It's a cane, but not as we know it
In my region of The Netherlands, called Twente, there is an old tradition of making walking sticks from wood that has grown in a spiral pattern:
These sticks, called goastok in the local dialect, are made from wood that has been "strangled" by the vines of wild honeysuckle, hence the shape. Such wood is not easy to come by, and sometimes specially grown for the purpose.
For my father's birthday, I decided to make a cane from another unusual wood: ivy. It is not easy to get branches of ivy that are thick and strong enough for the purpose, but I have my sources. It is a very nice, strong, and finely grained wood, and the natural shapes it grows in have a certain elegance.
After cutting, filing, sanding, and applying copious amounts of beeswax, this is what it looks like:
Not something for those who like straight lines, but I really like the result. It has a certain elegance, it will take a good amount of weight, and it is comfortable because it bends just enough to dampen the impact with the ground (aided by a rubber spring hidden in the bottom bit).
It's also the first thing I ever made from ivy wood. I wonder if it could be used for cutting a bow.
Upvoted by @foraging-trail
Thank you for following and upvoting @foraging-trail
You can find out more about the Steemit Foraging community and guidelines for being upvoted by the @foraging-trail here and here. Join us In the Foraging-Trail and let's discuss Foraging Related Topics
That's a nice cane. It's always good to see someone using ivy! It's such an invasive plant in some areas, like here in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The ivy grows up into trees and just pulls them down. So volunteers cut ivy off a lot of trees in parks. Some folks make baskets. But I'll have to look for some ivy canes -- or wood to make them! Nice use of beeswax, too. Hope to see more from your ivy source!
Opinion has changed a bit on ivy here, in the sense that it seems to be not all that bad for trees, but it is native here and maybe the trees are a better match for it. Also, it is hard to remove without damaging the tree.
I just saw a 5" diameter ivy trunk stuck against an old oak tree in the park, very impressive, I think the two grew old together.
Oh, and about beeswax: it has been used here for ages to protect the wood of canes and bows, etc. It works really well, but requires more maintenance than lacquer or wood stain.