How I Make My Canes

Most of my canes are carved from walnut, cherry and maple. These are common types of wood which are strong and have interesting grain patterns. A threaded metal rod is also glued between the handle and the shaft of the cane for strength.Originally, I made a jig for a router to cut the cane round and with a taper. The jig was also used to cut the spirals around the cane. Now, I use a lathe to turn the cane shafts. I cut the handles on a band saw and use a router to round the edges. Then I sand and sand and sand.

I started using grandpa's chisels to cut out the letters. Now, I have bought a set of chisels so grandpa's don't get worn out. I can usually put 150 letters (including the spaces) on one cane. It takes about 10 to 15 hours to carve the words going down the full length of the cane.

Each cane is finished with a clear, durable spar urethane or varnish to provide protection against the elements and UV light. Both types of finishes are made for exterior use. Some of the letters and/or spirals are stained to make them stand out.

Starting mid 2011, I switched to using pure tung oil to finish the canes and hiking sticks. The pure tung oil does not have any dangerous side effects for me when I apply it. It also dries in about the same amount of time as the spar urethane finish. The oil finish is much easier to repair if the the cane or hiking sticks need to be repaired or if I mess up putting on the finish. If you want to make your cane or hiking stick look like new again, you can apply a coat of any type of oil finish.

Every cane has a rubber cane tip that slides onto the bottom of the cane. It can be pulled off to cut the cane shorter or to replace it if it wears out. If you want another type of tip put on the cane, you can visit my cane accessories page and let me know what you want.

My canes are around 36 inches tall unless noted otherwise. The canes can be ordered longer for no additional fee.