|
Hand Carved Diamond Willow Canes
I like to think my hand carved diamond willow canes are not only functional but are also an item of beauty, something the owner will be proud to own and show off.
I try to select wood pieces for the "cane shafts" that display many diamonds on all sides. The handles are hand carved from willow pieces that have as much coloring as I can find. I assemble the shaft to the handle so the best side is facing forward making it visible to the user (while walking) as well as to others.
All my diamond willow stock is dried for up to a year before I start hand carving. The hole in the handle for inserting the shaft is drilled with a flat bottom bit. The end of the shaft is carved to fit neatly into the hole in the handle. The two pieces are then bonded together with high quality non-shrinking wood glue, making a perfect professional fit.
The wood pieces are hand sanded down to a 320 grit (very, very fine) sandpaper. Most of my canes are finished with six coats of clear varathane, buffing between coats with 4/0 steel wool. Occasionally I will finish a diamond willow cane with Tung Oil.
My hand carved diamond willow canes are fairly long which allows me to shorten them to suit my customer's needs. I do not charge for this. Included with each canes is a non-slip rubber tip installed before shipping. If a customer prefers to cut the cane to length (at home) I will ship the rubber tip loose with the cane.
Many of my customers have complimented my hand carved diamond willow canes. If you would like to read some of their comments please click on the "Testimonials", just above this article.
|
