Now, he’s got a ribbon to show from his wood carving, too.

The walking stick Rogers received an award for at the Chautauqua County Fair is no less intricate and special than his other works. The walking stick contains a caged area at the top which Rogers carved away the inside of, only leaving a small wooden ball. The rest of the staff contains a host of connections to Rogers’ Scottish heritage, including a spiral helix with Celtic knotwork, as well as a Scottish flag pattern and the crest of his family’s clan.

Rogers told The Post-Journal recently that his love for the hobby came about when he was a young boy. He claims he grew up in a very rural area and would often seek out ways in which he could entertain himself. As a result he often found himself wandering through the woods playing with sticks, eventually leading him to carve those sticks with his pocket knife.

This love has only continued to blossom for him with age, with Mr Rogers now having a beautiful homemade work bench, any carving tools one could need, and plenty of examples of his work within his home.

Bob Rogers is pictured with his walking stick. P-J photo by Owen Reed

Despite having so many of his works within his home Rogers is certainly not stingy when it comes to his pieces of art, as many of the pieces created he either chooses to give away or donate towards local charities including AMBUCS and CASA. An example of the extent of his philanthropy is shown by how he created wooden santa figures to donate towards children in less than fortunate situations in past winters.

Rogers also brings new, or even a first, life to many of the products he carves, as for many of his projects he either collects himself the wood or upcycles some other piece of wood which he may find. This means a wide range of materials are used in Rogers’ creations including basswood, cottonwood, and even sumac. Not only that but he also uses a large amount of tools sourced from Flexcut Knives, a manufacturer based out of Erie.

Mr. Rogers shows such a great deal of passion not only for his works of carved art, but also for his heritage and his community. All of these things seem to be a huge point of inspiration for the designs he carves while also seeming to continue to inspire his passion for carving further.

Bob Rogers is pictured in a kilt with his walking stick. The walking stick was recently honored at the Chautauqua County Fair. P-J photo by Owen Reed

Bob Rogers is pictured with ribbons he has won for his artwork and some of the wood carvings he has made over the years. P-J photo by Owen Reed