Traditional Stickmaking

Book excerpt: Stickmaking is an age-old craft that is just as absorbing and rewarding today as ever. This beautifully illustrated book describes some of the customs and practices used in traditional stickmaking. It encourages beginners to get started with a simple staff or thumb stick, but also explains advanced techniques, such as making sheep and cow horn handles, for the more experienced. Written with careful attention to detail by a prize-winning stickmaker, it is an essential guide to this fascinating craft. The book contains ideas and inspiration on types and styles of stick, a guide to timber, storing and straightening shanks, and jointing shanks onto handles. Also, there are step-by-step instructions on making a variety of sticks and handles including wood, antler, buffalo and sheep horn, and detailed techniques on bulking and dressing sheep horn to make a classic shepherd's crook, with further advice on decorating wood and buffalo horn handles. It will be of great interest to stickmakers, woodworkers, farmers, shepherds and fishermen. This ideal resource for all stickmakers is beautifully illustrated with 121 colour photographs.