Charles R. Self

Once you know the basics of making a walking stick, how much more can be said?

Charles Self manages to say quite a lot. Almost half the book is given over to "Getting Started", including wood selection, adhesives, hardware and fastners, and tools and finishes. His discussion of handles is limited to brass and does not touch on those made from other materials such as horn. Additionally Self mentions steam bending of wood to form handles, but this is well beyond the scope of the book.

The second show more half is devoted to the creation of different styles of walking sticks, staffs and canes: flat walking sticks, "bark-on" sticks and canes, willow, patterns for carved sticks, lathe-turned sticks and laminated canes.

Finally he mentions a few resources (I think they're all US-based) that supply walking stick hardware.

After the good advice of the first part, the value of this book is in the description of different approaches to creating the walking stick, staff and cane. Once the basics of the different styles are understood (and this isn't hard) its a matter of being creative (and finding the hardware to finish it off). As an alternative to commercial handles, Self also discusses turned handles and naturally formed handles.

Of particular interest is the process of laminating to produce a curved handled cane.

Certainly the book is inspiring, and the book's finished sticks are beautiful works. But there is definitely an art to making a piece of wood look like more than just a stick. show less

Overall the book was pretty decent. I only gave it 3 stars because I've read a lot about tool selection for a woodshop already, so nothing new here for me. There was a lot of information that doesn't apply to me (I can't build my own free standing shop, or modify my garage very much), but there were some good ideas on planning out lighting and power service for the shop. Also a couple cool portable work table plans. I might make one of the vise tables.

More of a how to guide than a pocket reference. A mix useful information and I've read it before.

A book on constructing a variety of birdhouses for a variety of species of birds.