The term “walking stick” is a general term which is now used interchangeably between any type of hiking stick or walking cane. It can be made of one, two, or three pieces.
The handle on a walking stick may be a good support handle or not, depending on what it has been marketed for. Because the term is broad, it covers any form of pole with support handles as well as uncomfortable handles, no handle, or a knob handle. It may have a rubber tip or flat metal tip, or even a hiking spike.
Typically, the difference between a walking stick and a hiking staff is size and balance. While they are both designed for active use (unlike canes, which are specifically for weak or injured legs), a walking stick is about 40 to 48 inches, depending on the user’s size. The hiking staff on the other hand, are five to seven feet tall.
A walking stick was originally a necessity used by people who traveled or herded animals. It was a source of protection on the road against thieves as well as a firm way to keep animals in line. Eventually the walking stick became a symbol of power and strength, then over time social prestige as well. For example, rulers of the Egyptian culture carried staffs almost as large as six feet. Scepters were carried by royalty who had power in the Middle ages. And ancient Greek gods were depicted with staff in hand. These examples are of the perceived authority that the stick symbolized, rather than the actual use of a walking aid.
Only in the 17th century did the word cane begin to be used for “walking stick.” That is because, previously a walking stick was made of either ivory, whalebone, ebony and valuable woods. But at this time, materials such as Malacca or rattan, bamboo and other hardy reeds were used to make walking aids. Thus, the distinction between a walking stick and walking cane is primarily the materials which it is made from.
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