# Rustic maple crook



## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

This was the top of a small-ish maple tree I cut a couple of years ago. I saw it had a natural crook formed by two opposing branches when the leader died.

Has a bit of a swoop to it but that's why I'll say it's "rustic." Took some meat off the side of the curved area and some off the top. I think I might shorten the nose a bit more to reduce the weight. Maybe some more off the top, too. I wanted to leave as much of the bark as possible to show the way it grew.


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

Looks realy good dww2. Nature gives us some wonderful hapes to work with.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Thanks Randy, and I agree. Sometimes you have to squint at it the right way, though. And maybe loosen up your definition of "handle."


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

dww2 said:


> Thanks Randy, and I agree. Sometimes you have to squint at it the right way, though. And maybe loosen up your definition of "handle."


It is called keeping it simle. If we can hold it and feels good it works as a handle.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Exactly my thoughts.When a natural shape comes fairly close to a "traditional" shape, I love giving it that last little tweak which makes it a usable stick. Makes me look like a cane making genius when Mother Nature did most of the work. LOL!


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Did some more work on this one the other day. It seemed to be a bit heavy so I decided to reduce the weight a bit by trying some carving on the handle. Hopefully, it will be a salmon when I'm done. Considering doing a shallow relief bear's head in the big open area at the top. Haven't quite decided, though. The grain there is pretty nice.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Coming along fairly well. I'm thinking of putting some epoxy around the base of it to look like water. Like the salmon is leaping up a waterfall.


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

That's looking good dww2! Makes me want to get out my fly line.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Got the fish colored yesterday and decided to add some pebbles around the base to cover the bits I couldn't get to with the Dremel. Made it look like the salmon was in shallow water. Also kind of defeated the whole plan of carving the fish to take some weight off the stick but, that's the way it goes I guess. LOL. Got a coat of poly on it in the afternoon. Looks pretty dang slick, if I do say so myself. (The gf even said she liked it and she never likes anything I do.)


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

Well done ddw2! The presentation of the salmon with the water and rocks is great.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Thanks Randy! I am really happy with the way it turned out. I'm thinking I should go through some of my older sticks which turned out pretty plain and try some carving on them. Maybe I'll finally finish this one. A falcon swooping down on a group of pheasants.


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

That looks like a interesting project. When I do not have a new stick to work on I like to look at old ones or like you ones I Set aside and have not gone back to. Time can give you a new prospective on a old stick.


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