I've been working with leather for awhile and occasionally a project
that has various types of weaving like the attached image with inside
trick braid and five layered lacing. However none of the books I've
come across offer instructions on the type of braid you put on that
wand. Can you suggest a book or is it solely a passed down art?

The Ashley Book of Knots shows how to do that kind of thing - look at the
chapter on Turk's Heads.

Scott