Study Sticks, Are they worth the investment?

[Merle Rice]

I see in WCI and other carving mag. advertisements for Study Sticks. They don't seem to be what I would classify as cheep. My question is are they worth the purchase? I see the price at $ 18.95 ea.. If they are worth buying does anyone know a good place .
MerleSleeping

[gene-messer]

Merle .. I still have a old study stick I bought many years ago put out by Harold Enlow... It carved a cowboy face ...It's been a good referral to look back on at times .. especially when I first started carving ... They do help ..
But to be honest .. I dont think anything is better then actually taking a class with a instructor .. that's where most carvers usually learn the most ..
And yes .. they are a little pricy ..
God Bless
Gene

[Mitchell]

I suppose it's all relative.

I have some that I still use ocassionaly, so yes they are worth while. I don't know how to justify their use against a price though - that's why I said it's all relative. What may valued by one, may not be by another.

If you are a beginner, I'd definitely recommend a study stick related to what you want to learn. Since you are concerned about the price, I'd just buy one and then evaluate it's value to you.

I would also suggest that you "report" back to help others trying to make the same decision.

[Merle Rice]

Thanks Guys; Other than Ears,Nose,Eyes,and Mouth, do they make other Study Sticks?
Merle
PS. I have been making Chips and Burning Wood ,for about 2 yrs. Still feel like a beginner. That's a good thing.

[mikeg]

Mary Finn's "Carving Eggheads" has a very good section about making study sticks. I really enjoyed the book.

mikeg

[Merle Rice]

Thanks Mikeg.
Merle

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I've got Enlow's Cowboy stick hanging right next to my carving bench. I stained it and then wiped it off so the cuts would show up better. It's been hanging there for 13 years and while I don't carve the way he does the inspiration alone is worth the price.

[Eddy-Smiles]

I bought one study stick for eyes, ear and noses at Woodcraft and I think that I must be slightly, well..... perhaps more than slightly..... ADD because I just could not follow along. It just didn't make any sense to me. Perhaps it was too much information all at once and my pea-pickin' brain couldn't process it. However, when I bought the woodspirit study stick that goes along with Skyler Johnson's Carving Woodspirits Book I was so happy that I thought that I had hit the lottery and I keep it with me at all times in my carving bag for handy reference (slow learner...) So in my case it was just a matter of finding the right stick... an expensive experiment to say the least.

[Mitchell]

The Bishop's have a study guide for hands, If I remember correctly.

[santagibbs]

I bought Enlow's Santa face study stick, around two years ago as I was just learning.. I still refer to parts of it now.. It really helped me to start with and I consider it a great teaching tool.. Charlotte