This is the fourth installment in a series on the history, function, and uses of walking canes and walking sticks.

© 2012 Brazos Walking Sticks

The variety and character of wood is a natural phenomenon that offers an astonishing array of exquisite beauty. To the woodworker, wood variations are like an artist’s palette, and handcrafted wooden products are often artistic expressions encased in utilitarian forms.

Wood artisans carefully select each piece of wood to craft an original, unique wooden, fashionable walking cane or walking stick creation. A properly made, handcrafted wooden walking cane should not have an angular, blocky, “mass produced” feel to it. On the contrary, edges should be contoured, finishes should be smooth, and the the feel of the walking cane should be a comfort to your hand, not an annoyance. The essence of wood — with its unique ability to be “molded” by a master craftsman — allows for walking cane variation that can not be duplicated with mass production methods.

Thanks to the variance inherent in all wood, you can know that a properly crafted walking cane or walking stick is one-of-a-kind, being individually crafted from the finest woods including sassafras, hickory, iron bamboo, padauk, bocote, bloodwood, cocobolo, etc. The warmth of simple, handcrafted excellence is inherent in all wood species that artisans work with, and these characteristics cannot be duplicated or replicated with any other material.

Wood is full of wonder.