[stixman]

Just thought you might like to see a picture of the curled sticks tha tI have found.

For those of you who haven't searched for your own curled or twisted sticks, let me say it's a pain in the rear.

You walk your legs off searching for the sticks, cut a bundle, pack out of the woods, snagging every tree limb and vine in the woods.

Once they are made into walking sticks, it's worth the fuss.

 

[Rad]

We don't have many like that in our woods --just a few in the early stages! You must have a great resource!

 

[stixman]

There are quite a few sticks here in Kentucky, but really scattered.

I have walked a lot of miles to find the ones in the picture.

 

[gdenby]

Where I live, I see almost nothing w. more than 2 curls, tops. I'm surprised how large they are. Even if you did do a lot of walking, the vines near you must be plentiful. Are the sticks all different woods? Just a few kinds? Or do the vines go after a perticular kind of tree?

 

[stixman]

I guess there are a few more going here in Kentucky.

The vine that curles around the sticks here in Kentucky is Honey Suckle Vine.

It's can be a real task to work your way through the thicket.

 

[stixman]

The sticks are several differnt types of wood.

Sassafras trees and honey suckle seem to grow together, but I also find dogwood, maple, and various other woods.

 

[Fordj]

Now your posts of carving snakes on twisted wood make sense to me. The Honeysuckle Vine twines around a sapling, and they grow together for several years? You have to cut both the sapling and the Honeysuckle vine to harvest these sticks?

Beautiful work, amazing sticks, wonderful videos you have going on.

 

[Ole Man Dan]

I' agree you have to walk miles in the woods for every stick. (It seems like it anyway)

I've had my best luck on creek bottoms with HoneySuckle vine, and on sunny hillsides with low growing Muscadine Vines.

We've got a lot of Oak and Hickory trees, with stands of Cedar intersperced. Make great sticks.

Curled sticks are beautiful, but you've got to work for nearly all of em.

Sometimes I give up and settle for a straight Hickory... Those are the ones I take to our hunting club.

When I hiked the A.,T. I carried a straight Hickory, that got really beat up... I made a mistake and refinished it,

I should have retired it instead.