Brazos Walking Sticks™ Knob Root Cane

The length was perfect for me (I'm 6'). It's very durable. I've used it to cross roaring streams putting my body weight on the stick, and it held up fine. The reason I went with a full length stick, instead of those portable high tech walking sticks is I feel the length is beneficial when hiking on inclines in mountainous rocky territory. Also, I've lost sticks crossing rivers where I end up with just the handle, because the currents ripped the stick portion right out. And if you are assisting others with your stick, I've had collapsable sticks come apart, which isn't that great safety wise.Because this is a more natural wood, there was a slight bend halfway down my stick. So far, it doesn't seem to cause any issues with stability or structural integrity. Oddly, it's at the perfect distance on the stick, so that it balances at the bend.The other issues I had with the stick is that it did not come with a hiking point. I had to get a walking stick hardware kit to put at the end. Rockler sells one, and I used the medium sized. I had to sand the tip a bit to make the hardware kit to fit. But the stick is 100x better with one.The other issue I had is that the rubber tip that came with the stick is more of a furniture bottom. The stick is very thick at the bottom, about 1", might taper down to 3/4". But I found that the rubber tip that came with the stick was not suited for hiking on rocky surfaces. It would work fine if you were walking on even surfaces like a sidewalk or in the house. But the tip kept slipping on rocks when I put pressure at slight angles. And because of the thick nature of the stick, most hiking rubber tips will not fit. Which is why I bought the hardware kit so that I could get a hiking tip to fit on it.So for hikers, especially those that hike inclines, rocky terrain, or off terrain. I would strongly recommend you get a hardware kit to put on this stick.

this is great. nice weight and just feels sturdy. i did e-mail the company for suggestions on how to mark it with my name. no reply. took an engraver tool to cut through finish and then a wood burner to darken letters. sealed it with varnish. seems to work well. don't want to lose this! only issue is that rubber tip slips on damp surfaces like tile.

Thank you for such a gorgeous item. I love it! As soon as it arrived, i gave it the old "try to break it across the knee" test. This walking stick is not only beautiful, but super strong. I am VERY happy with my purchase (and will be ordering another soon)! Normally, I would make my own, but I don't have access to this type of wood, near me. Let me say, for those of you that have never "made" an actual walking stick, it "might" seem relatively expensive for "just a stick". However, for those of us "in-the-know" we can tell you, "These are NOT expensive". If you want to buy a cheap wooden dowel, then cut, shape, stain, and coat it..... feel free. You will only end up with a pretty, albeit weak stick made from soft wood, and have wasted a fair amount of time and money for something that will probably break when you need it most. A true, solid, attractive, dependable walking stick takes about a year to make, if done correctly. First you must find the proper type of tree/wood to fit your needs (weight, strength, height, appearance, etc). Then you must find one the proper thickness, length, and straightness to cut. If done correctly, you only have a few months of the year to do this, when the sap is low (think winter months). To properly dry and straighten the stick will take about a year of hanging in a dry (and preferably warm) environment. After which, you can debark, cut, carve, whittle, sand, drill, stain, and varnish to your liking. So NOW does this walking stick still seem "expensive"? If you just want something to poke around in holes or get the spiderwebs out of the way, then just pick up a stick off the forrest floor. If you want a strong, attractive walking stick that will last a lifetime, buy one from Brazos.