Compared to the wonders that far more creative people than me have posted on here, my efforts are pretty insignificant, but I have very limited facilities, so there’s only so much I can do. I love getting out and walking a lot, but an increasingly iffy knee has encouraged me to use a stick when out in the countryside, especially when it’s wet, and I’ve just finished one I bought as a basic hazel stick a couple of years ago. I left it natural, with just a metal foot, but I didn’t like the bark, so I stripped it, and put copper rings around the top, filed to fit flush with the wood, then Danish oiled it.
The foot, which you can’t see, is a copper pipe reducer, filled with epoxy, so the narrow end doesn’t clank on stone or Tarmac, or fill up with muck.
Very pleased with it, it’s very ergonomic when walking, and it’s saved my sorry ass from sliding down wet, muddy hillsides quite a few times.
I’ve got a really nice, thicker, Holly stick that’s pretty much identical in the shed, seasoning, ready to have a similar treatment, and a straight Holly stave that I’m trying to find a Yew or Blackthorn top of the same shape to fit to.
I hold it with my ring and little fingers wrapped around the bottom projection, first and middle around the stick, and thumb up the top projection; it’s really comfortable to use like that.