Making walking staff, cane or hiking sticks: which one?

    There are countless number of walking sticks, hiking staffs and gentleman canes styles. The majority of articles on the internet are on hiking sticks or walking staffs usage and basic making.  Gentleman canes used for support or more elaborate evenings out are rarely covered when making sticks. Which one is best for you depends upon the usage of your wood hiking stick. The main techniques to make a hiking sticks, walking staff, gentleman cane or wizard staff are the same when working with wood.

    If you plan to use bamboo freshly cut then you will need to know how to properly heat the cane to bend it to the right shape for a gentleman cane. If you plan to make a hiking stick or staff our of the bamboo then it works similar to regular wood sticks when making your walking stick. What's the difference between a walking stick and a hiking staff? Very little. Walking sticks usually uses in-town, not on trails, usually have rubber ferrules verses metal ones for trail dirt usage. The lengths, type of wood and how to make the walking stick or hiking staff is the same.

   One option usually reserved foe hiking sticks and staffs is the need to make then portable if you plant to travel. Most people use metal screw inserts in the middle of the hand made walking sticks and staffs so you can unscrew then into two parts for packing into luggage. Store purchased metal walking sticks are collapsible.