1.       Shape of Handle:

A variety of different shaped handles are available including:

U shaped handles

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Often seen in hand crafted wooden walking sticks, people who need to start using walking sticks regularly because of health conditions, find the U Shape less comfortable than Right angled or T Shaped handles. Wooden walking sticks are often made as handicrafts for display purposes and due caution has to be exerted when choosing a wooden walking stick for weight bearing ability.  All said, they do have one advantage that they can easily be hooked over the arm when not in use.

Right angled handles or T-shaped

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These are often more comfortable to use than a U shaped handle. The addition of a wrist strap may be useful to secure the stick when it is not in use.

Swan necked shafts

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Handles with swan necked shafts are offset above the stick, which allows the user’s weight to be evenly spread centrally over the base of the stick. This may be helpful if user requires more stability.

Contoured Handles

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These are anatomically shaped handles, which spread the pressure over a wider area of the palm. This can improve comfort for long term users especially those with painful hands. They are produced for left OR right handed use so make sure you buy the correct one. So far, these are not commonly available in India