↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Jonathan Dorn, 'Poles', Backpacker, Vol.

Jill Condra (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008), p.

↑ 3.0 3.1 The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History: 1501-1800, ed.

Forgeng, Robin Hood: The Shaping of the Legend (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998), p. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Staffs. In some places they are considered a concealed weapon.Ī collector of walking sticks is termed a rabologist. In many modern jurisdictions the ownership, carrying, manufacturing or trading in sword canes is restricted by law. Andrew Jackson carried a sword-cane and was known to have used it. The sheath was the cane or, in the case of a swordstick, a walking stick. Swordsticks and sword-canes Ī sword cane was a long thin steel blade encased in a sheath.

The walking stick has the added advantage it does not look like a weapon. Once to the wrist (holding the knife) followed instantly by a second blow to the assailant's head. With practice a walking stick user can deliver a kote-man or double-strike. It can be less lethal than a sword but is deadly against a knife or similar weapons. Some are light but shinai-weight and heavier are more common. Both stick training and shinai ( sword) training use the walking stick. The walking stick is a weapon in martial arts. The Shillelagh is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore. In the British Army, blackthorn sticks are carried by commissioned officers of the Royal Irish Regiment. Self defense Ī collection of Shillelagh Shillelagh Ī shillelagh is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically a thick knotty stick with a large knob at the top. Many have shock absorbers to ease back, shoulder and knee strain. They can telescope to fit tall or short hikers. Modern hiking poles are made of aluminum (or composite materials). A good walking stick or pole helps hikers keep their balance while crossing streams or rocks. They are used for support when going uphill or downhill. Walking sticks, sometimes called a hiking stick or trekking pole, are used by hikers. Sometime during the 17th century, the decorated walking stick replaced the sword carried by aristocrats as a status symbol. Many were elegant canes with highly decorated handles. A proper lady or gentleman would never be without their walking stick or cane. They were not much used for walking but were more worn. In most versions Robin Hood loses and ends up in the stream.įashion accessory įrom about 1550 until 1930, walking sticks were a fashion accessory. In many versions of the story, he fights variously a monk, Little John or others with a quarterstaff. The term is best known from the legends of Robin Hood. It was later called a 'short staff' as it became shorter. It was used the same as a walking stick but also as a weapon. Shaft of hardwood from 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 m) long. Medieval quarterstaff Ī quarterstaff was a traditional European walking stick/weapon used from the middle age to the Early Modern period.

Irish shillelagh walking stick