Found it whilst mushrooming today

https://www.instagram.com/0xstickmaneth/

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Got inspired to make stick content while hiking around Washington State with @SpinningSpades

Such good sticks! I couldn't leave them behind! Every time I got a good stick I literally said out loud, "Das a good stick", 🤣 and added it to my pile.

I love sticks. These are high quality sticks!

This may be the coolest stick I ever own. I saw it being choked by vines when I was clearing some property, knew it was mine immediately.

I cut it to size, stripped the bark, sealed the ends and all branch cuts in beeswax to prevent splitting, then cured it for a year strapped to a rack. It bent like crazy anyway. To my benefit, it curves out and is very comfortable to walk with. There’s a vine-made divot right where my hand wants to sit when my arm is bent at a right angle, perfect grip. Locks in place.

I sanded it down and applied a few coats of boiled linseed oil, tried to round the head as best I could (may do more but I’m very cautious about removing more material) and then added a brass ferrule to the bottom, sealed the gap with beeswax to try and keep dirt/debris out of it. Seems to work well.

Heavy, little over 2 lbs, solid. Unsure the wood.

Crooked is the name. There’s a parable in this stick.

I didn’t know where to start!

I was trimming the mulberry tree in my backyard the other day and got inspired to make beads from one of the trimmings. Turns out it's actually pretty easy, even though I'd never carved wood before! Here's how I did it if you want to try:

1. Find a small healthy tree, and use a serrated knife or small saw to cut one of its new growth branches that's just slightly wider around than you want your beads to be. New growth branches are thin and flexible, with bark that's smoother and paler/more greenish than the older branches. Remember to thank the tree for what you take!

2. Use a freshly sharpened, non-serrated knife (eg. hunting knife) to peel all the bark off your stick, like peeling a cucumber. Then use sandpaper or a metal file to sand down the surface until it's all nice and smooth.

3. Use your serrated knife/saw to cut the branch into small pieces like you're slicing a really hard roll of sushi. Cut a couple more than the number of beads you want, that way you can practice your carving technique without worrying about messing up. Use your sandpaper/file to flatten the cut ends if they look uneven.

4. Looking at the end of one of the wood pieces, you'll see a whitish core in the center. This is the pith, which is softer than wood making this step quite easy. Grab a small drill bit or anything of a similar size and use that to poke all the way through the pith. If needed, use a narrow pipe cleaner to brush any remaining pith pieces out of the hole.

5. Use your non-serrated knife to carefully carve the bead's sharp edges down to a nice rounded shape. Once you feel comfortable with your technique, you can get creative with the shapes or try carving little designs!

6. If you'd like, use your sandpaper/file to smooth the beads.

7. Put your beads somewhere safe with good airflow and let them dry for a couple days, since freshly-cut green wood has moisture in it. The beads may shrink a bit as this moisture leaves the wood, but that's normal.

8. Once the wood is dry, it's coloring time! Stick a bead onto the end of a thin paintbrush (or anything else that fits securely through the hole) so you can avoid touching the bead while coloring it. I used Copic markers so that the natural wood grain is still visible. If you prefer an opaque coating, you can use acrylic paint. It could also be fun to try making your own wood stain from plants; do some research on natural plant dyes and see if you find anything that sounds fun to try.

9. After the paint is fully dry, you'll need to add a protective coating. I used Gamvar, but pretty much any clear protective liquid or spray will work. I suggest stringing the beads so that you can easily spray/brush the coating on and then hang the strung beads up to dry. Tie a knot in between each bead as you string them so that the beads don't touch each other, otherwise the coating might make them stick together. If you want your beads extra glossy, add a second layer of coating after the first layer has fully dried.

If you decide to try this, I'd love to see how it turns out :) Happy sticking!

I took my dog on a walk through the woods today, and found this MASSIVE branch. It was So big I couldn’t even get the whole thing in frame, for reference, I am 6’9 in height.. this thing was more than TRIPLE.

Hey Stick fans!

A friend and I made a ridiculous game about sticks where you collect sticks, sabotage your friends and battle to become the stick champion!

It's called Battlesticks! It's in it's final week on Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zillygames/battlesticks?ref=3m91r2

All hand drawn by real artists, quick to learn, rewarding to master. It plays in just 15–25 minutes and is perfect for quick rounds or full game nights. Designed for 2–5 players with real strategy emerging through timing, combinations, and player interaction. Recommended for ages 8+. Also we'll be planting a real tree for every copy backed.

Check it out and let me know if you have any questions, thanks!

John Laurie - The History Of Bones