If you have any stories about the history of sticks and the making of, then please e-mail me.
On this page I intend to tell you about the weird and wonderful world of walking sticks.
last updated 11 December 2000.
The infomation will only be as reliable as my memory, so if you think you know better then e-mail me and I'll include it.
A short while ago, whilst at a show, I was enlightened as to the origins of the phrase "rule of thumb". Apparently it comes from the 17th Century when a man was only allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb!
Tutankhamun was buried with 132 sticks
A twisted Blackthorn, is refered to as a "penny black" in some parts of the UK, due to it's rarity.
When their work was finished for the day, glass blowers would somtimes make a glass stick, which was known as an "end of day" stick.
The Victorians were reknown for their strange taste (by modern standards), sticks would be crafted from an assortment of materials, including snakeskin, snake spine, shark vertebrae, porcupine quills and narwhale tusks, to name a few.
The Pycombe crook was traditionaly made from the barrel of a gun.
A walking stick takes 25% of your weight off your knees.
During the 18th Century in England, one was required to attain a license to carry a cane.
Below is an example.
You are hereby required to permit the bearer of this cane to pass and repass through the streets and suburbs of London, or any place within ten miles of it, without left or molestation:
Provided that he does not walk with it under his arm, brandish it in the air or hang it on a button; in which case it shall be forfeited.
And I hereby declare it forfeited to anyone who shall think it safe to take it from him.
signed........
During the 16th Century in France a stick fighting system was developed for the purpose of self defence, Cane Fencing. In Cane fencing, the thrust was as important as the cut. The cuts were usually given after one or more rapid moulinets ("twirls"), which helped to confuse the attacker. The thrusts were similar to those in foil fencing but often used both hands to grasp the stick, giving more weight to the blow and enabled the cane to be used at very close quarters. It's not clear what wood French canes were made of, though it would have had to been strong. The Canes were about three feet long and tapered to a point, they had no hand guard. In training protective clothing would have been used, as in most contact sports. Sadly this style of fighting had become little practised after the beginning of the 20th Century.
Hockey-like games involving sticks and balls have been played for thousands of years by people such as the Romans, the Egyptians, the Irish and the Scots - and called such names as"paganica" by the Romans, "hurling" by the Irish and "shinty" by the Scots. The name "hockie" seems to have been first recorded in Ireland in 1527 and probably comes from the French word "hoquet" meaning "shepherds crook".
If you have any stories about the history of sticks and the making of, then please e-mail me.