Tag: canes

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Irish Blackthorn Walking Sticks: Unique and Useful Collectibles

Seeing the World from a Whole New Perspective

Blackthorn Irish walking sticks are ideal for trekking over the grasslands and fens of Ireland, or wherever you choose to roam. When you make use of a walking stick for hiking or walking, a whole new world opens up to you. You’ll discover nature’s gallery of heaths, fens and woodlands as well as the birds and animals that visit or live in rustic habitats.

Exceptionally Useful

In particular, blackthorn walking canes can be used to troop over trails and traverse over slopes that might be rather difficult to manage without the use of the support. Stylish and well-made, the sticks can also be used for clearing away bramble along pathways as well as for traction on muddy trails. Indeed, the sticks can serve as a weapon against any bush or plant that stands in the way of pedestrian progress.

Collecting Blackthorn Walking Sticks

While people use these poles mainly for walking or hiking, others like to collect these unique icons of Irish tradition. Known also as shillelaghs, the sticks, in days of old, were used in fighting, and replaced the swords that at one time were employed for protection and defense. If you are a collector of blackthorn Irish walking sticks, then you’ll probably want to include walking stick badges to identify the sticks in your collection too. Badges come in a variety of styles and can include actual representations of coins as well as Irish symbols, such as the ever-popular shamrock.

Accessories and Stylings for Blackthorn Walking Sticks

Or, you may want to accessorize your cane with a silver leg crook (useful for picking berries out in the wild), or embellish it with a pewter decoration, such as a star. Typically, the sticks themselves are available with a knob grip (the root of the blackthorn shrub or tree), pistol grip, or crosshead styling.

The Perfect Gift – for You or a Friend

Blackthorn walking sticks are tailored for anyone who enjoys hiking or appreciates Irish folklore and tradition. Whether you are a collector or want to use the stick for trekking over the countryside, you will be well-pleased with the quality and durability of a blackthorn walking stick. Give it as a gift to yourself or someone else. It’s both practical and beautiful, and an item that is valued in terms of usefulness as well as collectability.

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How to Hold and Use a Walking Stick

  Walking sticks are a common sight in Europe, particularly in areas where hiking is popular. In recent years, walking sticks have caught on in the US. Available in a number of styles and materials, our handmade wooden Irish blackthorn walking stick and hazelwood walking sticks are popular sellers.

How to hold and use a walking stick:

1. Use a walking stick to help maintain balance when walking or hiking over uneven terrain. Check footing with the walking stick when crossing creeks or streams or shale. Keep greater balance when carrying heavy parcels.

2. Rest on the walking stick. Lean against the walking stick while taking the weight off one side of the body, then the other.

3. Maneuver with the walking stick over downed trees and blocked trails.

4. Prevent a fall by using the walking stick to check for loose earth or slippery ground before taking the next step along an infrequently used trail.

5. Gain extra balance and power from the walking stick while heading uphill. You'll also reduce the pressure from the lower back and hip joints. Reduce the impact on your knees when traveling downhill by letting the walking stick absorb some of the shock.

6. Put the walking stick to work when it's not in motion. Use it to prop up a pack or food stores at a camp site. Employ it as the center pole for a tarp. Push brush and spider webs out the way. Fend off an angry dog or wild animal.