This is a Birch walking stick that first found me while as a branch floating down the Mississippi River. It was waterlogged and still had it's bark. I took it home with me, let it dry out naturally for several months, then using a pocketknife, carefully removed the bark. I initially sanded it with 120 grit sandpaper. Each letter was then burned into the wood freehanded using a woodburning iron, then enlayed with walnut. Each letter took about two hours to complete from start to finish, and then was handsanded using 220 grit sandpaper, then the entire stick was sanded with 320 grit sandpaper all by hand. It then recieved four layers of high gloss polyurethane, applied by hand, then sanding by hand between each layer of poly with 500 grit emery sandpaper, and then tacked with cheesecloth to remove any particles of dust. The handle was wrapped with ribbon and hot glued into place to conform with the grip of my hand. The length is about fifty two (52) inches, and one and seven eighths (1-7/8) to one (1) inch across. This is the finished result.
