Great looking walking sticks can be made both with bark and without bark. It is up to you what you want the stick to look like in the end. If you choose to remove the bark, you have the option of removing it right after cutting the walking stick, or waiting until the drying process is complete.
After you have the stick cut that you want to use in your walking stick project, you have to decide if you are going to remove the bark or not. Some types of wood will crack and split worse if the bark is removed right away. Some that dry good with the bark off are:
- Maple
- Sweetgum
- Cherry
- Poplar
- Dogwood
The sooner that you remove the bark on most type of wood, the easier it is going to be. At whatever point in the walking stick process you decide to remove the bark, there a couple great tools to aid in getting the bark off of the walking stick.
- Draw Knife
Draw knives are great for removing bark on walking sticks, if you can secure the stick and all both hands to be on the draw knife at all times. It is very important that the walking stick is secured so that you are in control of the stick at all times and not the other way around.
- Carpet/Linoleum Knife
This is a generally heavy duty knife that is used in the carpet industry, but lends itself very well to removing bark on walking sticks.
- Power Sander/Dremel Tool
Power sanders and dremel tools can be used to remove bark in some places and leave it in others. It also helps to smooth out the walking stick around stubborn knots and natural impurities in the walking stick.