how to carve walking sticks in progress

Here is a work in progress wood walking stick and hiking staff. Once you learn how to create great looking walking and hiking sticks most people start to carve.  It's great to learn how to make your own walking stick using staining,  rope working, wood burning images and other techniques to make great wood walking and hiking sticks staffs. However, when you start to learn how to carve them you gave the ability to bring all the techniques together to make truly make unique walking staffs, sticks and even wizard staffs.

The above image is in the stage of removing excess wood away from the actual images being carved.  You see part of the wood carved hiking sticks salmon and the rocks below.  Once the excess wood is removed the next process of carving the image details is started. On this project I will start carving the rocks on the river bed on this walking sticks. 

Once all the details are carved then wood will be prepaid for staining or painting. Learning the steps in how to make unique walking sticks but hand is important to prevent frustration with this hobby. How to make walking sticks and staffs guides is a great A to Z from collecting the wood, sanding, curing wood, staining, wood burning images, carving and much more.  Getting back to the above carving: I plan to use train modeling paint that works well on all types of  wood and comes in many many colors. I will not apply a clear coat first o the wood. I want the colors to run/mix together to give a more natural look on the salmon. Look for the finished wood salmon walking stick project images in the future to get more help with yourmakning walking and hiking sticks by hand yourself.

How to make walking stick and staffs handles to give a custom look

Walking making stick handle weave

Learning how to make complete walking sticks, hiking staffs and wizard staffs by hand just takes a bit of practice and help in learning the techniques. The image to the left is a weaved hand holding area of the walking stick or staff that serves as two uses.

First, wood is porous and the coatings you place on the wood (shellac or varnish) to protect the wood are damaged by hand oils and sweat. By placing a weave rope hand hold area it protects the wood from damage. Yes, the rope will over time collect the dirt and sweat. However, once you learn how to weave rope when you make a hiking stick or staff you will be able to make a new hiking stick or staff hand hold area quickly. Its part of the how to make walking sticks learning process as explained in the guides. It is easier to replace the rope than to sand down the wood, re-stain it to make the rest of the stick and re-coat with a clear shellac or varnish.

Second the rope can be used in emergencies if needed. If you use the correct type of rope as detailed int he how to make unique walking sticks and high staffs guides then you can unwind it and use it for emergency litter making, climbing and other 100 uses for rope in a survival situation. You never know when a piece of rope can save your life when in the woods hiking and camping. Store bought hiking sticks do not compare to the customizations you can do when making your own hiking stick.

How to make walking sticks, hiking staff or wizard staffs wood spirits carving

How to make your own walking stick wood spirit.

Hand carving your own walking stick, wizard staff or hiking staff jsut takes a bit of practice and patience for a beginner. the image to the left is starting to show the shape of the face. when designing your wood spirit face do not worry about if it looks just like the one you are trying to copy.  Many people who learn how to make your own walking sticks are in too big of a rush to go from not ever carving anything to right to hand caving a face or similar carving.
 
You need a bit of experience on simpler wood carvings and how to use wood carving techniques.  If you go straight to carving a walking stick wood spirit then expect to ruin some of your sticks collected or producing a less than satisfactory result. Learn the basics first including all aspect of how to hand make unique walking and hiking sticks.

  The wood spirit to the left is a simple design about 20% completed done an a piece of Aspen wood about 2.5" in diameter. 2.5:" diameter means you are working on a carving area about 1.5" wide. That is a very small area to put great details of a complete face. If you are just learning how to wood carve walking sticks keep the design simple at first. Remember, many of the images you see in books and on the web are faces that are several inches across don by master carvers.

Just think how easy is it to make a pencil drawing of a wood spirit. If you are not artistically include your pencil images are not that great. Now try doing it on wood. its easier to use a pencil than a wood carving tool. However, with the right training just able anyone can make a good looking walking stick wood spirit. Just the how to make great unique walking and hiking sticks staffs by hand guides for step by step easy to follow directions. Remember this is a hobby and even a possible a side income opportunity. Enjoy it and take your time to learn the how to make quality unique hiking sticks and wizdard staffs  by hand.

How to make Wood Carved walking sticks eagle

Carving a eagle head on your walking sticks can be as detail or simplistic as you desire. Do not get discourage if your eagle does not come out like you see to the left or in books. Start with a simple designed and as you learn how to wood carve you hiking sticks and walking staffs add details.  The walking stick eagle carving to the left is about 75% completed. it will receive some more details around the eyes and further back to give it a look of an slim lined eagle head as if its diving on to prey.

Some people get caught up into putting to much details in their carvings. Remember when learning how to make making your walking sticks, hiking staffs and Wizard staffs start simple and then build as you learn how to better carve wood. In fact, we do not recommend carving wood until you learn how to developer other skills including wood burning images, staining techniques to create shadows images, making your own tips, handles and other parts of your hiking sticks and staffs.

When this eagle wood carve hiking stick is completed it will have a two tones: natural wood color on the beak area and then a darker wood stain from the part on. Then I think beyond the eagle part the wood will be left natural . When you learn how to making your own walking and hiking sticks you will gain ideas and learn techniques to give you many different options on how to finish your hiking stick making project.