Walking sticks and staffs

[Pattree]

A “pilgrims staff” was the same height as the pilgrim. The thong would be positioned wherever the user wanted it.

The NHS tell me that my stick should reach to the lowest part of my wrist joint. I find a couple of inches longer is ideal for me, especially on open ground and slopes. Mine has a normal handle and below that, a trekking pole grip. I can reach down on the downhill (and stairs) and take a shorter grip on the uphill.

I’m still hoping this use is temporary but am being realistic and having fun auditioning poles.

 

[Buckshot]

I used to use 'traditional' size walking stick (around waist height)
I've since changed to a longer stick with a shepherds crook about armpit height or even a little lower.
I find it's not tiring in use because it's not too high but the extra length can be really useful.

 

[Falstaff]

Thanks guys, thats very interesting. I suppose the NHS guidance naturally assumes flat ground/stairs/resting on it, and nothing adventurous. By general agreement something longer is better for slopes and hazard clearing.
Whilst thumb sticks on taller sticks and staffs are nice and feel good, I think something more load-bearing is needed if you are potentially going to rely upon it. My thumbs are already arthritic and I don't want a dislocation if my hand grip slips.
A thong/strap or L/Tee handle might be best if you are going to rely upon it on a slope. I'm interested in Stevie's idea of a second grip lower down. I suppose a whipping rather than a thong would suffice. It might solve one of my issues.

I've been struggling to come up with a relocatable cord or leather hand grip whipping to secure a leather thong to a staff, but will not slip under use/load. I suspect that I might find I need to move it to a more comfortable/useful position whilst en-route. Any how-to ideas?

 

[Seagull]

I have found that an excellent, 'load-bearing' device, is a really well-tightened Star Knot, of 6 or 7 points.

Thereupon, the edge of the hand rests comfortably, without the need of a thong.

Make them in 4 or 5mm Hempex......if you can't tighten 'em enough to prevent slippage, then add more support by an additional 'choker', below the Star Knot and made of a doubled-pass Constrictor Knot and tightened using the feet and hands together.

Regards All
Ceeg

 

[StevieE]

Thanks guys, thats very interesting. I suppose the NHS guidance naturally assumes flat ground/stairs/resting on it, and nothing adventurous. By general agreement something longer is better for slopes and hazard clearing.
Whilst thumb sticks on taller sticks and staffs are nice and feel good, I think something more load-bearing is needed if you are potentially going to rely upon it. My thumbs are already arthritic and I don't want a dislocation if my hand grip slips.
A thong/strap or L/Tee handle might be best if you are going to rely upon it on a slope. I'm interested in Stevie's idea of a second grip lower down. I suppose a whipping rather than a thong would suffice. It might solve one of my issues.

I've been struggling to come up with a relocatable cord or leather hand grip whipping to secure a leather thong to a staff, but will not slip under use/load. I suspect that I might find I need to move it to a more comfortable/useful position whilst en-route. Any how-to ideas?

I cheat on this. Best thing is using well seasoned wood because shrinkage will cause the leather to loosen. Look at Amazon for leather binding normally used for jewellery craft. Come in all colours. My preference is 3mm. What I do is use an awl at the top and bottom of the handle and then super glue it in. If you want further stability run a line of super glue down the line of the handle and then bind as tightly as you can.

 

[Buckshot]

I've been struggling to come up with a relocatable cord or leather hand grip whipping to secure a leather thong to a staff, but will not slip under use/load. I suspect that I might find I need to move it to a more comfortable/useful position whilst en-route. Any how-to ideas?

In terms of wrapping i would suggest turks heads knots.
There are loads of different styles and patterns.
This book has many types of braiding including Turks Head which work well on leather or paracord. It worked for me.

https://www.tgjonesonline.co.uk/Product/Bruce-Grant/Encyclopedia-of-Rawhide-and-Leather-Braiding/2982676?utm_campaign=eq_whs_323889&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=awin&aw_affid=323889&awc=3017_1778151360_4b70ed1fc67807276bd526a25f0a0b8e

I found it helped me to take an oversize dowel and mark the sides 1,2,3,4 as the pictures in the book. I found it easier to follow each string around the dowel without getting lost.

