Diamond willow

[kenhuntin]

Anybopdy here collect Diamond Willow for canes,walking stick or lamps etc.? This has been a great year for collecting them. The swampy areas that it thrives in are mostly dry and little bug trouble. You can easily find the old dead canes that are sometimes laying in the water. It is not worth cutting the live stuff. and you usually only find one good piece per plant.

[dakids]

Why is it not worth cutting the live stuff?  2 years ago I cut a beautiful piece off of a live clump.  It made a great walking/shooting stick for my dad.

[kenhuntin]

You can get some good ones that are partially live.  I meant that the places where the sprigs are growing well you do not get a good diamond from them and when they are dry it is a heck of alot easier to work with

[deadeye]

I collected a lot over the years.  My dad made cains, walking sticks, hat poles etc.  He only wanted the live ones.  I guess there is as short time between when the willow dies and rot sets in. I have also make some cabin furniture with diamond willow.

[GirlGuide]

My boys LOVE to carve diomond willows.  And on our land up North, we have quite a bit.  The coolest things I saw lately was a jig stick made of diamond willow.  I bought it at a craft store so my husband could copy it.  I thought if I could find a piece that was not so thick, I would have my boy's carve them and then my husband add to them to make the jig sticks and they could give them to their grandpa for Christmas present.  If you haven't seen them, I can take a picture of it and post it, they are pretty cool.

~gg