Short version: pick the handle first, then the budget. A walking stick is one of the few gifts that gets used every single day, and the one thing that makes or breaks it is whether the handle suits the person's hand and the person's taste. Below: one specific recommendation at each of four price points, and the three add-ons that turn a stick into something that actually looks like a present when it comes out of the box.
Order by the first week of December. Several of these are hand-finished pieces sitting in single-digit stock, and once they go they go.
Before you choose: the two questions that decide everything
What does their hand want to do? A derby is a long straight handle the whole palm rests on it, and it is the surest choice if you do not know their preference. A knob is a ball you close your fingers around, traditional and handsome, with a smaller contact area. A crook is the shepherd's hook, and it hangs on a forearm or a chair back. A figural handle a cast animal head, a brass revolver is a knob with a personality. We broke this down properly in Derby, Fritz, Crook, or Knob.
Do you know their height? If yes, you can buy a fixed 36" stick with confidence for anyone roughly 5'8" to 6'0", and cut it down for anyone shorter. If no, buy a 36" piece anyway and include the receipt or skip to the gift card at the bottom. Do not buy adjustable as a hedge; adjustable sticks are the least interesting thing in this catalog and nobody has ever been thrilled to unwrap one. The sizing method is in The Complete Guide to Walking Cane Heights.
Under $50: the one that looks like it came out of a forest
Extra Heavy 1" Natural Chestnut Scorched Crook Walking Stick, 36" — $41.
A full-bark chestnut shaft, a thick inch across, scorched to bring the grain up dark, with a crook handle bent from the same piece of wood. No two look alike because no two trees do. At $41 this is the most gift it is possible to buy for under fifty dollars, and it reads as a serious object rather than a budget one. Good for anyone with a cabin, a dog, or a strong opinion about hardware stores.
$50–$100: the one almost everybody likes
Appalachian Natural Chestnut Knob Walking Stick, polished 36" — $89.66.
Polished natural chestnut, 36", with a knob handle worn smooth. It has been one of our steadiest sellers this year, and the reason is that it does not commit the recipient to a style. It sits equally well against a wool overcoat and a barn jacket.
If they have a dog: Scrimshaw Retriever Dog handle on Black shaft, 36" at $95. We carry the same scrimshaw treatment in bulldog, whippet, schnauzer, dachshund and Russian hound — the full set is in The Collector's Gallery, 105 pieces. A cast likeness of the right breed is the closest thing to a guaranteed hit in this entire store.
If they have a sense of humour: King Cobra Snake Brass Walking Stick, walnut 36" at $83. Solid brass cobra, hood raised, on walnut.
$100–$175: the one they will show people
Regal Brass Knob Walking Stick, walnut brown 36" — $167.
A heavy polished brass knob on a walnut-brown hardwood shaft, 36". This is the piece to buy when the stick is going to be carried into rooms where it will be noticed weddings, boards, church, a daughter's wedding photographs. Brass takes a patina over years, which is exactly what you want in a gift meant to outlast the occasion.
The alternates at this tier, each with a clear reason:
- Western Revolver | Brass Handle Walking Stick, $154 a cast brass single-action revolver as the grip. One of the most-visited product pages on our site this quarter. Fifteen left.
- Lion's Roar Walking Stick on Black Maple, 36", $100 an open-mouthed lion's head on black maple. The best-looking figural under $110 we sell.
- Genuine Leather Adjustable Saddle Seat Stick, $117 a walking stick that unfolds into a leather tripod seat. For the person who goes to every grandchild's touchline game and never gets a chair. Nine in stock.
- Carbon Fiber Adjustable Walking Stick with Soft Grip Handle, $103 the one exception to the no-adjustable rule, because it is genuinely the lightest thing we stock and our second-best seller by revenue. Buy this if they travel. Nine in stock.
Over $175: the heirloom
This is where the Alpacca Silver Walking Canes collection lives 42 pieces in German nickel silver, hand-finished, wolf and lion and hound heads on ebony and hardwood shafts. These are the sticks people put in a will. If you are spending at this level the right move is to browse the collection and pick the animal, because the piece is the animal. Start with Silver Walking Canes: Why Alpacca Silver Is the Ultimate Statement Piece to understand what you are looking at.
The three add-ons that make it a gift
A 36" stick does not wrap. This is the single most common complaint we get in December, and it costs under $50 to solve properly. Everything here is in Gifts & Accessories:
- Walking Stick & Shoe Horn Gift Box Set, $26. A proper box sized for a 36" stick, with a shoe horn included. Buy this. It is the difference between handing someone a stick and handing someone a present.
- Eagle Letter Opener by Concord of Italy, $39.92. Cast by the same Italian house that makes several of our handles, in the same figural style. Pair the eagle opener with a figural stick and the two objects read as a set. Also available as mallard duck, jack rabbit and Labrador, each $39.92.
- Grip-On Light by Tipsee, $17. Clamps to any shaft from 3/4" to 1" and lights the ground ahead. A small, obviously-thoughtful extra, and the most-used thing in this list between December and March.
One more, for $6.90: a spare Nev-a-slip rubber tip. Nobody thinks to buy a spare tip for themselves, and in nine months it is the most useful thing in the box.
If you do not know their taste
Buy a Canes Galore gift card and let them choose the animal. With 105 pieces in the Collector's Gallery and 42 in Alpacca Silver, choosing is most of the pleasure, and a figural handle picked by someone else is a coin flip.
The December calendar
| By when | Why |
|---|---|
| Early November | Single-digit stock items — the saddle seat stick, the carbon fiber adjustable, the Western Revolver. These are the ones that sell out. |
| First week of December | Everything else, plus the gift box. Add the box to the same order so the stick ships in it. |
| Mid-December | Gift cards only. |
Keep reading
The Ultimate Walking Cane Gift Guide for the wider range, Derby vs Fritz Walking Cane Handle if you are torn between the two most popular grips, and Best Sellers if you would rather follow the crowd which, for a gift, is not a bad instinct.
Canes Galore is veteran-owned. If you tell us who it is for, we will tell you what to buy: 877-318-5517.
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