Blackthorn Walking Stick

Visually this item is a huge disappointment.  IMO it does not look nearly as nice in real life as it does in the photo.  No one would ever be fooled into thinking it was a real wood walking stick, you can see the lines from where the plastic was molded and it definitely has a rough plastic feel to the stick part.  The burled "wood" knob is polished smooth and almost looks like real wood, but the effect is ruined by the fact that it has rough cut edges and weird gaps where it meets the black stick.  

I cannot speak for how it functions as I bought this as a gift.  The only good things I can say are that it does feel sturdy and it was indeed economically priced.  It does have some heft to it, so I suspect it would hold up well and double nicely as a self defense item, more so than other comparably priced traditional canes.

That said, the aesthetics are a real turn off for me.  I am pretty sure that with a little more effort something could have done to make this cane look less cheap in real life.  As I mentioned above, I ordered this as an Xmas present but I would never have purchased this item if I'd seen it in a store instead of just in a picture.   Unfortunately, now it's too late to exchange before Xmas, but I am embarrassed to  give it.  

We will see what the recipient thinks, if he's as put off by it as me it will definitely go back.

Very functional  representation of the  Irish walking stick.   The knob end needs more work to make it look more realistic and fit the hand better

An excellent stick for walking and self defense, very solid but not to heavy. Perfect height if you are six foot tall or more, otherwise it's easy to cut it to size if you are shorter.

I am very pleased with the quality of this walking stick. It is a little heavier than I was expecting, but I don't think that is a bad thing. It feels sturdy and hefty. It also looks really great!

A sturdy, quite substantial walking cane. I was a little concerned that it might bend; because it was constructed, from polypropylene. NO WAY! This cane is stronger than any cane I've ever owned. The only down side is, it's not for anyone with small hands. The root knob is quite large. It would be an intimidating, personal defense item.

It's a heavy stick, has some edges on the knob part that could have been rounded over a little. There is a gap between the knob and shaft, not much but still there. Overall a great walking stick.

The walking stick is more than I expected.  The wood on the top sets if off and it is very sturdy. Thank you.