One-piece sticks
One-piece sticks
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Click on any image for further details and pictures. | Price (in pounds sterling) | Click below | |
136 | A sturdy one-piece hiking stick in the form of a "leg cleek" crook. Made from a most unusual piece of blackthorn. | SOLD |
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134 | A slim, lightweight but surprisingly strong knobstick made from stained elder wood, with a silver band. | SOLD |
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133 | A very sturdy knobbly blackthorn knobstick. | SOLD |
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132 | A very individual, slim but strong blackthorn knobstick. | SOLD |
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128 | A knobbly blackthorn one-piece walking stick/cane. The handle is carved into the shape of an old boot. | SOLD |
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123 | A crab-apple knobstick. | SOLD |
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122 | A stout hawthorn knobstick/cudgel. | SOLD |
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116 | A rustic one-piece ash walking stick tipped with buffalo horn. The L-shaped handle is formed from the rootstock. | SOLD |
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115 | A one-piece rustic blackthorn stick. The unusually-shaped handle is formed from the root. | SOLD |
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103 | A one-piece tedstick made from a gnarly piece of ash. | SOLD |
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101 | A hazel hiking staff. Thick and strong. | SOLD |
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098 | A blackthorn hiking staff. Plain, simple, comfortable and strong. | SOLD |
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096 | A truly extraordinary and original blackthorn staff. See what you can make of it! | SOLD |
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090 | "Caseg Llwyd" - A most unusual ceremonial blackthorn staff with cherry-wood stand. | SOLD |
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088 | A simple one-piece hazel walking stick. | SOLD |
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074 | A substantial hiking staff made from a natural piece of hazel. | SOLD |
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064 | Another silly "Big Nose" stick, carved in holly. | SOLD |
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028 | Hazel, one-piece knob stick in the form of a bird's head. | SOLD |
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026 | One-piece hazel knob stick | SOLD |
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058 | One-piece hazel knobstick. Slender and lightweight. | SOLD |
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052 | A very silly little stick done in holly. | SOLD |
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035 | A simple "freehand" hazel knobstick. | SOLD |
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029 | Fancy one-piece hazel knobstick. A cast resin mouse nesting in the hollowed-out knob | SOLD |
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027 | One-piece hazel T-handle walker stick | SOLD |
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024 | One-piece hazel knob stick | SOLD |
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017 | One-piece hazel "walker" | SOLD |
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Home | Sticks For Sale | Antler Sticks | Collectors' Sticks | Horn Sticks | Market Sticks & Crooks | Thumbsticks | "Womble" Sticks | Other Sticks | Work in hand | Stick FAQ | About Stickmaking Materials | Custom Sticks Price Guide | Feedback from customers & visitors | Contact me | Useful links | |||
About one-piece sticks...
This is the simplest and yet the strongest way to make any stick. In a way, it is also one of the more difficult. To start with, one needs to find a suitable stem growing from a larger branch at the correct angle or dig out a suitable piece of root. The branch or root must then be cut on both sides of the stem to provide sufficient material to fashion the head, taking into account possible shrinkage and splitting. Extra drying time must be allowed for the thicker wood, adding another year or so to the seasoning process. After straightening the shank comes the shaping of the head. This requires a lot more thought than a separate head cut from a nice square slab of wood. One needs to consider the natural shape of the piece and follow this as far as possible, while still working towards a comfortable handle that points in the right direction. The bigger the lump of wood, the more freedom one has. With a big enough piece, one can fashion a full market stick or even a crook. But with a smaller piece, one must compromise between the natural inclinations of the wood itself and the need to produce a knob or "T" handle that "comes to hand" and looks right.
One problem when first taking up stickmaking is the availability of the materials. Until one has done a couple of seasons' stick-cutting and the first hazel stems become ready for use, one is completely reliant upon obtaining seasoned shanks from other stickmakers and suppliers. This is both time-consuming and expensive. In addition, ready-seasoned pieces suitable for one-piece sticks are much harder to come by.
Fortunately, I have managed to acquire a bundle of such shanks from a fellow stickmaker and I am now getting to grips with this form of the noble art, which I find fascinating as it requires a much greater feeling for the underlying form of the wood.
Home This page last updated Wednesday, 13 December 2006
