Introduction to Stick & Staff Making

About this event

Introduction to Stick & Staff Making By the end of the day, each participant will have made a stick or staff of their choosing and have the basic skills to continue making sticks/staffs on their own and develop their skills. During the session, participants will have learned the basic skills required for making sticks and staffs. This will include: – Safe use and care of sharp tools and other equipment needed. – Foraging for suitable sticks and other pieces for making a walking stick and/or staff. – Methods to straighten a foraged stick for making a walking stick if this is needed or desired. – Removing bark if required or preparing a bark surface if being left on. – Mounting a handle or other topper/decoration. – Fitting a collar to a joint where required for aesthetics, and trimming the joint to size. – Tapering the end of a shaft and fitting a ferrule. – Smoothing the stick and applying decoration by carving, pyrography, painting, etc. – Understanding the need for ongoing care and maintenance of a finished stick. Participants are invited to bring a stick of their own if they have one they would like to work on. This should be a sound stick, between 1m and 2m long, depending on whether you want to make a walking stick or a staff.