# Type of wood cane is made of?



## nrbq123 (Dec 1, 2013)

Hi,

I came across this beautiful cane and I would like to know what kind of wood it is made of. I think it may be rosewood but I am not sure.

Thank You,

Dennis


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## DerryhickPaddy (Jun 11, 2013)

Dennis,

Hard to say for sure but it looks remarkably similar to de-barked Hawthorn (Whitethorn)

See sample of Hawthorn at link below.

Regards.

Paddy

http://www.derryhicksticks.com/?product=hn12008


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## JJireh (Feb 7, 2013)

Looks like Briar, but hard to say positively


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## gdenby (Apr 27, 2013)

JJireh said:


> Looks like Briar, but hard to say positively


Your comment prompted me to do a bunch of searching. When I was a kid, one of my friends' dad was a pipe smoker. I was admiring his pipe collection, and asked what the beautiful wood was. He said "briar." The only briar I knew of was from the old story about "Brer Rabbit and the Briar Patch." I ask him what a briar was, and he said it was a kind of rose. As I grew up, the kinds of briars I encountered were mostly red and black raspberries, which are related to roses, and whose canes are much like the branches of rose bushes.

When I was in scouts, and looking for something to carve for a neckerchief slide, I got a piece of rose bush root from a neighbor who was digging one up. Nothing like pipe briar. Later, I dug up some raspberries, and was again disappointed.

When you mentioned briar, I began searching. Much to my surprise, I found that briar also referred to an evergreen found mostly in the mediterranean basin, and also to smaller shrubs called heaths and heathers. No wonder I never found a piece of wood anything like pipe briar.

Learn something new every day.


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## JJireh (Feb 7, 2013)

Yeah, I searched for sources of briar or brier canes and found nada, but that is what I always see them referenced as. *SHRUG*


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## JJireh (Feb 7, 2013)

I just found this, but still quite elusive as to hard facts.

It did also lead to "Prickly Ash" native to Texas?


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## JJireh (Feb 7, 2013)

Sweet Briar is also linked to spiny acacia...who knows


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## littleknife (Jun 30, 2013)

It looks like a vintage congo chestnut to me.

http://www.walking-canes.net/congoeffectchestnutcrook.aspx

Quote:

"The congo effect is produced by pinching the growing chestnut stick at intervals along its length, a year before it is due to be harvested. The wounds then grow over. When the stick is harvested, the bark is removed to reveal the knobbly cane underneath."

http://www.james-smith.co.uk/productitems.cfm?catname=country-bark-and-cane-sticks

http://www.canesgalore.com/images/9017400.jpg


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## DerryhickPaddy (Jun 11, 2013)

Possibly so but the more I look at the image the more I think it could be stipped Blackthorn. It has that deep purple/red hue peculiar to Blackthorn.

http://www.derryhicksticks.com


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## littleknife (Jun 30, 2013)

It could be also an antique Jersey cabbage (kale) walking stick:

http://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/Jersey_cabbage_walking_sticks

http://jerseyeveningpost.com/island-life/history-heritage/giant-cabbage/

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VICTORIAN-CABBAGE-WALKING-STICK-WITH-HORN-HANDLE-/171279487127?pt=UK_Antiques_Woodenware_RL&hash=item27e10d9097

http://www.canesegas.com/materials/1.jersey.cabbage.cane.html

Evidently, some of the so called "briar" sticks were actually made of Jersey cabbage:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Antique-BRIAR-WALKING-STICK-PRICE-REDUCED-/121302047619?pt=UK_Antiques_Woodenware_RL&hash=item1c3e2a5b83

Quote:

"This auction is for this stunning Victorian CABBAGE STICK it measures a little over 34" from it's crook handle to the fitted brushed brass ferrule. "

They are made even today:

http://www.angelfire.com/pa/pwj/walkingstick.html

http://homestill.co.uk/cabbage.html


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## littleknife (Jun 30, 2013)

And yet another possibility is that of an antique FURZE (gorse) walking stick:

http://www.james-smith.co.uk/productdetails.cfm?prodname=Furze-Root--Nose-Crook

http://www.james-smith.co.uk/productimages/355.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furze

It seems that some of the "briar" sticks were actually made furze (gorse).

I guess "briar" did not refer to a specific species in the stick trade, but rather to a distinct appearance.


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## DerryhickPaddy (Jun 11, 2013)

Definitely not Gorse (at least in my opinion) but the pictures of Jersey Cabbage make me re-think my suggestion of either Hawthorn or Blackthorn.

http://www.derryhicksticks.com


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## littleknife (Jun 30, 2013)

DerryhickPaddy said:


> Definitely not Gorse (at least in my opinion) but the pictures of Jersey Cabbage make me re-think my suggestion of either Hawthorn or Blackthorn.


I also doubt that it is hawthorn or blackthorn.

The knobs are too numerous and quite regularly spaced, and also have a raised edge, suggesting either an attachment point of a leaf stalk or a man-made scar.

The cut thorns should result in a smoother surface.

Furze (gorse) has a range of appearance. The links I found look different from the OP's cane, but I have seen antique furze sticks which resemble it quite well.

There is also a possibility that it is yet a different plant, not mentioned yet.

Victorian era canes were made of a bewildering variety of materials.


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## Fordj (Jan 8, 2014)

My two Choke Cherry walking sticks are quite nubbly, and are similar in color if all the inner bark is not removed. Quite a bit of research involved here, it's facsinating. Gotta go follow a few more links....


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## Carl (Aug 1, 2015)

Don't sue me if I'm wrong, but I think briar is not only used for briar pipes, but I have the impression it's another name for blackthorne. I have a stick that looks quite similar. It has a nasty knob at the top end and would probably make a proper shillalegh, if was a fightin' man. I don't actually use it because it only has a rather small metal ferrule at the walking end and considering my age and condition, I can't afford to slip and fall down. But it looks nice in the jar with other canes and umbrellas.


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## Carl (Aug 1, 2015)

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought they had briar in Scotland too.


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## DerryhickPaddy (Jun 11, 2013)

(1) There is loads of briar in Scotland and (2) Briar is most definitely not another name for Blackthorn - no relation at all - only similarity are the thorns!


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