Shepherds Crooks

A shepherds crook can be both an essential tool for a shepherd and a means of personal expression

The shepherds crook, smooth and comfortable to hold, containing an inner warmth like the spirit of its maker. At its root it is still the most basic tool of a shepherd but at its most beautiful and complex it is a work of craftsmanship and art as fine as found in any gallery.

There are those that believe that the shepherd's crook is a tool whose value lies in the past. With the advent of more and more machinery it is often seen as more of an inconvenience than a useful tool. Even among those that train herding dogs there are many that prefer a short fiberglass rod. However to those that are familiar with a well balanced, comfortable shepherd's crook nothing else will do, it is as much an extension of who they are as it is a practical tool.

Of course a crook can be used to help control sheep and signal to a dog, if made of sturdy enough material it can be used to capture a sick or wayward sheep but that is far from all. When looking at animals with another it can be used to point out individuals or more them around to get a better look at one. Unlike a fiberglass rod using a crook for such things feels natural, looks natural and adds a certain indefinable gravitas to your words.

You can't lean on a fiberglass rod when standing around talking to friends, acquaintances and competitors, you can't flick the tip about to emphasis a point or express frustration or agreement. Having a good crook can even help with your health and the health of your flock as it encourages you to go out and enjoy a walk through your flock, getting some exercise and a good look at your animals while they are calm (something you can't do properly on the back of a 4 wheeler).

You can find pictures of many of the shepherd's crooks i have made in the gallery and information on designing a custom stick or one of my currently in stock sticks on the corresponding pages.