# Bone walking stick advice please.



## Spinal (Mar 31, 2019)

Looking for some help in identifying what I have here. It seems to be bone and looks like vertebrae but I cant find any images online like this. It has been suggested as whale bone. Hopefully some opinions here will shed some light on this.Thanks.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Sure looks like bone to me, but I think it has been carved. Kind of looks like it was done in sections, too, since after every third ridge, there seems to be a gap in between and the texture is different. Probably slid onto a core of wood or something. And the segments get longer as you go to the tip of the cane, which could be deliberate by the carver or could be that the carving material was longer and thinner.

The guess of whale is as good as any I think, but probably only some sort of genetic testing could pin it down for certain.

Found a picture of something a bit similar described as a carved bone cane.


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## Rodney (Jun 12, 2015)

Those two canes look like they had the same maker.

I don't know what kind of bone but it is very possibly whale bone.

I think they were carved to resemble bamboo.

It's a shame about the tip but it's still a very nice piece.


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## Peterp (Mar 2, 2019)

My best guess is its composed of a single piece of sperm whale pane bone. Use to be a one of the ways whaleman in the 18th century would kill time out at sea or during the winter months. They would carve canes or create scrimshaw art on bone.


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## Spinal (Mar 31, 2019)

Looks like the consensus is bone and likely whale which is helpful, many thanks for your comments.


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## Spinal (Mar 31, 2019)

Update. Took it to Dickinson's real deal who were in my area today and it was confirmed as whale bone. They didn't want it on the programme due to the sensitivities surrounding the ivory/bone trade although it is legal to buy and sell this item, for now anyway. Their auctioneer's advice was it was quite valuable but I didn't ask how much, and to sell at an auction with online presence.


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