"Carve beautiful wildlife walking sticks with step-by-step projects, ready-to-use patterns, an inspirational color photo gallery, and advice on wood sourcing and finishing"--Publisher's description.

Originally published in 1998 by The Guild of Master Craftsmen.

· The most successful whittling book ever published now available in a handsome new hardcover gift edition · Features 18 step-by-step projects for knives, forks, birds, animals, trees, flowers, and more · Includes information on wood selection, knife selection, safety, and sharpening · Great gift for beginners looking for an easy way to get started, and for more advanced carvers looking for a relaxing way to spend their time

Expert advice on carving expressive cane toppers from basswood blocks. 4 detailed step-by-step tutorials for creating expressive canes. 6 joinery methods for strong and durable joints between cane topper and staff. How to source and prepare staffs from found wood. Tips for adding joint covers, hand grips, and custom features. Guide to basic cane construction techniques.

A comprehensive study of walking canes from around the world, dating from the distant past to the modern-day. The book presents a historical context on both practical and ceremonial usage. At the same time, specially shot pictures showcase the celebrated A&D Collection of canes, while enlightening prose demonstrates the cane's enduring relevance to society. More than just a mobility aid, the cane has held numerous offices of significance. From the staff of the legendary Monkey King in the classic Chinese Journey to the West, or the stylised crosiers carried by high-ranking prelates from the Roman Catholic church, to the truncheon wielded by Mr Punch in puppet shows, canes are embedded in the culture of almost every country around the globe. Roving the map with one hand and thumbing through history books with the other, A Virtual History of Walking Canes and Sticks seeks not only to introduce the collector to the diverse wealth of canes available but also to entertain the casual reader. Intermingled with over 800 full-colour pictures are descriptions of gadget canes for tradesmen, squirting canes for pranksters, and glamorous Art Nouveau canes for the dapper gentlemen of the '20s. Informative and meticulously researched, this book paves an accessible route into a niche subject while paying homage to our ongoing relationship with canes. This story stretches back as far as history itself.

The stick is a universal toy. Totally natural, all-purpose, free, it offers limitless opportunities for outdoor play and adventure and it provides a starting point for an active imagination and the raw material for transformation into almost anything! As New York's Strong National Museum of Play pointd out when they selected a stick for inclusion in their National Toy Hall of Fame, 'It can be a Wild West horse, a medieval knight's sword, a boat on a stream, or a slingshot with a rubber band . . .' In this book Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield offer masses of suggestions for things to do with a stick, in the way of adventures and bushcraft, creative and imaginative play, games, woodcraft and conservation, music and more.