Chapter 4: The Collector's Walking Stick

Its myriad of diverse functions over the centuries has made the walking stick a very popular collector’s item. As a showpiece, it can be found in forms as varied as its history and as unique as the individual collector.

Perhaps the man who most single-handedly popularized the walking stick was Fred Astaire. Fans of his “Top Hat” with Ginger Rogers remember Astaire as the man who immortalized the cane as a dancing prop, and its subsequent use in theater and film has been virtually without limit. For the collector today, walking sticks mimicking the many sticks used in similar capacities since Astaire’s time can be highly coveted. They are not only reminiscent of a favorite moment in theater or film, but also of a favorite actor.

But the walking stick has also seen other, less innocent moments throughout its past. During the Prohibition Era, young Americans would stop at nothing to obtain the forbidden hair of the dog. For many who were there, the mention of this unusual period in our nation’s history conjures images of speak-easies and moonshine. During this most secretive and intriguing time, the walking stick played a very powerful role. Many contained one or more hidden flasks within the handle that were used to store or transport small volumes of liquor. Today, walking sticks with this feature can still be found among the showcases of collectors. While the original function of the secret hiding place is now obsolete, the flask inside the stick now holds something even more valuable – an interesting story and a powerful memory.

The hollow inner core of a walking stick can store other secrets as well. Prior to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it was not uncommon for a gentleman to carry at his side an accessory sword, a nod to even earlier times when he might have relied upon the weapon in a self-defensive, offensive or chivalrous capacity. As the sword gradually saw replacement with a walking stick among the upper class, many of the walking sticks carried by gentlemen continued to hold a sword inside. Today, walking sticks containing concealed swords within their hollow shafts can still be found and are among the more popular walking sticks for collectors.

The symbolic replacement of a sword with a walking stick is also evident in today’s active and retired military. A popular retirement gift for a life soldier is a walking stick engraved with the name, rank and duties of the recipient.

The extravagance of a collector’s walking stick is limited only by the imagination – and the budget. Sticks adorned with precious metals or gems, usually on the handles, can come with outrageous price tags. Others can be made of rare woods or other materials. As with any collector’s item, the uniqueness of the object is one if its main attributes: a walking stick that is custom made and truly unlike any other can command a hefty sum from the person willing to pay for the only one of its kind in the world.