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I have a mate who turns 65 in a couple of months
I thought I might get him a walking stick
Not that he needs one ( yet )
I could buy a ‘factory made’ one, but I thought something a bit more personal
Would be better
Any pointers as to where I could source one ?
Cheers
Find a stand of Kanuka growing out of a bank, it comes out sideways, then turns vertical. Manuka too but less often.
Manuka and lancewood make good strong sticks as does dracaphylum or turpentine shrubs. As Tentman says if you can find a root base growing about 90 degrees from the main stem you've got a handle for the stick.
The absolute "best" is very surprisingly Kowhai, it's very hard to find a bit that is suitable, but it is lighter, stronger and less brittle than any other native. My dad (since passed) was good mates with an old Maori chap who put him onto it. Dad made a stick for my Mum from it, I still have it and it is superb.
That's good to know because Kowhai has some pretty weird growth and form habits when it's young and you could early find one growing out of the side of a bank with a suitable hand gripQuote:
Originally Posted by Tentman
Finding the right piece of manuka or lancewood then matching it to the right piece of antler is a lot easier said than done, and the hours put into making it all come together to make it uneconomical to sell them unfortunately...... keep your eyes open for that unique bit of wood during all your hunts.
Attachment 280638 Attachment 280639 Attachment 280640
another vote for Lancewood.
Find a nice shaft and then worry about the handle - antler works well or a contrasting piece of wood.
Here's a lancewood that found itself unavoidably in the middle of where a walking track needed to be.
So it got kept for a "one day project"
Attachment 280643
Then last week I was hunting wild sheep in a conservation block and i was glassing a face where there would have been 5 to 10 thousand lancewoods about 2 to 3 meters tall
Saw a few hill sticks for sale at stand at sheep dog trials recently
Are you talking about a "walking stick" or a "walking pole though ??
Lancewood can come in all shapes and sizes
Someone marked their way with this one years ago :(
Attachment 280646
And this one was damaged as a youngster years ago.
I'm saving this one for my own old age :thumbsup:
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And a selection of "walking poles"
L to R.... pepperwood, Wineberry (I think ?) manuka and lancewood
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An actual walking stick ��
How long do you need to season those sticks if using Manuka which is quite dominant round here?
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It's not hard to knock up something like these, as others have said, just start with an interesting stick and see what happens. Some people who refused to use a conventional walking stick don't mind using one of these handmade ones.
One of these could be handy.
https://i.ibb.co/qLCKm7h9/20250731-125942.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/JFbVgyT0/20250731-125844.jpg
Only if the other bloke doesn't yell "en guarde " when you whip it out . . . .Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian
