry, I think it might be pin cherry but not the black cherry you probably have growing near you. The bark peeled off easily in large strips revealing a very smooth inner surface. Leaving the sap to dry naturally, it turned black and is absolutely lovely. I only use urethane if I need to preserve surface features for show. Otherwise, they're really just a bunch of sticks.

 

The best one I ever had, and by now you understand I do value these things, was another madrone stick (back during a time you could still bring these things on airplanes). One of the boys didn't know about it so he used it in a fire. I didn't say a word...just gave me an excuse for another trip out west.

[msnowman]

Nephew made his first hiking staff this summer after losing a $3.00 one at camp. His father had chain sawed an Alder that had come down on the property and Nephew snagged a chunk of it. For him it was a first time ever to skin a tree, learn how to use a palm sander, stain and poly. He is soooo proud of his stick. He makes sure he tells everybody "I did this myself". He used a very light stain, so that the nature of the wood comes thru and didn't sand it so completely as to lose all of the character of it.

 

And I lost it this weekend....fortunatly it was found and turned in...otherwise I'd have broken his heart.

 

YiS

Michelle

[OneHour]

I like oak, pecan, and maple. They are harder wood than others. Maple and pecan is more so than oak. My walking stick is made out of a 5' oak branch that I found hiking through one of our fine State Parks (ssshhhhh ... don't tell anyone from the State Park). It was dried and I stripped off the barks quite easily. I lightly sanded with a palm sander. I applied a pre-stained coat to seal the dimples, then a light coat of cherry stain and then a coat of polyurethane. To decorate it, I put the rank medallions each time my sons get their ranks.

 

1Hour

[packsaddle]

I've been looking for a good maple stick to try. You're right, it's hard and strong. But the grain is good for carving if you have really sharp tools.

Gonzo1, if you ever take a liking to wood carving (and I really enjoy it) you should check out a store in our area. It is called Highland Hardware, here's a link:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp

As a matter of fact you need to see this place even if you don't take up carving. It is just wonderful, in many ways better than a Bass Pro Shop or Cabela's.

Back to carving, though, if anyone allows the boys to try out your carving tools, there are two things you need to keep in mind. First, you will need to completely resharpen them afterwards, and second, you will need a really good first aid kit close by.

[Trevorum]

My favorite hiking stick as a youth was of manzanita. Very hard, beautiful woood. Gorgeous grain. My stick had a naturally knarled shape that perfectly fit my hand. Alas, it got lost in one of my many moves as an itinerant grad student. Wish I still had that stick.

[packsaddle]

Hey, you didn't find that in Texas, did you? I've had my eye on manzanita for a long time but never found a stem straight enough. Where did you come across it?

[Kudu]

You can find seven articles on making and using hiking staves at The Inquiry Net:

 

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/skills/b-p/staff.htm

 

Kudu

 

[Trevorum]

No, I was a scout in California. I picked it up by the side of the trail in the San Bernardino Mountains.

[BrentAllen]

Gonzo,

There is some great information about the different types of wood, as well as some interesting finishing details, at Brazos - http://www.brazos-walking-sticks.com/index.html?first=1

When our previous Cubmaster retired, we gave him one of their exotics - a Bocote/Maple laminate, with his name and "Cubmaster" lazer engraved on each side. See http://www.brazos-walking-sticks.com/product/laminated_hardwoods_bocote_maple_walking_stick.html

For something different, I like their Free-Form Iron Bamboo, in black.

 

My Den gave me a laminate stave from Boyds' as a present a few years ago. The Bumblebee is blue and yellow, which fit right in with Cub Scout colors. These are made from dyed plywood sheets laminated together, originally designed for super dense rifle stocks (won't change with the weather). They are almost indestructable!

http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/BrowseEbus/Sticks.asp

http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/Images/Parts/98-120603.jpg

Now, if I can just keep it away from the boys.... :-)

[Gonzo1]

Thank you to all of you for your responses and suggestions.

 

I'll try some and let you know.

 

Thanks,

 

Gonzo

[SR540Beaver]

Gonzo,

 

Before my dad passed away 5 years ago, he and my mom spent every summer in Colorado at an RV park full of retirees. All the old guys set around and made walking sticks and canes from fallen pine and aspen salings they harvested. Aspen makes a near 90 degree bend just under the surface and makes a natural cane handle. The fallen pine limbs had been burrowed by pine beetles just under the bark and left beautiful and unique markings in the wood. In either case, don't go cut a limb and make a walking stick. The wood needs to cure and dry for a year or so before being worked. I took all of my dad's tools and stock after he passed and occasionally makes sticks as a hobby. Another place to take a look for a beautiful piece of wood to make a stick from is http://www.sticksite.com/. This guy makes and offers raw sticks of diamond willow. You'll be the envy of your scouter pals with one of these sticks.

 

BTW, I remove the bark, sand the stick and use polyurathane. If you strip the bark after cutting, you'll get a "white" wood. If you leave the bark on while it "cures" for a year or so, you'll get a natural "stain". With aspen, fresh bark peels like a banana. Once it cures, it takes dynamite to get it off. But it is worth it. Have fun.