[CAS14]

I'm making a Bois d"Arc stick for an octogenarian who has been most generous to our alma mater, and to his Cherokee heritage. He is a gentleman and a scholar, and he needs assistance when walking about.

He prefers a walking stick for special occasions. His stick for Cherokee ceremonial activities has a quartz crystal at the top and an eagle feather, as well as other adornments.

I have a lot of ideas for this. One is to provide a soft, comfy grip. He's mentioned this in the past.

Tandy Leather has several options. I'm interested in feedback.

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/walking-stick-grip-kit

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/ecosoft-suede-lace-3-32-x-50-ft-4-mm-x-15-2-m-light-brown

I've done grips with paracord with the same method that could be used with the suede lace. The kit would be easier, but I doubt that it would be as soft as suede.

I'll look at the two options at the local Tandy Leather shop this week. Your opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Vance

 

[cobalt]

Nice idea cas .and sure would be put to good use

I always like the idea of making a stick based on a cultural idea .

 

[LilysDad]

I've made grips like that before. I guess I would never consider spending the money for a kit. Get some deer hide and either lace it with waxed leather stitching thread or artificial sinew.

 

[CV3]

I have done a number of leather grips. Making the leather tight enough to hold well would takes out the soft, I found for a softer feel I would have to do to layers a thick suede. I would cut the fist piece at about 7" fit it to the stick and glue it in place. The second piece I would cut 8" fit it around the first piece overlapping a half inch at the top and bottom of the first. cutting the top piece wide enough to fit but still draw up tight when it was stitched is a bit tricky. I found that about a 3/16' gap would draw up with out notable pull mark at the stitches. I would place a thin line of glue from top to bottom in the center of the top piece. Then put it in place and let it dry. the would keep it in place as I stitched the seam. Then I would tho a turks head on the top and bottom of the grip. Hope this is of some help.

This is a hard leather grip.

 

[CAS14]

Thank you for the great tops, gents!

 

[Rodney]

The leather looks good. A lot nicer than paracord IMO. I like CV3's grip the best of the three. I would either make my own like his or use the suede lace. The kit will only fit a 1" shank with a small margin for error. Too big or too little won't look right.

Timely post. I have a piece of scrap leather that might work and I've been thinking about making a leather grip, though not a soft one.

Rodney

 

[gdenby]

My inclination would be the suede lace. Or maybe take a piece of suede, punch ventilation holes in it, and hide glue it to the grip.

 

[CAS14]

Yesterday I bought a roll of suede lace at Tandy, and then a large square of matching suede at a hobby store. I think I'll cut the large square to size, where the ends perfectly meet, and glue it into a recessed area. Then I'll wrap the lace, and secure, as we learned in the Boy Scouts (for me about 60 years ago).

I rigged my vibrating sander (only 40 years old) to my Jawhorse, and it'll work like a belt sander to more easily create a wide depressed area for the grip.

 

[CAS14]

The Bois d'Arc was too hard to sand effectively. I used my draw knife followed by a rasp and then some sandpaper.

http://walkingstickforum.com/uploads/gallery/album_129/gallery_11_129_771513.jpeg

Then I cut a rectangular piece of suede, glued to the wood with Barge cement, let dry overnight, and finally wrapped with matching suede lace, using what I call the "Boy Scout" method.

http://walkingstickforum.com/uploads/gallery/album_129/gallery_11_129_1638390.jpeg

I trimmed the ends and used just a few dabs of epoxy to ensure that they remain secure.

http://walkingstickforum.com/uploads/gallery/album_129/gallery_11_129_909320.jpeg

So now there are two layers of suede to provide a comfortable grip for my aging friend.

Unrelated to the suede grip, my wife thinks this guy is great too. She dug through drawers until she found a silver bracelet that we probably bought in Santa Fe around 1974. She suggested that I use the turquoise atop the stick, since we've seldom attended a formal or informal event at which he wasn't wearing a large turquoise bolo. In addition he had mentioned that his Cherokee ceremonial staff had dropped and the quartz crystal strapped to the top shattered. So, perhaps this will become his new ceremonial staff (he may have to add an eagle's feather).

http://walkingstickforum.com/uploads/gallery/album_129/gallery_11_129_1726025.jpeg

 

[Rodney]

Nice job on the grip and on setting in the stone. i think he's really going to like it.

Rodney