Anybody use ash for canes?

[Sharynideas]

I know that ash is used for baseball bats and was wondering if anyone has used ash for a walkig stick or cane?
I'd use the search engine to search for ash but it won't accept three letter words. So frustrating!!
Shari

[mpounders]

I recently made a handle for a cane out of ash and I liked the way it looked. The stuff I have is not big enought to make make an entire cane, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. You can see a picture of it on my web site.

[scooter]

I've made a walking stick from ash. Light, and strong. It was from an old hockey stick I no longer used (remember when they made hockey sticks from <gasp> wood???).

Never tried a cane, though...

S~

[dnstehly]

I have made many walking sticks and canes from both white ash and one of my favorite woods, Pennsylvania green ash. Both are excellent stock for walking sticks. The only drawback is in their hardness which makes it difficult to carve any fine detail. Also I find white ash to be resistant to stains.

[Waitpinga Whittler]

I've used ash for stick shafts with handles carved of other woods. I've also used it in handles with shafts carved of other woods. I've only tried to carve ash itself twice and it was quite difficult. Got there in the end but the open, strong grain and wood hardness does not lend itself to much detail. Its heaps strong though and makes an excellent stick from a functional perspective. If you can add the 'carving' component in some other type of wood you should do well...

[SeaLeveler]

I have not carved an ash cane yet but am going to as soon as I can hook my truck to the bottom board on a 5' tall stack.The ash lumber had to be on the bottom of my father's stack of wood.They are 3"x14"x16' so it's gonna be tough.Tony

[Sharynideas]

Thanks. We're cutting down a large white ash. It has some branches that will make good sticks. Next question-do you carve it dry or green?

[dnstehly]

I have always allowed ash to dry before carving. Small branches (less than 2 in. diameter) dry out rather quickly and should not take more than 6 months or so. I seldom bother sealing ends on small stock. Just cut it longer than you expect to use so that if there is some splitting on the ends they can be cut off before carving.

[carverken]

I have not carved ash for a cane but I did turn a piece for the eagle cane project. It was turned a little thick ( so it was a little heavy) for everyday use but for the ornamental use it was good.

Ken

[Lightningbolt]

We have lots of white ash in my area of mountainous North Carolina so it's hard for me to ignore it the woods. I've cut many saplings in the past but it's not one of my favorite woods for making walking sticks. I carve mostly woodspirit faces and I find it very difficult to achieve the detail that I want in a walking stick and it doesn't take my paint/stain well. Yes, the wood is gorgeous white and sands to a beautiful polished finish but I have MUCH better results (and much quicker) using sourwood, maple, birch, or dogwood.

Still I never leave a nice straight white ash stick in the woods when I find one because they do make beautiful strong walking sticks. I just don't carve faces in them. At auction last fall I was amazed that one of my ash walking sticks fetched $42. and I only painted a set of five animal tracks on it, put a nice leather wrist strap on it, and polyurethaned the wood to a mirror finish.