Why Don't More People Use Walking Sticks?

[Sebastiaan56]

Well I suggested to LOML that a walking stick with a carved head would be a fun gift for my FIL. The bruises are healing nicely now thanks......

[munruben]

Times have changed, same as with hats. My father always wore a trilby hat.It was the first thing he put on in the morning and the last thing he took off at night.

[DsArt]

Be a bit hard (hat) thing to do now eh, wooden hats i dont think will take off

[Sebastiaan56]

Unless its a proper hat........... http://www.woodhat.com/gallery.asp Its a bit of a rite of passage item for turners, maybe a carved hat?

[Whittling]

Unless its a proper hat........... http://www.woodhat.com/gallery.asp Its a bit of a rite of passage item for turners, maybe a carved hat?

Crikey My hats off to that guy

[DsArt]

Oops, tip me hat ta that I guess thats one way of wearin your hard hat at the rodeo

[joe greiner]

To answer your original question, consider Thorstein Veblen's treatise on conspicuous consumption, The Theory of the Leisure Class. In one passage, he describes a purpose of walking sticks to demonstrate that one's hands are not employed in manual labour. Veblen was an iconoclast of the first order, and still one of my favourite curmudgeons.

Nowadays, there are more toys to serve this purpose, and walking sticks are less necessary.

Just another $0.02.

Cheers,
Joe

[Whittling]

Nowadays, there are more toys to serve this purpose, and walking sticks are less necessary.

Maybe, but walking sticks are one of the few that don't need batteries

[IDEFIX]

Well i suppose mate things change and what was then with most things is now not with much at all ,I have noticed over the last ten yrs many walking aids that are used by power walkers ect,but as all things based on trend and not necessity or usfulness they tend to fall to the wayside to make way for the next. Myself who through being a bit of a (if it needed doin just do it) kinda way of things ,faced one day with the fact like so many others that the body or parts of give in ,Well it`s hard for many people to accept that ,and a walking stick makes that statement,I`m older now /i`m a bit broken /no longer the legend /whatever so many still hide behind the facadeMyself well i should use mine more than i do but i don`t because i still like gettin some things done an don`t need the mental head space statment that comes with using a stick (even if it ain`t true)so i carved my own as a self satisfying statement ,and get lot`s of comments and checkin out ,so when me an me stick go for a walk i feel okay about the statment it says ,SOOO keep on doin what you do an make it okay or better in a ,look at my amazing walking stick kinda way,As i`m sure those that have one of your`s would feel, and justified they would be,As a user yourself you are always at the cutting edge of uses ,styles ,and most of all COMFORT ,style ain`t everything eh ,ounce again majic work ,or is it majic worksDANNY

In our country you give the impression that you're old and helpless, thus a potential target for a robbery by youth. If you can not use the cane efficiently as a weapon, you leave it better at home.
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[hi ho sliver]

I carry a cane with me whenever I walk....been a couple of dogs attack us (or try to) that were discouraged in doing so!! Fear of being sued? lol...anyone that wants to attack me and then sue me for defending myself will pay DEARLY for the privilege...screw this politicially correct garbage, a person has a right to defend themselves and I will exercise that right, whenever and wherever...if the cane intimidates someone, then they have the problem...if it makes me appear old......hummm here is a quarter, call someone that cares! As for looking young..I was there once, its not all its cracked up to be....I earned these years I have traveled and if the Lord tarries, I will hopefully earn a few more....

[Old-Biker-UK]

[underfoot]

consider Thorstein Veblen's treatise on conspicuous consumption,

well..., yes, I had considered Thorstein Veblen's treatise, but I didn't bring it up in case it caused a kerfuffle,
and next time joe, I think you should seriously re-consider bringing up such contentious issues.......this aint the pen turning forum you know.

[Whittling]

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I don't think walking sticks will ever completely disappear from society. There are too many reasons why people will continue to use them... for aid in walking, which in itself has a number of reasons ie, illness, age, injury etc. Then there are those whose environment are, shall we say, less then friendly, and wish to have a defensive weapon. Personally I think that's a sad statement about the neighbourhood but there you are... And finally there will always be people who like them and want to carry them for no other reason than their own enjoyment and don't really give a toss about what other people think. (In my opinion, not doing something you like because of what others might think about you is really sad )

Taken all together, there are enough of us around to keep walking stick makers and sellers moderately busy.

[DsArt]

Gings i don`t know what to believe in any more,so i`m gonna agree with you all an that other bloke you quoted ,although he might think differently if he was around now ,makin a BBIIIG attractive (non) statment nowadayslike that it most probably lead to the next point ,using it as adefense MMM if you loose it though, you might end up wearin it home like one of those hats we seen I think i`ll stick to me 80% prediction an just become a stic..er .staf.er.. wacke....er arms deale....er dog whacke...er SUPPLIER i think in the meantime i gotta go an make that blad...er .fit in me stick chip..chip..chip

[artme]

Interesting discussion folks but I must say when I was in Europe last year tne thing struck me about Italy and that was the number of people using walking sticks. Even the wife commented on this.

Perhaps it is partly a cultural thing.