The History of Walking Canes and Sticks

Cane History

The history of canes and walking sticks is extremely long and rich. Since humans began walking upright, canes and walking sticks have grown from being only a useful aid to a fashionable part of any man or woman's wardrobe.

Walking canes have appeared in the earliest parts of human history. In ancient Egypt, many of the gods are often depicted with walking canes or walking sticks, most namely Atum, creator of the gods and Amun-Ra, the king of all of the Egyptian deities. The Pharaohs themselves were often depicted with a shepherds crook, a symbol of their rule.

Later, in ancient Greece, the gods are often shown with walking sticks and canes. Why, exactly, the walking stick developed as a common symbol in ancient mythology is up to speculation, but a reasonable assumption would be because of their common use in the world.
As early as humans have been domesticating animals as a food source, shepherds quickly learned the usefulness of having a walking stick handy, as it often came in handy in herding their animals, combating thieves and wild predators. The common shepherd's crook-style handle is still a popular choice in handles today, although the technical name has changed to a Tourist cane.

The cane became a symbol of power and authority early and often, as evidenced in ancient Indian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman myth and literature. Even in the Catholic Church the Crook became a powerful symbol, representing the Bishop's office.

Throughout the middle ages, gentlemen carried weapons by necessity and an ornament that declared their status in life. Gradually, between the turn of the fifteenth and eighteenth century, as firearms began to rise in popularity, the cane began to replace the sword as a fashion statement. This is evidenced in many parts of romantic and reformation Europe, but most notably so in Marie Antoinette's walking stick.

Although swords were fading in popularity, even the most distinguished gentleman found the need to defend himself. And so, though ingenious design, the sword cane and sword stick were invented.

As they rose in popularity and range of use, many different styles began to arise. For therapeutic purposes, more ergonomic designs came to be, including the classic Fritz handle that easily fits the hand, and evenly distributes the weight of the bearer through the cane shaft. More elegant handle canes also became popular, like scrimshaw, precious metal and horn handles.

They remained a powerful image of military leaders, and still retain that symbol today. Military canes are easily come to mind with any of the popular images of generals from Napoleon to Patton.

Today, these staples in our history are used for a range of reasons, from formal dress canes to therapeutic walking sticks, and come in a range of designs that include seat canes, canes with hidden flasks, men's canes, women's canes and more. Aided by developments in technology, this integral part of our history are now made using an array of durable materials. Canes are now constructed of carbon-fiber, solid hardwood, and the ever-popular lightweight aluminum canes.