Walking Sticks

Not just for the elderly or injured a good walking stick can add endurance and joy to a walk through the park or a hike in the country          

Today many people see a walking stick as something used only by the elderly or injured. Serious hikers and country people know better. A well made walking stick of the right height and balance for the user is as good a companion as you can get, a joy to use and a thing of beauty to be admired. A good stick helps maintain a natural and steady rhythm to your gait and seems to make time and miles just flow by. Having a third point of contact with the ground increases your balance reducing fatigue and stress. Additionally it can be invaluable in helping navigate difficult terrain and pushing aside brush and, at least here in Western Oregon, the ever present blackberries. In a pinch it can also be used as a monopod to help steady a camera or binoculars.

Walking sticks have probably been around as long as there have been people. Their uses are innumerable. There was a time not all that long ago when a walking stick was as essential a part of a gentlemans attire as a hat. The materials used in the stick and the quantity and quality of the carvings on it an indicator of a persons wealth and status. It was common for people to own multiple canes, the more elegant ones for social occasions and the more rustic and sturdy for visits to the country.

It is common in Europe to add small badges to the shank of a stick showing the places the owner has visited. Other means of personalization such as the incorporation of a favorite trinket into the handle are also common as well as having a favorite pet or bird carving as the head of the stick.

You can find pictures of many of the walking sticks I have made in the gallery and information on ordering a custom stick or one of my currently in stock sticks on the corresponding pages.