Bob's Stickmaking Pages - Cardigan, Walker and Other Sticks

Bob's Stickmaking Pages

Cardigan, walker and other sticks

These are basically other types of sticks that don't yet warrant their own categories on this Web site. A number of these are "T"-handle walking sticks. I'm rather attracted to making these because there doesn't seem to be a fixed idea of what a T-handle should look like. This leaves me plenty of freedom to start off with a completely neutral piece of wood, then follow its natural curves and mould them into a nice comfortable shape to fit the hand.

It has been suggested that what I call a "T"-handle should be called a "Fritz" handle. See the bottom of this page.

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Click on any image for further details and pictures.		Price (in pounds sterling)	Click below
131	A Cardigan stick. The handle is a stunning piece of spalted and burred oak, mounted on a sturdy bronze-coloured hazel shank and finished off with a silver band.	SOLD
130	An unusually shaped buffalo horn t-handle mounted on a hand-turned shank of sapele or similar wood, and decorated with mother-of-pearl.	SOLD
129	A very special stick for a very special occasion. A formal cane made of buffalo horn, cowhorn, bone and ebony for our son's wedding.	NOT FOR SALE!
127	A hiking staff made from a gnarly piece of dog-rose and topped with a knob of black buffalo horn and lilac wood. Very characterful and quite unique.	SOLD
125	An attractive little knobstick. The top is Charolais cow horn capped with Zebrano wood and decorated with black buffalo horn, bone and mother-of-pearl. The reclaimed shank is rosewood .	SOLD
108	An unusual t-handle walker stick. The handle is made from lilac wood and the shank is stained Forsythia.	SOLD
107	A sturdy Derby walker stick with spalted beech handle and stained ash shank	SOLD
106	A neat walking stick with a buffalo horn handle and a shank of turned Padauk wood.	SOLD
105	A strong blackthorn stick with a cow-horn knob.	SOLD
104	A large and sturdy blackthorn t-handle walking stick. The handle is made from a natural piece of laurel wood and tipped with cow-horn. A superb stick, well worth a look - even if you can't buy it!	SOLD
099	A stout blackthorn hiking staff, topped with a knob of spalted rowan.	SOLD
095	An outstanding decorated t-handle walker stick. Unusual boxwood handle on a twisty silver birch shank.	SOLD
066	A willow staff with a head made from juniper and yew, the wood's natural features forming a strange face.	SOLD
030	A traditional "Cardigan" stick. Padauk head on a stripped blackthorn shank.	SOLD
094	Custom knobstick cane. An aluminium Ferrari gear change knob and engraved silver collar mounted on an ebonised hand-rounded shank.	SOLD
092	Custom knobstick. Bearded collie head carved by Stan Randle and mounted on a turned birds-eye-maple shank.	SOLD
087	T-handle walker stick with the handle made from a natural fork of hazel, and a stripped sycamore shank.	SOLD
086	T-handle walker stick with a buffalo horn handle and a sturdy stripped blackthorn shank.	SOLD
078	Derby walker stick. Yew handle on a partially-stripped ash shank.	Not for sale
073	Derby walker stick. Laburnum handle on a sturdy shank of reclaimed sapele mahogany (or similar wood).	SOLD
071	Combination wading staff, bank staff and landing net. Maple wood and antler.	SOLD
069	Cardigan stick. The handle is made from ram's horn and the shank from Indian rosewood. With embedded decorations.	SOLD
060	Blackthorn staff. Buffalo horn handle with silver collar and pewter stag's head decoration.	SOLD
059	T-handle walker stick. Buffalo horn handle on a blackthorn shank. Decorated with a pewter roe buck's head and engraved disc.	SOLD
050	Rustic walker stick. Natural hazel handle on a stripped sycamore shank.	SOLD
053	Elegant walker stick. Spalted rowan handle and shank.	SOLD
049	Walker stick. Boxwood handle on a stripped and lightly stained ash shank.	SOLD
034	A matching pair of "His & Hers" T-handle walker sticks.The handles are tulip wood (probably) and the shanks are black chestnut.	SOLD
022	Walker stick. Olive wood head on a stripped sweet chestnut shank.	SOLD
011	Walker stick. Laburnum head on a semi-stripped ash shank.	SOLD
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I have had an interesting discussion with a gentleman who describes himself as An American Eccentric (I cannot possibly comment on that!). He states that the handles I describe as "T-handles" should more correctly be labelled "Fritz handles". It is claimed that the Fritz handle was invented by a 16th century maker to fit the hand snugly, and that he then went on to develop the "Derby" handle, which should be referred to as the "Fritz Derby".

A search of the Web led me to a number of references to the Fritz handle, all on the sites of US walking stick/cane suppliers:

Developed in the 16th century by a German count to make cane use by the arthritic sufferer more comfortable. The design continues today providing maximum comfort, support and style.

...the Fritz Handle, also called "Maginot" or Opera style handle...

The Fritz handle was specially made for the arthritic hand. It was developed in the 18th century by a German Count to make use by the arthritic sufferer most comfortable.

In the mid-18th century Saxony's prime minister, Heinrich Graf von Brühl, possessed 300 sticks...[and snuffboxes]... Friedrich II, too, had a huge collection of luxurious walking sticks and snuffboxes. After the Seven-Year War one particular type of stick with a tau handle was so popular and his constant companion that it was dubbed the "Fritz crutch".

In his book "Walking And Working Sticks", the late Theo Fossel, a prodigious collector, stickmaker, and a founder of the British Stickmakers Guild, refers to this type of handle as a "crutch handle".

Now, when I make a stick in this sort of style I am not following a set pattern. The shape emerges naturally if you take a shank with a piece of branch attached at an angle of about 90 degrees (or join two pieces in the same configuration), then shape the upper surface to fit the palm of the hand and the lower surface to blend into the shank. See my naturally-shaped sticks nos. 027 and 050. In some cases the curve of the handle will be convex, in others concave or a combination of both; they can be equally comfortable. The common factor is that in each case, the "back end" of the handle is extended somewhat beyond the end of the shank. This places the hand in a position where the downward force is transmitted directly down the shank, providing the maximum support with the minimum of strain on the stick or on the user's hand and wrist. If required, this allows a much slimmer shank than would otherwise be possible.

I would be interested to hear from anyone who can provide more authoritative information on the derivation of the "Fritz" nomenclature. It seems to me this shape of handle must have evolved independently in many places at different times and is much more likely to have been named after a prominent user such as Friedrich II than after any particular inventor. Any information on the Derby handle would also be welcome.

Meanwhile I will continue to refer to such sticks as "T-handle", this being the most generic term available. If I call them Fritz handles, as sure as eggs is eggs, someone will helpfully point out that this handle or that is not really a Fritz because the shape isn't quite right. I am but a humble stickmaker. I just make them; the user is welcome to call them whatever he/she likes.

This page last updated Wednesday, 13 December 2006