Bamboo Trekking Poles

Trekking poles have become standard equipment for many hikers, trekkers, backpackers and snowshoers. They are used in pairs,kinda like ski poles.


Trekking poles (and staffs) offer a number of practical advantages:

They provide better balance and footing.

On downhill hikes especially, they decrease the amount of stress on your legs and joints.

On uphill climbs, poles transfer some of your weight to your shoulders, arms and back, which can reduce leg fatigue and add thrust to your ascents.

They make crossing streams, loose rocks and slippery surfaces such as ice and snow patches easier and safer.

They help you establish a walking rhythm.

They can push back overhanging vegetation from the trail and probe soggy terrain for holes and boggy spots.

Trekking poles are most helpful to those with weak or damaged knees or ankles, particularly when going downhill, because the poles absorb some of the impact that your body would normally sustain. These are made from some bamboo that I thought looked pretty neat. It has some rounded, almost ball shaped sections that I thought were interesting. These are about 48" tall with cocobolo pieces to make arounded handle. I burned dragon designs on each with the symbols for fire and river. I injured an arm a month or so ago and have found it easier to walk using a taller stick. I haven't worked my courage up to use 2 at the same time! Thanks for looking!

Twistie Cane with Cherry handle

Here is a cane I just completed. The shaft is a small tree that has been twisted and shaped by honeysuckle vines as it grew and the handle is cherry. I removed the bark on this one because it was a little loose and flakey, and found these tortoise-shell like colors underneath. They seem to go well with the handle which is not real fancy....just carved a comfortable shape that will hang on your arm and put some little dimples on the ends, similar to a briar pipe. I finished it with several thinned coats of a poly mixture and sanded it between coats, finishing up with a buffed coat of wax. It's kinda wild looking, but the colors of the wood are pretty. Thanks for looking!

Birdsong relief carving completed

Thanks for looking! This is from an L.S. Irish pattern adapted to fit the organ pipe. I made a few minor changes and added the musical note, since the recipient's name is Birdsong and he is an organist. I believe the wood to be spruce.

Relief carving in progress

This is a relief carving I am working on. I've been wanting to get better at relief carving and this is a pattern from a book by LS Irish that I recieved for Christmas. I used tracing paper to take different elements from one of her patterns and make it fit in the area I had to work with. Still got a bit of burning to do.