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Last Christmas, 10-year-old Hutch Robertson knew he wanted to give his grandfathers on both sides of the family something special. He doesn’t want it to be something bought in a store or made in a factory. But what would that be?
During his young life, Hatch spent many hours and days on his family’s farm. Then it dawned on him that he should make something for his grandfathers that would share both his love for them and his love for the outdoors.
He decided to make them walking sticks. Under his father’s tutelage, Hatch learned to use a scraper, which had a large blade and two handles that you could hold and pull down to scrape wood.
“Then we sanded it and made it really smooth,” Hatch said. “Then we urethane it to protect it and give it a more vibrant color.”
That Christmas, Hatch was delighted to give his handcrafted gifts to his unsuspecting family. He said they were curious about what they got.
“They didn’t really know what it was,” Hatch said. “They were probably expecting a t-shirt or something. They got something that was completely wrapped and looked like a pole. They really didn’t know what was going to happen. They had a bit of a weird reaction. They didn’t know they really What did you get.”
And, in a way, Hatch Didn’t realize he was discovering something he would really enjoy doing. Enough for him to keep making walking sticks, which are now sold at Mebane Makers Market and next to his family’s produce stand.
“My dad said, ‘Maybe you can sell them and make a decent profit off of them.’ I thought about it and I decided maybe I could, and it really helps when we go to farmers markets, especially manufacturers markets. . Last month was my first sale. It was fun and I love doing it.”
Hatch sold his canes for around $15 each, and he sold about four.
Hatch, who will start sixth grade in the fall, said he’s already made six or seven canes. He said he was honing his skills and could do it eight times a week if he wasn’t in a hurry. He made sticks of sweet gum or tulip poplar that he and his father had collected from their property. He said he was looking for sticks with knots that fit people’s hands.
“I think it looks really nice, it gives it more grip and it helps it stand out more.”
In his free time, Hatch enjoys working with LEGOs, riding his quad, and playing with the animals on his family’s farm. He has a sister who sometimes helps make walking sticks, and while he appreciates her help, Hatch admits he’s not sure about her motives, especially when she turns down his offer to cut into her profits.
“I kept telling her that I would give her $1 for everything I sold, and she always said, ‘No, no, no.’ It was really weird because I fought with her a lot when she tried to help me , I’m a little nervous. I’m a little scared.”
Hatch said he plans to continue making canes and hopes that as his technique improves, he may add engravings to the canes. He said he will continue to market it but may add an online component.
“I might like to branch out and make little wooden swords or little wooden guns for the little ones to play with,” he said. “Maybe make sculptures out of wooden blocks.”
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