Put your wood carving skills to practical use! This must-have book features 13 projects with step-by-step instructions and photography for creative and elegant walking sticks. Including projects for beginner, intermediate, and advanced wood carvers, painting and finishing instructions are provided, as well as helpful information on types of wood used for walking stick shanks, methods for joining a head to a shank, and more. From a simple lyre-shaped thumb stick and a gent's walking stick to derby sticks with the head of a fox, eagle, Labrador retriever, black swan, and other animals, you'll enjoy putting your carving skills to the test by creating these beautifully useful walking sticks and canes. Author Paul Purnell is a self-taught wood carver for 15 years who specializes in birds, animals, and other wildlife. His carving style includes a mixture of tools, and he has carved projects for The Guild of Master Craftsman's Wood Carving and Woodworking Crafts magazines.