Chen Kin-ku of Pingzhen City, Taoyuan County, an avid mountain climber, has made 200 to 300 unique walking sticks out of dead wood he picks up along his hiking routes.
Chen sold bamboo shoots in a market in his youth, and he has never had any instruction in woodworking. He does every step himself, from planing and heating to bending and varnishing the sticks. Each walking stick he produces is unique, practical and sturdy.
Chen said that after many years, he discovered that certain types of trees, such as crape myrtle and tea trees, produce wood that is more suited to his craft. These trees come with naturally curved branches, and some have had parasitic vines growing on them, producing marks on the branches or trunk that look like the threads on screws. This produces a special quality in the finished walking stick.
It takes a long time to make a walking stick, Chen said, with most of the effort going into shaping the wood. The wood must be heated and then bent into the desired shape, with weight placed on the wood while it cools. This process takes two or three days.
"Taking a lowly piece of dry wood and making it onto a walking stick that people love is like turning trash into treasure. I love bringing the wood back to life again; it gives me a great sense of accomplishment," Chen said, adding that he has made many good friends by giving the walking sticks away, and has also experienced the joy of helping others, both of which are things that money just cannot buy.
(This article originally appeared in The Liberty Times May 9.)