The walking sticks of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson

At the time British walking stick makers had access to the best material from all around the world.

Here are some articles from the Victorian era New York Times describing the walking sticks of the era:

ttp://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F70C15FE3B5A1B7493C7A91788D85F458784F9

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F00E1EF93D5F1A7493CBA91788D85F478784F9

Walking stick materials in that era:

http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/mechanics/Workshop-Receipts-5/Walking-Sticks.html#.UghYWuC-ty4

http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/mechanics/Workshop-Receipts-5/Walking-Sticks-Part-2.html#.UghYseC-ty4

http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/mechanics/Workshop-Receipts-5/Walking-Sticks-Part-3.html#.UghYyeC-ty4

http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/mechanics/Workshop-Receipts-5/Walking-Sticks-Part-4.html#.UghY4OC-ty4

http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/mechanics/Workshop-Receipts-5/Walking-Sticks-Part-5.html#.UghY-OC-ty4

http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/mechanics/Workshop-Receipts-5/Walking-Sticks-Part-6.html#.UghZEeC-ty4

At the ends there are some details regarding the actual process of walking stick making too.

Enjoy!

Mark Twain in his "Innocents Abroad" talks about his alpenstock.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/119/119-h/119-h.htm#p246

"Most of the people, both male and female, are in walking costume, and carry alpenstocks. Evidently, it is not considered safe to go about in Switzerland, even in town, without an alpenstock. If the tourist forgets and comes down to breakfast without his alpenstock he goes back and gets it, and stands it up in the corner. When his touring in Switzerland is finished, he does not throw that broomstick away, but lugs it home with him, to the far corners of the earth, although this costs him more trouble and bother than a baby or a courier could. You see, the alpenstock is his trophy; his name is burned upon it; and if he has climbed a hill, or jumped a brook, or traversed a brickyard with it, he has the names of those places burned upon it, too."

Also the cover of an early edition shows him with umbrella and alpenstock.



And burning the names of the places you visit into the alpenstock