It is not necessary to own a vast range of
tools and equipment to make a plain wood or antler handled stick, a few good
quality tools is all you require to begin this fascinating craft.
Vice or clamp: To
hold the shank and handle
Saw: To cut the shank and handle as
necessary
Sharp knife: To make a dowel on the shank, & used
to shape the handle
Selection of files or rasps: To
shape the handle
Abrasive tape / sheets: To dress and finish the shank and
handle
Brace & bit: To
bore a hole into the handle to take the dowel
Glue: To
glue the handle to the shank
As with most hobbies if you decide to
expand your interest and make a wider range of sticks you will inevitably
obtain more tools and equipment. (We tend to buy too many) My advice is to
purchase the best quality tools that you can afford as good quality tools will
outlast and be easier to use than poorer quality alternatives. A dedicated room
or workshop with good lighting is a huge advantage although many stick-makers
use portable work benches to make their beautiful sticks from, especially when
demonstrating at public events.
If you intend to decorate the handle or
shank of a stick you can choose whether to use hand or power tools to carve
your chosen object. There is huge range of hand held carving tools available.
Sets of knives and chisels are available but most experienced carvers prefer to
select individual tools that suit their particular style. Battery
or mains operated power tools are now very popular for carving and again there
is a wide range to choose from along with a massive selection of burrs and
cutters to cut out the detail.
Another method of decorating sticks is
burning an image onto the handle or shank using a hot wire or a hot tipped tool
to burn into the material, this technique is known as Pyrography. A skilled
person is able to burn very intricate and realistic images on most of the
materials used in stick-making, most types of horn will burn very
satisfactorily.
For horn work you will require a selection of
equipment to heat, shape and dress the horn. Some of this equipment is made
especially for bulking and shaping the horn and is quite expensive to purchase.
If you are an experienced metal worker you will be able to make your own jigs
and presses to keep costs as low as possible. Pre-shaped horns can be purchased
which will save the need to obtain a lot of specialist equipment; these require
fitting to a shank and are completed by finishing and polishing.
