In this blog I will be talking you through how I have made myself a walking pole.
I will be using...
- A metal spiked tipped ferrule for walking sticks and canes which are available online in different sizes. They also come with a rubber tip to cover the spike.
- A 1.4m length of air-dried silver birch approximately 35mm in diameter
- Knife for carving and shaping
- Axe for initial removal of material
- Saw for reducing knots before smoothing with a knife and finally sandpaper
- Adhesive for the ferrule (Araldite or similar)
- 2 stainless steel pins to secure the ferrule after the adhesive has set
- Sandpaper (various grits)
- Cord for the lanyard
Firstly I removed any excess timber from the Birch pole using the saw to begin making it more cylindrical and easier on the hand. This was followed by some knife work to smooth and then some sandpaper to achieve the desired smoothness.
I then marked out the depth of the ferrule on the Birch pole.
I then began to carve away the Birch using the axe to start to shape the tip of the pole to fit snugly into the ferrule. This can be done just using a knife if you wish.
After a few cuts with the axe it was on to the knife for some finer shaping of the tip before some sanding.
I rounded and sanded the top of the pole for comfort on my hand before drilling a 6mm hole approximately 13cm down from the top to attach a lanyard below my hand. This hole was then countersunk to reduce point wear on the cordage. The hole is optional as various knots could be used instead such as a Prusik variation, Lanyard knot (diamond knot) or similar.
I chose to use paracord on this occasion which I may change to natural cordage when out in the woods. The birch pole I used had been standing in my shed for nearly 2 years. I could have used something thinner and a little lighter however this is what I had available at the time.
Finally, I mixed the adhesive and glued on the Ferrule. Left it to fully cure overnight before using the 2 stainless steel pins to secure.
The pins I had were 40mm long so I cut them down to approximately 12mm, and there we have it, ready for the next adventure.
