Crafting a Stick

Long before the introduction of sheep, hill men would never leave the house without a stick. The stick acted as an aid and companion in the rugged environment. With the sheep came a necessity for a tool to catch and control them - thus came the Shepherd's Crook, a working tool and walking aid. The Shepherd would form his crook from sheep's horn, bending it into shape with heat from the peat fire and carving it with his knife, producing the sheep's horn crook as we know it today.

These skills are still practised today and Derek Farrar produces some of the finest selection of horn handled crooks and walking sticks found in Scotland. The choice is enormous, with many different styles and sizes. There is a stick to fit everybody, each with an elegance and beauty associated with this time honoured craft.

To see how we handcraft our walking sticks, follow the links below