It's the season to be ......

Another holiday season is over and the New Year started. I recently came back from vacation with several great walking sticks staffs limbs to using in the future once the wood is cured.

However, I was not done collecting wood for future walking staffs or sticks. Every year after the holidays I go hunting around our neighborhood for a few more walking sticks making material. My neighbors spent from $50 to $90 for the material and I did not want it to go to waste.

That's right - I grabbed some Xmas trees put out by neighbors. Why let all that great hiking stick making material go to waste? There are so many that I limited myself to only 5. I only want ones that are at least 7 feet tall and very straight. The straight part is usually the easy part because my neighbors were so kind to only by straight trees.

Why 7 feet tall? Because it gives me extra room to get the best out of the wood and even have some left over for other porjects.

The hardest part trying to find are ones with evenly spaced limbs so the finished walking staff will have character. Most of the trees I select are Douglas Firs which have a bunch of limbs (every limb is a knot). Knots are a pain to carve but you can used them in a design is your are creative. However, most trees have some blank knot free areas for carving a wood spirit, wolf or other carving.

What to do about the thickness of the trees.

If you pick up a few Xmas trees you will notice that the trunks are very thick. You will either need use as is or whittle down the trunk size to your desires thickness. Even if you keep the thickness once dried the Firs and pines are very very light wood. Usually I cut off a good size piece at the thick end for other wood projects. I found one great tree and turned it into a coat hanging rack last year instead of a walking stick.

If you have other ideas about what to do with Xmas trees then please post your ideas.

Have a great New Year.