Sugar maple cane for mother-in-law

My mother-in-law is getting unsteady on her feet and needed a cane, so I made her a nice one out of sugar maple. I had to cut it down a couple of times while I was making it because it seams like she’s got shorter everytime I saw her. I had to round the cane using hand planes because I don’t have a big expensive lathe. That would be sweet—but I don’t have one. Oh well, maybe some day. I chose to use water soluble dye because it produces an even color. Well, I was wrong about that, I didn’t expect the end grain to darken as much as it did. Live and learn. This is my first attempt to produce a complex shape using rasps and files—its fun. The shaping is relaxing and you really don’t know what you’ll end up until your’re finished. I have to say the cane doesn’t look like much in these pictures, but I can assure you, it still dosen’t look like much in person. Anyway, I enjoyed it. I actually got a compliment—whew! My head is spinning!

-- The wood is good.