Reviews

 Welcome to the news and reviews page. Here you will find my personal opinion on tools etc.that I use in my everyday stickmaking. There will also be recommendations of books and tool suppliers. Please remember that these are only my humble opinion and there are many good tools etc. that for one reason or another I haven't tried. How many tools can one man own!

I'm often asked what tools I have and what tools to buy. In regard to tools and what to buy, buy the best you can afford. Don't expect some cheap tools you saw at the local market to stand up to much, they won't. Ask as many people as you can who use the tools that you're interested in, word of mouth is better than sales blurb. Last but not least, look after your tools and they'll look after you. Mik

06 December 2000

Stick Cutting Tools Hand Tools
Most of these tools have become good friends, friends that I've come to rely on. You don't have to take my word for it, that's up to you. If we all liked the same things the world would be a boring place!

A couple of years ago, whilst at the Weald Wood Fair, I purchased a Silky Fox folding saw (F180). The handle is moulded fiberglass polypropylene with a rubber insert for good grip. The blade has 7.5 teeth / 30mm. The blade is 180mm long and has two positions, although I only ever use it in one position. The nice thing about this saw is, like many Japanese saws, it cuts on the pull. I have found it far easier to use than many conventional pruning saws. Also being bright orange I'm less likely to lose it!

When it comes to shaping the handles of my sticks or taking off those annoying little lumps and bumps on the shank, there's only one tool that fits the bill, Microplane®. I have used and demonstrated these tools for the past five years and nothing comes close to the ease in which you can shape your handles. The speed of cut is high and level of finish is very good. This is because the teeth are lots of little blades, which plane the wood, they don't respect grain direction that much either, generally cutting in any direction. The tools come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but you must let the tool do the work with the smaller sizes, as with any tool really. Last seen on "Ready Steady Cook", of all places, as a nutmeg grater, there is a culinary range! Weird how things work out, they were originaly developed for orthopaedic surgery (so I'm led to believe).

To compliment the saw and to speed things up without exhausting myself, I bought a pair of ratchet loppers, from C.K tools, about three years ago. These are made from strong and durable polyamide, making them strong but lightweight. Also they are bright green so easily seen. The best bit is there is no effort involved what so ever when cutting the shanks, in fact I can almost do it with just my finger tips. The ratchet does all the hard work so I can enjoy my cutting. My pair (5031) cut up to about 43mm thick and cost £40 but you can get some (5032) that cut 55mm for around £80, if you want a stick that thick! The composite handles are resistant to temperature extremes and won't rust and you can get replacement blades for them too. There is a down side to this, Twink keeps borrowing them :)

I'm very fortunate to have almost all the palm chisels that Ashley Iles make, I use most of them from time to time. There is one however that I rarely put down when carving, be it the woodspirits on my sticks or the more detailed heads. That one chisel is the Ray Gonzalez hooked skew. I now have three of these tools, the original, the slightly bigger blade and the long handled version. It is very much like carving with a knife, a truly inspired shape that fits almost everything that you want it to do. I did suffer from the odd nick from the blade, as it points towards you as well as forward, but you soon learn how to use it safely. I love this tool and would recommend it to anyone thinking of taking up carving or if they are an experienced carver.
Books
Well if like me you are into all things stickmaking and you've tried to find books on our favourite subject, you'll know that there aren't all that many to choose from. Back when I first started making sticks, there really was only a handful, possibly the best being "Walking and Working Sticks" by the late Theo Fossel. A book that I used to call the bible and rely on quite heavily and to this day is very useful. Recently there has been a small deluge, OK trickle, of new titles. Three of which I'd like to review, these describe the mechanics of stickmaking. There are also some rather expensive books available for the serious collector and if I can ever afford them you may get a review of these too. Theo's book is published by The Apostle Press (ISBN 1 869988 01 9).
This book has caused a bit of a stir in the stickmaking world, finally stickmakers have got what some see as the "Holly Grail". A stickmaking book with big colour pictures, plenty of ideas, useful hints, a list of suppliers and good examples of finished work to aspire to. Nearly everyone I know that makes sticks has either got this book or wants it! That's not to say it's the definitive book on stickmaking, I personally don't think you'll ever get one. The trouble with stickmakers is we're a fickle bunch each sticking to our own way of doing things, borrowing bits from others and adapting it to suit our own methods. As you can see from this book many of the tools and materials required have to be manufactured or adapted by the practitioner or sort from specialist suppliers. And now with the publication of a handbook, essentially the same book but intended for use in the workshop, you're getting probably the most complete course on stickmaking. "Stick Making A Complete Course" and "Stickmaking Handbook" are published by The Guild of Master Craftsmen and written by Andrew Jones and Clive George. ISBN 1-86108-083-2 (complete course) & ISBN 1-86108-126-X (handbook). A must have on the bookshelf of any stickmaker.
When I bought "Carving Canes and Walking Sticks" by Tom Wolfe, it re-invented my stickmaking. It dragged me kicking and screaming into the world of the woodspirit. I found something that I could do that wasn't being done by every other stickmaker in the country. I was totally impressed with the step by step instructions contained within it's covers. The way that each tool and rotary bit is photographed, so that you get a perfect picture of what the author is trying to describe. So impressed was I by the authors' style and presentation that it led me to purchase further titles by him. I love the way that even if you stick religiously to Toms' method, each woodspirit (strangely in bone) has it's own unique character. "Carving Canes and Walking Sticks" is published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-88740-587-8.