How to make walking sticks and staffs carving wood

    One portion of making hiking and walking sticks and staff is wood carving. Several people have requested information on how to start carving walking sticks wood spirits even before they know the basic of how to make a walking stick or staff. This is a big mistake. Wood carving images on hiking staffs and walking sticks with details takes practice.   Just like painting you need to know basic hiking stick making how to's before jumping into portrait painting.

   First you need to select the right wood and we highly suggest aspen, basswood, willow and similar wood for making your walking stick.  Stay away for hard woods at first because they require more effort to carve and more knowledge of wood grains.

  Now use practice branches smaller pieces of wood to carve basic shapes. Try to carve straight lines around the walking stick. Then do simple wood carving such as one described How to easily make unique walking an hiking sticks guides. I have seen many people trying to do more detailed wood carving then their experience and destroy great walking sticks and staffs. Making hiking and walking sticks is a great hobby. Take it step by step or you may fall into the trap of becoming frustrated with the hobby.

  if you have questions or suggestions please post it here for a quick response. Have a great time making your wood hiking sticks and walking staffs!

How to make walking sticks: Collecting walking stick wood to carve

First, not all wood is good for carving. In addition when collecting wood for hiking stick making the time of year plays a factor in most parts of the US. First, if you are in a snow bound area look fro fallen branches to wood carve practice and to used to make a hiking walking stick. Remember to cure the wood first. In other words, collect wood for hiking stick making now to use in the summer or even fall.

If you live further south now is the time to look for tree trimmings.  This is the time people start to think about spring  storms and tree trimming.  Walk around your area for trimmed oaks, popular,  cypress, fruit trees and other trees for walking stick making. In fact, I have talk to neighbors while going through their piles and now I have them looking for branches the right size/shape for me. I get on the average 20 to 30 great walking stick branches each season to making hiking sticks and staffs.

Check out the How to Making unique walking and hiking stick guide for details information on how to easily make unique  walking sticks and staffs. Learn how to carve wood, use wood burning to make images on wood simply, create you won rope handles and metal ferrules. It does not take any special skills to learn to wood carve a walking stick.