Discover how to create unique and beautiful canes that will be treasured as useful works of art! 4 detailed step-by-step tutorials for creating expressive canes - 6 joinery methods for strong and durable joints between cane topper and staff - Expert advice on carving expressive cane toppers from basswood blocks - Useful tips for adding joint covers, hand grips, and custom features - Using found wood , how to source and prepare staffs, and a guide to basic cane construction techniques Legendary carving artist Lora S. Irish introduces you to all the essential components and techniques of cane topper carving in this comprehensive guide. Chock full of important tips and tricks, Cane Topper Woodcarving will teach you how to take full advantage of this fun and rewarding carving genre. With step-by-step projects, ready-to-use patterns, and beautiful color photographs, Lora provides expert advice on sourcing, carving, joinery, finishing, customization, and more. This complete cane-carving handbook includes: Staffs: Harvesting Staffs - Common Tree Species - Preparing a Staff - Joinery: Joinery Basics - Hardware Joint Options - Working with Bamboo - Easy Tape Clamp - Joint Covers: Wrapping Basics - Simple Leather Grip Wrapping - Cord Wrapping - Lanyard Wrapping - More Joint Ideas - Extras: "What If" Bags - Pipes - Additional Wood - Wire Elements - Cane Tips - Personalized Grips - Topper Carving Basics: Getting Started - Knives - Basic Cuts - Wood Grain Direction - Finishing - Planning Your Cane - Projects: GI Joe Mushroom Topper: Carving the Planes of the Face - Wood Spirit Topper - Tiki Topper - Twistie Snake Topper - Bonus Projects You'll also find patterns for the projects as well as 40 additional patterns for when you're ready to start carving cane toppers on your own! Learn how to carve canes with character, with Cane Topper Woodcarving Projects ! "Lora Irish possesses a great ability to research any given subject matter and write about it in a clear and concise manner... she influences many aspiring artists and craftsmen." —Shawn Cipa, author of Carving Fantasy & Legend Figures in Wood Cane Topper Woodcarving is a unique, fun, and thoroughly woodworker friendly addition to personal, professional, and community library woodworking instructional reference collections. -- Midwest Book Review Discover how to create unique and beautiful canes that will be treasured as useful works of art. Legendary carving artist Lora S. Irish introduces you to all of the essential components and woodcarving techniques of cane topper carving in this comprehensive guide with 4 step-by-step projects and 6 joinery methods. Carve Canes with Character Discover how to create unique and beautiful canes that will be treasured as useful works of art! Legendary carving artist Lora S. Irish introduces you to all of the essential components and techniques of cane topper carving in this comprehensive guide. Chock full of important tips and tricks, Cane Topper Woodcarving will teach you how to take full advantage of this fun and rewarding carving genre. With step-by-step projects, ready-to-use patterns, and beautiful color photographs, Lora provides expert advice on sourcing, carving, joinery, finishing, customization, and more. Expert advice on carving expressive cane toppers from basswood blocks - Guide to basic cane construction techniques - 4 detailed step-by-step tutorials for creating expressive canes - 6 joinery methods for strong and durable joints between cane topper and staff - How to source and prepare staffs from found wood - Tips for adding joint covers, hand grips, and custom features "It may take practice to get as good as Irish... but it will surely be worth it." — Bristol Herald Courier "There doesn't seem to be a medium that Lora Irish hasn't mastered or a technique she hasn't tried." —Pyrography Online "Lora Irish possesses a great ability to research any given subject matter and write about it in a clear and concise manner... she influences many aspiring artists and craftsmen." —Shawn Cipa, author of Carving Fantasy & Legend Figures in Wood Lora S. Irish is an internationally known artist and author, whose acclaimed books include Great Book of Carving Patterns , Great Book of Celtic Patterns , Great Book of Dragon Patterns , Great Book of Tattoo Designs , The Official Vampire Artist's Handbook , Relief Carving Wood Spirits , World Wildlife Patterns for the Scroll Saw , and many more. Fox Chapel Publishing has sold more than 500,000 copies of Irish's books. Lora is also a frequent contributor to Woodcarving Illustrated and Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts magazines.