For every one stick you have in your inventory, any crafting menu will show that you have 16 sticks. Two sticks = 32 sticks in the crafting menu. This also allows you to craft a pickaxe, or any item that requires more than one stick, with only one stick.
Linked issues
is duplicated by 10
MCPE-4944
Numbers of invalids items
Resolved
MCPE-4945
99+ diamonds when i only have nine
Resolved
MCPE-4962
Crafting table says I have more things than I have in my inventory
Resolved
MCPE-4981
Crafting Sticks in the Crafting Table
Resolved
MCPE-5013
Items counter in crafting table
Resolved
5 more links
I originally posted this comment on 5013, but this seems to be the earliest report of this issue.
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I have experienced quantity glitches on the following items:
snowballs
string
sticks
The snowballs I was clearing a snowfield and making snow blocks. The crafting interface said 99+ but I was pretty sure I hadn't cleared that many. Double checking now, 1 snowball says I have 4 in the crafting interface, 2 snowballs is 32, 3 snowballs is 48, 4 snowballs is 64. Crafting snow blocks can be done with 1-4 snowballs. I got 6 snow blocks out of a stack of 16, and I should have only gotten 4. Snowball double check was done in the inventory crafting interface.
String noticed when bow crafting. Double checking now, both sticks and string show 16 in the crafting interface. Bow, wool block, all tools, arrows, torch, painting, sign checked. Actual quantity in inventory is only 1. Double checks were done through the crafting table interface.
Edit Aug 18: Also found this quantity issue problem with iron ingots, sugar canes, paper, and books.