Yet more 2011 stick designs...

**Whittling** · 13th November 2011, 10:19 PM

G'day all. Where does the time go? I've let these designs get away from me. I'd better post a few before they get too many to deal with.

This first one was commissioned by a woman as a gift for her husband on their 40th anniversary. He's a great Tolkien fan and she wanted to give him a 'Gandalf' staff. After clarifying that she wanted a staff with an image of Galdalf on it and not a copy of one carried by the character in the recent movies, I got to work. The result is below. Made from a single Cypress bough the beard curles around and down the shaft for about 2 feet.

Last time I posted images of a stick made from a mallee sapling that was one of three my wife dragged home one afternoon after being out bush photographing the wild life. The knob stick below is made from another of those saplings. The small gekko is modelled on a common local species.

The next stick was commissioned by a woman who is bed-ridden. She said she wanted a stick that would give her incentive to get up and walk again. She asked for a staff with a Korat Cat cap piece. We discussed what kind of handle she wanted on the shaft and where to put it. I remembered something I read on another stick-making site about using animal ears to make a variety of thumb stick so I suggested this to her as a possibility. She liked the idea and the results are below. The cat is carved from Jelutong and highlighted with a pyrography pen, the spacers are Jarrah and Lemon wood and the shaft is Tasmanian Oak.

**Whittling** · 13th November 2011, 10:32 PM

This next one is the one with which I personally had the most fun. I had this idea at least 40 years ago as a young stick collector, long before I learned to carve. I couldn't find one in my price range at the time and the idea got 'lost'. I saw it again years later in the movie 'Back to the Future II', but still couldn't find one to buy and again forgot about it after a while. A little while ago I made a 'foot' stick which I posted here and got the suggestion that as long as I had a 'foot' I might as well make a 'hand' to go with it. That brought the idea back again and below is the result. The fist is carved from English Lime, the spacers are Red Gum and Lemon wood, and shaft is made from a recycled Jarrah floor joist from a demolition site.

Another commission, this one is the one I'm least happy with. The client wanted two tree frogs on the shaft interacting with one another. I looked a long time for the right bit of wood and thought I'd found one with side branches in the right places to give me sufficient material for what I had in mind. After I got started on it somehow, I found I didn't have as much material to play with as I'd thought. Anyway, for what its worth, here it is.... warts and all (pun intended).

This last one is right out of an article in Carving Illustrated by David Stehly (summer 2008 #43). I've always admired David's work and have used his techniques in the past to make canes with snakes on the shaft but this was the first walking staff I've tried (1.4 meters long); a lot longer than my previous attempts. I was going to paint it as I'd carved an Australian Red-bellied Black Snake, but I chickened out at the last minute for fear of ruining all that work. Painting never has been my forte. Never the less, I think it looks fairly formidable the way it is. Made from Poplar, it's prooving to be a 'head turner'. Thanks again David....

Well, I guess that's it for now. Hope you like. Criticism welcome.

**schaf** · 15th November 2011, 07:11 AM

Nice staff's and sticks Whittling, always enjoy the detail you put into your work.
Congratulations.
Schaf

**Woodwould** · 15th November 2011, 08:25 AM

The fist is particularly well drawn.

**Whittling** · 15th November 2011, 09:15 AM

Thanks fellas. Its always nice to get some kind of feedback on one's work. I appreciate the kind words. The fist pattern was taken from a friend visiting at the time I was stuggling to find suitable images on the net. He suggeted just taking a photo of his fist... duh!

**Iggy** · 18th November 2011, 05:38 PM

I really liked Gandalf, beard is great, also enjoyed the fist (used to crack heads?) but the snake and its patterning is awsome

**Whittling** · 18th November 2011, 07:16 PM

Thanks Iggy, I call the fist stick 'Knock on Wood'. I kind of had in mind the knocking on doors etc. Its not really robust enough to be a genuine 'beanie bonker' being carved from English Lime. Its also a bit large to be comfortable as a walking stick. I'm going to reduce the pattern and try it again.

The snake isn't particularly difficult from a technique point of view but all those scales do try the patience!

**Whittling** · 22nd November 2011, 10:03 AM

Just a post script on the 'Fist' stick.... while this is the first walking stick with a fist I've done, its not the first fist carving....

Some time ago a truckie friend of mine asked me for a 'Tyre Buddy'. This is usually a short piece of pipe or wooden crudgle used for checking the tyre pressure on their big rigs, by thumping each tyre in turn with the 'buddy'. Apparently, with practice, the pressure can be estimated with reasonable accuracy by the sound of the 'thump'. This is a lot faster than whacking a tyre pressure gauge on each tyre.

Anyway, this is what I came up with. He loves it but reckons he can't leave it in the cabin for fear some other truckie will pinch it!

About 14" long and made of Blue Gum.. this one really is a 'Beanie Bonker'!

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