John's Workshop #01

John's Workshop #01

...or "The handcraft and art of making a wonderful walking stick"

The day after we visited the Kelpies in Falkirk, John showed me, how he makes his outstanding walking-sticks. His little workshop next to his garage is stuffed with material and useful tools, because he also repairs clockworks and engines for his friends and neighbours. But he is a master in making walking-sticks, and has often being chosen as a judge at competitions, like last year at the "Royal Highland Show" in Edinburgh. He's also a free teacher of his craft at a school in Livingston, twenty minutes away from his hometown Torphichen.

When he walks around in the beautiful countryside, he's always looking for good stick material, often hazel sticks. He cuts the best and straightest of them, when he got the allowance. They will be stored in his workshop to dry out over a longer period. After this, the wood will be heated and straightend on his workbench.


... oder "Das Handwerk und die Kunst, einen wunderbaren Spazierstock zu produzieren."

Am Tag nach unserem Besuch bei den Kelpies in Falkirk zeigte John mir, wie er seine hervorragenden Wanderstäbe herstellt. Seine kleine Werkstatt neben seiner Garage ist vollgestopft mit Material und nützlichen Werkzeugen, denn er repariert auch Uhrwerke und Motoren für seine Freunde und Nachbarn. Aber er ist ein Meister in der Herstellung von Wanderstäben und wurde oft als Schiedsrichter bei Wettbewerben ausgewählt, so wie letztes Jahr bei der "Royal Highland Show" in Edinburgh. Er ist aber auch ein freier Lehrer seines Handwerks in einer Schule in Livingston, zwanzig Minuten von seiner Heimatstadt Torphichen entfernt.

Wenn er in der herrlichen Landschaft wandert, sucht er immer nach gutem Material für seine Wanderstäbe , oft Zweige aus Haselnuss. Er schneidet die Besten und Geradesten von ihnen, wenn er die Erlaubnis bekommt. Sie werden in seiner Werkstatt gelagert, um über einen längeren Zeitraum auszutrocknen. Danach wird das Holz auf seiner Werkbank erwärmt und begradigt.

John won a lot of prices in shows all over Scotland. Eleven prices just at one show / John gewann eine grosse Anzahl an Preisen in ganz Schottland. Elf Preise allein bei einer Veranstaltung:

Black Isle Show 2013

Class 431 PLAIN HORN HEAD
1st Mr John Rennie(2400) West Lothian
4th Mr John Rennie(2399) West Lothian

Class 432 FANCY WOOD HEAD
3rd Mr John Rennie(2409) West Lothian
6th Mr John Rennie(2408) West Lothian

Class 433 PLAIN WOOD HEAD
3rd Mr John Rennie(2416) West Lothian
4th Mr John Rennie(2415) West Lothian

Class 434 ANY OTHER STICK HEAD
1st Mr John Rennie(2421) West Lothian
3rd Mr John Rennie(2422) West Lothian
4th Mr John Rennie(2420) West Lothian

Class 437 WALKING STICK HORN HEAD
3rd Mr John Rennie(2430) West Lothian
4th Mr John Rennie(2431) West Lothian

Class 438 WALKING STICK WOODHEAD
1st Mr John Rennie(2440) West Lothian
6th Mr John Rennie(2438) West Lothian

https://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/News/Black-Isle-Show-2013-Results-09082013.htm

Seven prices / Sieben Preise
Edinburgh Royal Highland Show 2016: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/west-lothian-man-scoops-seven-3807581


"Far from being a dying art, as I'm often told, the craft of stickmaking is, in fact, one of the fastest growing pastimes in the country! In sheds, garages and purpose -built workshops, men and women, young and old, can be found working on sticks for themselves, for friends and relatives or to sell in shops or at Craft Fairs and Country Shows.  The best time of year for cutting is undoubtedly during the winter, but it is possible to cut sticks all year round. The problem with cutting in summer is that the sticks will be full of sap. As the liquid evaporates after cutting, the sticks shrink over a period of months/years."
Source: http://www.thestickman.co.uk/hobby.htm

"A good walking stick usually starts as a fairly straight piece of wood that is approximately one to two inches in diameter. Look for a piece of wood that is as tall as your armpit (usually in the 55-65 inch range); you can trim it to length later. Hardwoods tend to make the most manageable and sturdiest walking sticks. Good options include maple, alder, cherry, aspen, and sassafras, among others."
Source: https://m.wikihow.com/Make-a-Walking-Stick