Hi, I have a older friend across the street from me, and today he gave me a very old walking stick that has a flat hand rest on it. He told me to take it home and carve a wood spirit into it. And I was wondering if anyone knows of any books that I could find, or books that you would recomend for me to look at, because he needs me to do a very good job on it because he is the forth generation to have the walking stick, and that is kinda hard because I am only 12 years old.

Thanks,
Carver Boy

Check out Fox Publishing right here on this web site.

Check your library, ours has quite a few books on spirits and caricature carving. If they don't have any, they should be able to do an inter-library loan and get it for you. Pick a few titles and authors to ask for from a carving catalog or from the list of books offered by Fox Chapel on this site.

Good Luck.......

Tom Wolfe has a book called woodspirits and walking sticks
that has step by step instructions that I found to be a good learning tool for beginners. If you follow the steps and do it the way you are instructed, you will turn out a good spirit on the first try.
I would however suggest that you try a couple on a scrap piece or two before trying to carve on an heirloom.

Good Luck!

He must think a lot of you to have you do that for him. He must be a very nice gentleman. Or......you must be a very good carver already.