Brazos Rustic Wood Walking Stick, Hickory, Traditional Style Handle, for Men & Women, Made in The USA

Like others here, my expectations were minimal... As someone said, "It's just a STICK", right? But once I took a good look at it and held it in my hands, it became more than just a "stick". It is truly a fine work of craftsmanship. I don't care if it took the person who made it a few minutes, or a few days to finish it, this walking stick is a damn fine piece of work! It's got some weight to it, but it's not TOO heavy, so you know it's a young or "new" creation. It feels and sounds STRONG and flexes when you strike it on the ground, which means it's not going to snap in two the first time you need to fend off a charging Rotweiller or Meth-head. It's not as light as my short knob ash CANE, therefore not as fast, (it will require a bit of a change in training or tactics), but I very much like the fact that whatever kind of creature(s) I am confronting will be held at a much longer distance, giving me just a bit more reaction time. Since I'm getting older, that means more than it used to. But the best part is that I can already feel that it will greatly benefit my posture after only a short walk! My short cane was good for support, especially when I get a bit dizzy after taking my BP meds, but it left my back sore because I tended to lean to one side when using the cane. This "staff", or "walking stick", forces me to walk much more upright and my back feels all the better for it! (I think I like the term "walking stick" since I consider a "staff" to be taller than I am, as Little John might have carried in the Robin Hood tales, but I digress...) Bottom line is that I could not have picked out a better "walking stick" myself, nor could I have made one this nice without going to a great deal of expense in time and effort. Well worth every penny! Well done, Brazos! I'll be back for more. These will make great gifts. You can't go wrong with something so well crafted and individually beautiful. Thanks! **UPDATE** I was complimented on the very first walk around the block. "What a nice walking stick! Where did you get it?" From a previously unknown neighbor rushing out the door to her car. She still had to stop and chat about the walking stick. Now, we know each other and all for the better! You WILL be complimented on this item. No doubt about it.

This walking stick is beautiful, sturdy. I've gotten many compliments on it. I bought it because I need it to walk. But the rustic beauty and workmanship makes it a real joy to use. I wouldn't part with it.

This Hickory stick RULES!! I got the 55" Hickory walking stick, I am 6 feet tall now. Perfect height for a hand at about elbow high. Beautiful finish, very sturdy and hard. I feel more secure now walking about at the store, the mall, and just visiting. Now anybody threatening me has to deal with my TERMINATER, my hickory staff. They will get taken to the woodshed, just like old Dad use to say--take a Hickory stick to them!! Ha! I am going to get some leather wrapping cord and wrap the handle area just under where the hole is for the included hand loop. If I fall now it's my own fault! Yaaay!

Did I do a review back in 2009 when I got this stick and then delete it? I don't recall that, but this review is being written in 2015, and yet it's given a date of 2009. Well, regardless, the stick is still going strong. What reminded me was a minor incident today. I was on the uphill part of a local trail, not the toughest climb in the world, but not exactly easy, either. This stick, out of several that I own, was the one I was using. On a relatively flat part, I passed three young men who were coming the other way; none had sticks. Later in the day, I was heading down the hill, and met them again on a steeper section, headed up. In the interval, two of them had picked up branches and made hiking sticks out of them. Lesson learned, I think. Hiking staffs really do help if you walk trails at all, or uneven dirt roads. I had extra power coming up the hill, and stability coming down. Of course, you may be able to pick up a good enough stick on the trail and use it for a day. If it's strong enough and straight enough, you may even want to take it home and turn it into a finished product. If you don't want to make your own, though, this is an excellent hiking staff. Although not perfectly straight, it's straight enough, nicely finished to show the beauty of the wood. The natural look with different colors around the knots looks good to me, although obviously not to all reviewers. At 5' 7", the 55 inch length is shoulder high on me; I suppose I could cut a couple of inches off and not miss it, but why bother? I don't remember what the original strap was like, just that it was shorter than I wanted, so I replaced it with a length of para-cord. I've worn out a couple of the rubber feet, but it's easy to find replacements. If you order directly from the maker, you can also get different kinds of spike tips. Hickory is a very strong wood, and this staff should last many more years. The flip side of that is that it is a bit heavy; you can find strong enough staffs that are lighter, but that's a matter of personal preference. I do have lighter staffs, and often prefer to use them, but this one is an old reliable.

This walking stick is so beautiful and very sturdy. The craftsmanship is awesome. Exceeded my expectations.

