Bobs Stickmaking Pages - Collector's item #C022


	C022 - Collector's item: an elegant art deco rosewood cane. Approx. dimensions: Overall length 36 inches / 91.5cm. Diameter at top of shank 0.7 inch / 18mm, tapering down to 0.5 inch / 13mm.
When I came across this smart little stick on an antique stall at a country fair, it didn't really look too smart at all! The 90 degree joint at the heel of the handle had been broken, patched back together with wood filler and covered in gold paint. Nonetheless, it had some promise and there was some very nice rosewood lurking under there somewhere.
	Both the shank and the handle are made of turned rosewood. The handle is constructed round a bent steel rod which provides plenty of strength. Originally there would have been a sharp mitred corner where the two pieces of the handle met together. But the sharp edges had been damaged, and in any case must have made for a most uncomfortable grip. I inserted a piece of black buffalo horn between the two. This provided the few extra millimetres I needed to be able to round over the corner neatly. By drilling a larger hole through the insert, it was able to accommodate the bend in the internal steel rod better, relieving the strain which probably cause the handle to fail in the first place. There was some minor splitting of the wood around the damaged joint, but this is all now consolidated with epoxy glue and barely noticeable (unless you poke a camera lens right up to it with the light in the wrong direction!!).

		The collar and capping are apparently of brass, though this has quite a deep gold colour and a brighter and more durable sparkle to it than one would expect from brass. I would think the chances of it being un-hallmarked gold are pretty remote, but I suppose it could possibly be gold-plated. The end of the cap has a bit of a dent in the end, but this isn't as obtrusive as these pictures might suggest.
		The brassware has angled ends which contribute to the general feel of art deco about this stick. The ferrule is of steel and has a thick steel or iron tip. I would say this is all consistent with a date around the 1920s.
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