Walking cane was a very popular fashion accessory for many years. And in this blog we want to tell you something interesting about walking canes as a fashion statement.

Collectible canes are much more than a walking aid. Canes, or walking sticks as they were formerly known, are a reminder of the pre-World War I era when gentlemen considered a proper walking stick necessary for dressing-up.

Canes were used since ancient times and can be ornate and elaborate. Some collectors seek only canes with special features, such as hidden knives, swords, whiskey flasks or risque pictures seen through peepholes. Others seek canes that date to a certain era or certain design.

Canes and walking sticks are remarkably varied and include a variety of heads made of gold, ivory or exotic materials like animal bones. Common woods used in walking sticks include bamboo, ebony, maple, sandalwood and rosewood. Others were made of glass and many were trimmed in gold, silver or brass.

Walking sticks were often given as a gift or commemorative item. Civil War veterans were often presented with sticks commemorating battles. Apparently President James Madison’s favorite walking sticks were made from wood taken from the famous U.S. Navy warship, the USS Constitution during one of its renovations.

The ladies, too, had clever canes that were meant to accessorize their outfits during the Victorian age. But ladies’ canes date back much earlier to the Middle Ages, when French women carried slender applewood walking sticks, according to cane collector and expert Jeffrey B. Snyder. Snyder wrote a definitive book on the walking stick habit called, “Canes From the 17th-20th Century.”

Condition, special features, exotic materials and the history or provenance of the cane is most important to collectors. Think about all the famous people who have used a walking stick: everyone from real-life leaders, such as President Abraham Lincoln, to fictional persons like James Bond.

But all walking sticks are attractive to display in an entry hall or umbrella stand. These elegant reminders of a slower, walking society, are often works of art and are classified as folk art today.

Canes designed for females might include a perfume bottle in the handle or a vanity handle that included a comb and mirror done in Bakelite. So this collectible easily translates to female fashion tastes as well. Even Faberge created masterpiece canes.

Actually a cane sounds like a great purchase for any man or woman since it is a timeless treasure to enjoy!