Ambulist - reputed to be the name for a collector of sticks but it actually only refers to walking from the Latin 'ambulare'. There is no Latin words for walking stick.

Antipugilism - the art of fighting with sticks.

Balance - This in a stick refers to how well it carries, the shank must be straight and balance the head / handle. It should also have a slight taper from top to bottom. The whole stick should feel 'lively' in the hand.

Cane - The generic name in the US for walking stick as it was in Britain around the time of Henry VIII. Today in Britain it only relates to turned sticks or exotic imported woods.

Carrying stick - Shaped rather like a shallow W, used for carrying objects over the shoulder, the weight being on the back and counter balanced by a hand on the front.

Cleek - Otherwise know as leg crook or leg cleek which is used for catching sheep by their hind leg made usually from metal.

Collars and Bands - Used to tidy up or decorate the joint between the handle and the shank.

Congo Pearl - A method of causing small interesting regularly spaced knobs on a stick. This is done by using a special tool and wounding the wood during growth, the knobs being the resulting scars. Mostly used on chestnut.

Coppice - An ancient way of harvesting wood by cutting back to ground level usually every 5 to 10 years.

Country sticks - A broad term that covers Crook's, Market sticks, Thumbsticks, Hiking sticks and Wading sticks i.e. sticks that would be used in the country.

Crook - A handle that is bent back around to form a semi-circle.

Crown - The highest point on the stick. It may be central or slightly to one side.

Dipping Hook - Used in dipping baths to first push the sheeps head and then to lift it clear again.

Fancy - A shepherd's crook with a carved decoration. Popular carvings include Squirrel, Thistle and Sheep dogs.

Ferrule - The protecting cover at the bottom of the stick to prevent excessive wear and to prevent slipping, can be made of many materials, steel, brass, horn, rubber etc.

Flaming - Light scorching of a stick to give it colour.

Fuming - The staining of a stick using ammonia fumes.

Gadget sticks - A stick which has a dual purpose i.e. contains a gadget inside e.g. handle is also a corksrew or the shaft is hollow and contains an umbrella, see also tippling sticks.

Head - The part grasped by the hand. It may be of horn, wood from a seperate block, or a continuation of the shank.

Heel - The part of the head in line with the shank, that turns from horizontal to vertical. It is shaped into either a square or a round heel.

Knobstick - A one piece stick with the handle made from the root of the wood, usually made from ash, hazel, chestnut, oak, applewood and blackthorn.

Line - The curve of the handle as seen in silhouette.

Market stick - A fancy shepherd's crook with a carved decoration. Popular carvings include Squirrel, Thistle and Sheep dogs, these were more of a social symbol.

Mouth - The Opening of the head at its narrowest point between the shank and the nose, which in the case of a crook takes the sheep's neck or leg.

Nose - The end part of the handle or crook which is farthest away from the shank. It may be fashioned into a decoration but it should never drop below the level of the base of the heel.

Nose mounts - Rounded metal caps which are fitted to the end of the handle often made from silver.

Rhabdopholist - A collector of staffs of office, an alternate name for a stick collector, see ambulist.

Shank - The stem or shaft of a stick below the head, made mostly from woods, e.g. hazel, ash, holly etc.

Shepherd's crooks - A long stick usually of about 48" which is used to catch and seperate sheep. Various forms, Kneck crooks which wide enough to catch a sheep by it's kneck usually made from materials such as rams horn or Buffalo horn or a one piece stick made from the woods like hazel with an attached root stem shaped into the handle. Leg cleeks, usually made from metal to catch the leg of a sheep. Market sticks, a fancy crook with a carved decoration. Popular carvings include Squirrel, Thistle and Sheep dogs, these were more of a social symbol. Dipping hooks made from metal or wood, used for pushing a sheep into the dipping tank and then lifting clear.

Shillelagh - The name derives from a Village in County Wicklow, Eire. A heavy club made from blackthorn, was originally used as a throwing stick against game or other objects.

Shooting stick - A walking stick with handles that folds out to form a seat.

Shotgun stick - A walking stick incorporating a shotgun usually small gauge e.g .410 gauge, used to be carried by gamekeepers and poachers alike.

Slipper mount - Similar to nose mounts usually made of silver but the end is flattened rather than being rounded.

Spacer - Used between the handle and the shank to create a joint.

Sword Cane – (Sword stick) A cane which conceals the blade of a sword or dagger, as in a sheath.

Thumbstick - Any stick of 4 feet or taller, usually with a 'V' shape to hook your thumb over when walking, these can either be fashioned from a single piece of wood, a seperate piece joined on or from antler.

Tippling stick - A secret compartment within the stick usually holds a glass phile that can be filled with your favourite tipple, the top of the stick usually unscrews to reveal its contents, sometimes small drinking cups are also included.

Twisty sticks - These sticks have been distorted in growth by a spiral constriction usually honeysuckle.

Wading staff - Usually 4 feet or higher with a non slip ferrule fitted and a wrist strap through the top section of the stick, favoured by fishermen in fast flowing rivers.