I love decorative walking sticks. Anyone else interested in these?
A while ago, I carved one of my own. The stick itself is made from a maple sapling (the roots uppermost); the spines are carved out of cast-off deer antlers. The eyes, a pair of malachite beads I found lying around.
http://i.imgur.com/6kBjxzv.jpg
Any of you have favorite walking sticks? Post your pics or links.
May get a trifle messy if you lean on that one. 
A chance to tell my tale of heartbreak, loss, and woe.
I through-hiked theSuperior Hiking Trail in northern Minnesota a number of years ago. It’s an amazing trail, about 300 miles from end to end, and has a large number of free campsites along the way.
I had this great walking stick made from a limb from an elm in my backyard, it had a small natural hook on the top that made it easy to hang from my back when not in use, it was the perfect height, light weight. Loved that stick.
As I hiked the trail, I’d sit down every night and carve the name of the campsite I was in, and maybe a little animal or fish or something, on to my walking stick.
After 16 days and nights of hiking with this stick, I paused along the trail one morning to refill my water bottles and hung my stick from a nearby branch. It was nice easy day of walking along fairly level, grassy trails and so I didn’t realize until I was making camp that night that my stick was still hanging from that branch by the stream, about 14 miles back.
It was a great stick, but not worth an additional 28 miles of hiking. I hope someone found it and enjoyed it.
I was hiking thru the Juniper National Forest back in 1995. One day at my morning break I discovered that I had left something behind at my last campsite. I stashed my backpack in some brush, took some water and ran thru the swamp back to my last campsite. I found the forgotten item and then ran back to where my pack was. I was in fantastic shape at the time and my 6 mile run only took an extra hour or so.
I’m sorry you lost your walking stick.
Losing that stick would bite terribly - but for sure, if it is lost along a trail, someone will find it; and finding it would be awesome!
I’ve carved a couple from oak closet rod. One was a gift for my niece, and has a wolf’s head carved in the end of it. The other is my own, and has a dragon. Both have twine grips (because you never know, on the trail, when you’ll need 50’ of twine), and mine also has pressed pennies from the places I’ve been, nailed on as badges. I’ll have to see if I can get any pictures of them.
I also have a shillelagh, but I mostly only take that out for special occasions (the local Irish cultural festival, St. Patrick’s Day, etc.).
Wow. I’d love to see pics of these! They sound awesome. 
Heh…I knew there’d be at least one…
My Grandfather’s shillelagh. I bought it for him when he had his first knee replacement, and it came back to me when he passed. I used it when I broke my foot a couple of years later. It’s also seen most of the trails in Shenandoah National Park.
And an antique drum major’s parade cane that belonged to my Great-Grandfather. It’s got a similar black lacquered pole, (smooth though, no thorns) with a large ornate silver head. It would also make an excellent weapon, and for years I kept it near the head of my bed in case of break-in. 
It’s been to a few RenFairs and been part of various Halloween costumes, but it’s never been hiking with me.
Being blind, I walk with a white one all the time. It is amazing how liberating it is.
How long have you been blind?
