Hand Carving Your Own Walking Stick

Most walking sticks are sturdy and utilitarian and lack embellishment, but not in this book by the late woodcarver Stehly. There is a nice introduction into sizes of walking sticks and a great chart of the best woods to use. Understanding of woodcarving technique is assumed. With an array of carving patterns featuring various reptiles, birds, and more, the author’s true strength is realistic snakes. A few projects have detailed instruction, but the rest are generally outlined. For readers interested in stickmaking, Andrew Jones and Clive George’s Stickmaking Handbook follows a more traditional path, whereas Stehly’s work pushes into art. VERDICT These patterns and projects are certainly not for amateurs, but confident intermediate and advanced woodcarvers will find stunning patterns here to duplicate.

David N. Stehly was a self-taught wood carver who worked almost exclusively with walking sticks and canes for over thirty years. He was a contributor to Woodcarving Illustrated magazine. David carved more than 2,000 walking sticks and won more than 30 awards at woodcarving shows.

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