looking for walking sticks to carve

[Hawkeyes]

Hello all.I started carving walking sticks.I am looking to purchase or trade wood for walking stick materials (branches) lol.I am in pa and hardwoods are available .I would like ideas.I will post my 1st walking stick that I made soon. Thanks to all for the carving book info.
Hawkeys

[Waitpinga Whittler]

G'day mate, I reckon I'm too far away to be of any help to you as a supplier of wood. But what I'm curious about is why you feel you need to go out of your own area for stick materials. Trees grow everywhere and most will work as material for walking sticks and canes. My suggestion is to get into what you have available. Exotic woods will turn up from time to time but I reckon your best work will eventually be with stuff near to you.

[Hawkeyes]

Time and the and all the housing is taking a lot of woods around here.Besides I like to trade . I am a flutemaker and stock a lot of wood to trade friends who need small pcs. to finish or create a new project. I like using maple and looking for ideas on what other woods ( sticks are good to carve).

[Curtscarving]

TreeLine and SurarPine magazines sell a variety of woods for cane or hiking sticks.

Curt

[Hawkeyes]

Here are some pics of my first carvings.

[thewhitt'ler]

I'm in the same boat. Washington State doesn't have much in the way of hardwoods and certainly little if any exotics. Finding someone who sells top O' the line blanks is hard to find. Anyone ever work with wood dredged up from a swamp/water environment?

Curtscaving, I disagree. Beer is great as well. You ain't drinking Old Yuk, are ya?

[Claude]

A quick search via Google brought this:
Washington Hardwoods Commission

Alder is a hardwood and would make a great walking stick.

Claude

[thewhitt'ler]

Seems pretty obvious now. I was trying all those "high end" dealers. Thanx Claude.

[thewhitt'ler]

Hey Claude, I saw the "Jenga" train. One of the most original, coolest idea's I've seen. What kind of wood are Jenga blocks made of? What kind of knives do you use?

[toycarver]

I agree with Alder. I have been carving a stick from an Alder branch and the wood carves quite nicely.