[rhartwell]

I know that some of you put some type of cord where the hand grip should be. How do I do that?

[bikerdoc]

I use paracord.
Search and study will help you, but I simply get a tight secure wrap and use same color stitching and epoxy to secure.

Some times knot are required. Some times " under trapping" the end works.

Trial and error were my best learning tools along with some research.

I am only fair at it but I sure think it is fun!

Good luck,
Doc

[catspa]

Hey, man.

I make walking sticks fairly often, and a hand wrap really improves the comfort and gripability. I can tell you how I do it, which is certainly not the only way or maybe even the best way.

Nylon cord is easy to handle, strong and lightweight, comes in many colors, but it's not as "grippy" as leather thong. If you are wrapping 1/8" cord on a 1-1/2" diameter stick, you oughta start out with a little more than 20 feet of it to get a 6" long wrapped area on the stick. Melt the ends with a cigarette lighter if they're frayed, as you don't want the end unraveling when you get it on there.

Leather thong is more grippy, and results in a more natural look on the stick, but more difficult to find in long lengths and strong enough not to break when you pull it tight. One thing you can do with leather is to soak it, which makes it stretch, and wrap it wet. It will shrink as it dries and make the wrap really tight.

This next is kinda hard to describe in words - a picture would be better. Basically, you start by making a 10" bend and laying it parallel to the stick. Then start wrapping the long end around the stick about 2" from the short end toward the loop end. Wrap it all the way up, taking care to keep the original bend parallel with the stick. When you get to the last wrap, thread it through the loop of the original bend and hold it tight. Then pull the tail of the cord where you started wrapping, which will tighten the loop down on your last wrap. Pull it good and tight (I use a vise-grip plier). Leave the ends out or cut them off, depending on the look you prefer.

Let me see if I can take a picture after breakfast, that'll make it clearer.

Parker

[bikerdoc]

catspa described trapping better than I did!

[RatDrall]

Search you tube there are a lot of good tutorials.

[catspa]

Dang. Sorry, but my picture taking equipment is temporarily screwed up and I don't know how to fix it.

Parker

[theotherwaldo]

I've tried rope and paracord for handles on staves and swords. I didn't much care for either. Instead, I've gone to the artificial sinew that's used for hippie-type jewelry. I picked up a huge roll at Sally's Boutique (aka Salvation Army) for five bucks some years ago, and I've found it excellent for winding grips. I've also used it as underlayment for silver or stainless wire winding over velvet, using the valleys between the cords as guides for the wire.

[rhartwell]

Thank you for all of your help. I will try it your way.

[Carl Levitian]

I've used cord wrap handles on hiking sticks and staves I've made for family members for years. I stay away from any kind of nylon or artificial fibers, as they don't adhere well. I use cotton jute cord wraped around the section of the stick where the cord is going, that has been brushed with epoxy. The jute adheres to the epoxy, and when it dries, I take a disposable brush and brush Helmsman spar uruathane into the cotton jute. When dry, you now have a great grip on a stick for any kind of cold wet weather. You can take a littlle 600 paper to the finished jute wrap if it';s a little too rough for you. It's a very long wearing wrap type of grip. One of my older sticks is in the hands of a relitive that's used it for almost 10 years now on hikes all over the place.

[loandr.]

Eric Blair has been making cord handled Moly walking sticks for yrs. with exceptional results. Non corrosive, Great traction and can be cleaned by boiling in HOT water to remove sweat and debri accordingly.

BBG

[conw]

http://www.themartialist.com/pecom/koppowrap.htm

That, IMO, is the single best way. No holes made, nothing needed but paracord a knife and a lighter. Go for of 550 paracord, and I like the speckled multicolor type. You can always use glue/epoxy/stitching/lacquer.

You can make a big lanyard loop (I like it to extend about 5-6" above the top of the stick when finished) or just knot, cut, and burn the ends to make it a wrap with no lanyard style. I can post pics of the finished product.

My sticks aren't terribly thick, probably 1 1/4"-1.5", and I start with 10-12 feet of paracord and end up with about a 5-6" wrap.

WRAP TIGHT

[conw]

Two more points, you can use epoxy etc IN ADDITION to the wrap, but I prefer it to simply be tight enough to stay on its own. (It helps to put it above a knot or contour). Also, it's cool that you could always cut it off if you wanted, and have 10-15 feet of paracord at your disposal on a hike or adventure.

[Joe Demko]

I prefer a leather wrap. Paracord wraps get nasty with sweat, skin oil, and sloughed-off skin cells much more quickly than the does the leather. It's possible to clean the paracord wraps in various ways, but the leather ones can be cleaned up much more quickly and easily with our old friend saddle soap.

[conw]

Joe makes a good point. I don't think the no-drill technique I mentioned would work with typical leather. It doesn't have enough give. But it's easy enough that if you are worried about how your wrap looks (I don't mind a little dirt) you can cut it off, relegate the paracord to tying stuff to your truck bed or whatever, and replace it.

[theotherwaldo]

conwict: I've used a technique fairly close to yours with soaked rawhide strips. It worked pretty well, once I learned to:
1- Cut the strips at least a quarter-inch wide for the visible part, while tapering the hidden part until it was about square in section, and;
2- Don't get it very tight. It shrinks more than you would think.

By the way, the material used was a large dog chew-"bone" made of rolled rawhide, soaked for a couple of days in room-temperature water and spiral-cut with a pair of shears.

[glistam]

Turk's Head knots can be useful for leather thong. You tie one at the top, wrap the handle portion just below it, then tie another. I don't have a photo right now, but I can make one later today.

[Deltaboy]

Cool Stuff I have to try.

[Searcher1970]

I used jute twine on the one I recently did.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f222/flyer35/Picture013.jpg?t=1250441018

[Deltaboy]

How do you secure the ends ?

[conw]

What kinda wood is that searcher?

[Searcher1970]

I secured both ends with a little super glue. I have no idea what kind of wood it is, it was a sapling growing out behind my house. Its a pretty tough wood though.

[Deltaboy]

It is nice and white and thanks I will use the glue next time.