This striking vintage Russian lady's cane sports a long silver niello handle that measures 6-1/2 inches x 1 inch in diameter. It tops a slender 5/8-inch thick ebony shaft which terminates in a horn tip. Overall length is 36 inches. This walking stick is a beauty!
designs are “gouged out“ of the silver. The niello mixture of pure silver, copper and lead in a ratio of 1:2:3 is created. Sulfur causes the new metal to become a grainy black and it is crushed into powder form. The powder is then ...click for details
This horse measurer gadget cane dates from the 1930s and measures the height of a horse at the withers in both metres and hands (4 inches to a hand. The measuring stick is concealed within the pale bamboo shaft, which terminates in a 1-1/2-inch metal tip. The studded metal and wood handle measures 1-1/2 x 1-1/4 inches and it sits above a 7/8-inch metal collar. Overall length of this fun systems cane is 38 inches.
This 1920s cane boasts a lovely ivory handle carved in the form of a child's Renaissance head. It is likely French in origin. The features are crisply delineated with a beautiful patina. There is an old repair to the nose. The head measures 2-1/4 x 2 inches and sits on a silver collar and hardwood shaft terminating with an ivory tip. Overall length is 36-1/2 inches.
This functional stag horn handled riding crop from the 1920s was carried by foxhunters when they rode to the hounds. The handle including metal collar is 3 x 4-1/4 inches. The entire crop is 27 inches in length. Some crops have shafts that are made of leather, but this one is made of stepped hardwood. "F.G. Cornwallis" is engraved on the collar. You don't have to be a member of the horse and hound set to own this.
Another amusing gadget cane from the 1920s-1930s, this one in the form of a pipe. The cane's handle serves as the pipe's bowl and the stem, stored in the shaft, attaches to it. The handle itself is 2-1/4 inches. The overall length of the cane is 35 inches. The wood appears to be sycamore. Similar models appear on pages 66 and 67 of Catherine Dike's "Canes Curiosa From Gun to Gadget."
This gentleman burglar's cane is a square forged iron rod with a 4-1/2 inch wide, L-shaped handle and integral fluted ferrule. The handle and collar are nickel plated and the shaft is ebonized. Overall length is 34 inches. The walking stick belonged to an older New Yorker who terrorized jewelry stores, smashing showcases while his wife scooped up the jewels. He stayed at the scene of the crimes, leaning on his cane, with his elegantly dressed wife, the jewelry in her pockets. He never got ca ...click for details
