# Unusual Stick Materials



## MJC4 (Mar 6, 2014)

After 5 years of retirement I was getting a bit bored so I took a part time job at the local hardware store. (Ready to re-retire) Anyway back on track, we were cleaning out the garden center and stuffed in a corner with some other ancient tools was a stack of 48" ash or hickory bent manure fork handles. They had a metal sleeve on one end to attach said manure fork to. The owner said to toss them out. Well as an ardent stickie I couldn't see tossing out a perfectly good & straight hardwood handle could I? So I took home 1/2 dozen to experiment with as potential cane handles. They are 1 1/2" tapering down to about an 1", a bit thick. Also as they are ash or hickory a bit heavy the but workable. Should be something I can make them into.

Mark


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## RandyL476 (Aug 24, 2014)

I'm always on the lookout for stick materials, here at the saw mill I work we get stacking sticks they are used to go in between the green bords of lumber so they can be put in the dry klim they are made from Indonesian hard wood like apitong, under the pack of stacking sticks there is a 2x2 piece of the same material where the fork lift can pick it up there 39 inches long I have used them for my cane shafts and handles I cut them into an octagon shape and go from there.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Maybe you could mount a spike of some sort where the fork head (careful how you read that, LOL) should go, maybe thin it down a bit and add a lanyard. Instant hiking staff.


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

They would make good cane shank. The thicker top would give you space for some nice decrtive relief carving as well faces.


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## Gloops (Jan 23, 2015)

RandyL476 said:


> I'm always on the lookout for stick materials, here at the saw mill I work we get stacking sticks they are used to go in between the green bords of lumber so they can be put in the dry klim they are made from Indonesian hard wood like apitong, under the pack of stacking sticks there is a 2x2 piece of the same material where the fork lift can pick it up there 39 inches long I have used them for my cane shafts and handles I cut them into an octagon shape and go from there.


How great having a kiln at your disposal for adding your own sticks for drying.


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