carving a eagle for a walking stick how to make project

How to carve a walking stick eagle head

Carving designs onto a walking stick does not need to become a major project. Some of the simpler designed such as a carve eagle head  creates a great hiking stick making project. The image attached to this post is the top of the walking stick and the carving was created using just a pocket knife. Yes, most wlakgin sticks are thicker but the concept is the same. The image does not show the completed eagle head wood carving for the walking stick about it is 90% completed. 

It's a simple design and when finished it adds a rustic look to the stick. Beyond the image the carving needs to be sanded and finished with a few coats of clear shellac or other wood finish. Yes, you can paint the eyes black or drill a hole to give it a more depth. This is a great project to do while at a camp site or a quick hiking stick and staff making project in the evening.

One aspect not covered here is the shape of the walking stick top. When you collect your walking stick material to make a hiking staff  think about the finished project. I prefer curved tops to give movement to the eagle head or other animal that I plant to carve. May times I leave branches on the collected walking stick until I determine the final design stick making design. Also, the hardness of the wood needs to be check before starting your hiking stick making project.  The walking stick guides gives good details on wood selection, what to collect, carving, staining, deigning and other aspect of walking and hiking stick making.