 

[Nice65]

I used to use 'traditional' size walking stick (around waist height)
I've since changed to a longer stick with a shepherds crook about armpit height or even a little lower.
I find it's not tiring in use because it's not too high but the extra length can be really useful.

Seems to me that sticks actually made with walking in mind are always longer and grip height is judged by up to the elbow with the lower arm held at a right angle. Honestly a far more useful length for getting up of a seat, feeling the ground ahead if going downhill, feeling out rocks and depth in a ditch or stream. I don't have my hand in a fixed place, it varies and if I'm going uphill I can pull on the pole. None of these things can be done with a short trad stick, I always feel the short sticks are for support of injury on level ground.

Don't even start me on the horrible, clicking aluminium replacements for the old NHS chestnut sticks.

 

[Falstaff]

I have found out the hard way that I need a form of leash/ so it's not lost if I accidently drop it in hazardous terrain (e.g. mountainous slopes or in my case a flood river). Also, to take a bit of strain off my grip.
Thanks Ceeg for the advice and cordage suggestion. Constrictor knots I can do but that Star knot, although I know they are easy to grip, looks devilish complicated. But Buckshot's extended Turks head I think I can do.
I don't know yet where best to place it, so I'm trying to avoid gluing it or having too many strands so that I can move it relatively easily say, at camp.

 

[StevieE]

My paracord grips are not glued in. Simple loop and tied at the bottom. Hope this helps

 

[Seagull]

Interesting thread..

I imagine that the normal usage of sticks and staves would depend on the various terrains and the likelihood of problems that could arise. So we would all have individual needs and individual stick lengths.

My stick is the height on whose topknot is easily leaned upon with an elbow , standing with folded arms, when taking a breather.

Having developed an inconvenient apprehension about losing my balance, I always have a stick when outdoors and I actually use it , more as a standby/fallback.
So, rather than spudding-in the tip and dragging myself toward it, I just allow my loose fingers to slide a few inches, back and forth between stop-knots.

Rarely ever, have I the need to consciously grip the handle, at all.
All the movement comes from a 4-4 time flick of the wrist, with barely any movement of the arm....except when on the descent...and, living in a part of the Country where contour lines are widely spaced and where even speed-bumps are commonly viewed with some trepidation, descents and ascents are few.

Needless to say that that my stick has no spike-y point, just a push-on rubber button.

So, I'm wondering how others actually manoeuvre their go-to sticks

Regards All
Ceeg

 

[Pattree]

While I do lean on my stick on a bad day, most of the time it is a datum for my balance without having to be load bearing. I live in the flatlands of Shropshire so on a brisk walk the stick touches down on the 4th step, on the right weaker side. Other times it moves with my right leg supporting each step. If I’m using it on steps or slopes then it anticipates my right leg before I move.
The one in four swing is true of all my sticks and my staff no matter how well the leg is behaving and I was using it years before any need arose.


My staff retains its bark, unchanged and natural since my son found it in Epping Forest. If it needed a thong then there are plenty of (branch) knots on which a simple whipping could locate.
For those of you who peel your staffs: why not a 5 - 8mm reduction long enough to cover your various grips. Fill it with a paracord whipping. That would prevent the cord slipping.
This is a brain fart - I’ve never done it.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I've been struggling to come up with a relocatable cord or leather hand grip whipping to secure a leather thong to a staff, but will not slip under use/load. I suspect that I might find I need to move it to a more comfortable/useful position whilst en-route. Any how-to ideas?

Maybe an icicle or Prusik knot.

 

[StevieE]

My method is using a loop which you tighten the paracord around and the tie a knot at the bottom. No glue involved. Have a look in yt for mora sheth mod s