[MelNM]

Laura Irish has article on putting leather grips on walking sticks using a strip of leather. I was curious if anyone else has way of putting grips on, I have 2 completed walking sticks I would like to do it with.

I have used the same technique for leather and string grips but usually carve grips on my sticks.

[FK]

Here is a link to some grips with leather & nylon para cord combined with a lanyard. Â*The author on hiking sticks, Buzzbait is very active on BladeForums site. Â*I have corresponded with him over the years on knives and sharpening.

http://www.mhcable.com/~yocraft/hiking/sticks.html

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/sh...+walking+stick

I am sure he would not mind answering any questions on the techniques required.

Regards,
Fred Krow

Leather can be easily form fitted to act as a grip. Carve the grip you want but just understate it slightly to accommodate the increased diameter of the leather. Take a piece of vegetable tanned leather that has been cut to a size that is 1/2 inch short of completly surrounding the handle and dip it into warm water until it changes color from a light tan to a dark brown color. Shape it aroung the stick and strech it so that the ends meet. Leather will strech when it is wet for the first time. Then using an awl and a large needle with a heavy waxed thread sew the two ends of the piece together in an X pattern. The stitches should not be closer than 1/8 of an inch. Sew it so the exposed threads are away from the palm. Let it dry and as it dries it will shrink and will be securely attached to the handle. You can find vegetable tanned leather by the sq. foot at Tandy or at the Leather Factory on the web and the sewing thread is also at the web site. Do not use upholstery thread because it will cut the leather when it dries and tear out the stiches.

I should also have added that the stitch line should be no closer than1/8 of an inch from the edge of the leather.

As an alternative leather glues permanantly to wood with contact cement. You can cut a dry piece of leather to fit the handle with a 1/2 overlap. Glue the entire back side of the leather and glue the entire circumfrance of the stick and let them both dry.(about 10 minutes) When you start to attach the leather be sure that the overlap ends up away from the palm. Once you have the first edge of the leather glued to the stick glue the face of the leather 1/2 inch where the back will overlap. Glue the entire piece of leather to the stick and then wait 10 minutes for the contact cement to dry on the front 1/2 and then connect the overlap. This does not look as good as the stiched one above but it is certainly functional.