It's a really nice stick. Not sure if I'm lucky or the quality is always this high, but it's an excellent 58" hickory stick. It's really impressive that Amazon can ship this for "free", too. The box it came in alone would have been $100 to ship with USPS if I just walked in with it. Mine has no cracks, and no filler seems to have been used. It's just sanded with most of the bark left on and lightly varnished. It's actually great as it is, but I plan on doing some carving and putting a spiked/rubber convertible foot on it. It came with a perfectly usable rubber foot, though. I just like the option for a spike. I don't think you'll find a much better deal in 'traditional' hiking sticks/staves. I've found and bought many over the decades...And after deciding I hate the ski pole style modern ones, I've stuck to mostly found wood. This one is great though. It's already my favorite out of the sticks I've purchased. Added bonus: The hickory bark has eyes that look like the Eye of Sauron.

I ordered my Brazos Staff on Amazon and started communications with brazos. They took the time to keep a solid thread going, always replying. A true Small, American company we have here.. They care about their customers The staff/stick: Yes, I wanted maybe 2 pounds even heavier. Still, Hickory is the strongest domestic wood (if not, it's close). My Staff is a serious staff which I'll have for life. Mid June I am going to the Desolation Wilderness in El Dorado National Forest in the Tahoe back country and if a I see bear, maybe he can break through (bear spray, staff, bad ass hunting knife..).. But no Mountain Lion or Coyote will get past or break my staff. For $40 and around 2.4 to 2.8 pounds, this Bad Boy is solid. This weekend I will hike the famous Berry Falls Loop Trail. 10.2 to 10.6 miles of a lot of uphill in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I will hike in the oldest California State Park "Big Basin Redwoods State Park". I need support for my legs, I need to feel Cougar safe and I know what I got in my hands with my staff. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=859 http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=859 (California State Parks - Strenuous Hikes Page). Brazos, you'll get another review after this monster hike Friday because I use my staff to balance my weight every step flat, downhill or incline. I switch hands regularly and again, my stick is an extension of me on the trail. This staff will be tested. I haven't reviewed anything in a while and I'm a good AMAZON customer. I took this out of the box and had to review it, I already know I love this piece. Brazos is the real deal. The give you a Product for life for a fair price. I'm a serious hiker. I'd rather pick up a stick on the trail then buy the other made in wherever stuff out there. After I beast through Big Basin Redwoods, I'll write an addendum. Then headed to LA next week for a family event but will hit Sandstone Peak InThe Santa Monica Mountains and some Sespe Wilderness in the Los Padres National forest. This staff will experience some rugged California wilderness as an early test. **********ADDENDUM********** I planned to test my staff on the Big Basin Redwoods Waterfall Loop. A 10.6 mile strenuous treck through the Santa Cruz Mountains. My hiking partner needed to go to Vacaville, CA that day, as a comprimise for postponing Big Basin, I got to find a hike in the area we were travelling in.. Vacaville is an outpost town en route to Sacramento, between the SF Bay and Sacramento. I see that The Vaca Mountains which surround Lake Berryessa are nearby, in the Putah Creek State Wildlife Reserve is a Blue Ridge Loop Trail. It's a rough and dry and rocky trail. I thought, this is the perfect trail to test my staff., The first 2.3 or so miles are uphill via the Homestread Trail. Luckily, Homestead trail has cover. Once up on the Blue Ridge, a little ways in, we encounter maybe a mile of consistent rock, some big, some small. My Brazos Staff was leaned on, used as a support to go up large rocks, come down tricky angled, pushed, moved, and fully utilized.. Quick thought, yes, I like rolling uphill with 2 poles, yes, it is better, ON PAPER. But I am a a one staff man. This staff carried the load. There was one imperfections: on just pure hot dusty trail which was thick dirt and all my weight was on the stick, there would be a 1 inch slide before the rubber grip would lock down and support me. Beyond that, a 200 plus pound man was easily supporter. I would not what a mountain lion with it. I would jab and keep the stick between the lion and me (if that situation arose). This staff would hold up. Period. This staff was initiated on a rough and tough trail 5 mile loop trail over Lake Berryessa in the Vaca Mountains in the Blue Ridge. ********** Test 2/ the next day.. In drought stricken California, redwoods sustain life via the coastal fog which generates moisture. We drove down the the Phleger Estate, a National Recreation Area Park. It was raining at the peak and dry 2 miles down in the ravine, this is a fitness hike Out/Down and back. We can make it a solid loop, connecting with Huddart County Park, but we just went 2 miles down and 2 back up for a workout in some second growth redwoods and clean air. There was no slipping or sliding, On this day my hiking staff and I became one. I got to know it. I will never hike without. It not only takes pressure off your legs, it is a arm and core workout.. Brazos know what they're doing,

Love this walking stick! My second Brazos walking stick and it's better than the first one imho. You just can't beat a Hickory walking stick imho.