Your second stick

The first walking stick is the framework choice — it teaches the user what working with a real stick feels like, what they actually use it for, and what the gap is between the stick they have and the stick they wish they had. The second stick fills that gap.

This guide is for users adding a second stick to a collection that already contains one. It assumes the first stick has been used for at least 6 to 12 months — long enough to identify the real use pattern rather than the imagined one.

When to consider a second stick

A buyer who’s been using their first stick regularly and is considering a second usually triggers on one of four observations:

• “My first stick is wrong for what I actually do.” The buyer ordered for one use case (a daily city walker) but has discovered they actually want it for another (a hill walker on weekends). Rather than replacing the first stick, they add a hill-specific second.
• “I want the daily stick to stay home and a different stick to come on travel.” Travel risk, theft concerns, or sentimental attachment to the first stick produces a desire for a second working stick — usually less precious than the first.
• “My household needs more sticks than just mine.” A spouse, an adult child, or a visitor wants to walk too; a second stick covers the household’s mixed-user need.
• “I want a ceremonial piece for occasions where the daily stick doesn’t fit.” The working oil-finished blackthorn is wrong for the ambassadorial reception or the wedding photograph; a ceremonial second piece fills the formal register.

If the buyer’s first stick is genuinely the right stick for their actual use, no second stick is necessary; a careful first purchase covers everyone’s needs for years. Buying a second stick because “having one stick seems incomplete” is bad framing.

The four common patterns

Pattern 1: Matched Nordic pair

Two sticks, used together one in each hand, with the Nordic-walking rhythm (opposite-hand-and-foot plant). The pattern suits:

• Users with hip, knee, or lower-back arthritis (see Best stick for arthritis)
• Hill walkers who want symmetric loading on substantial elevation gain
• Recovery walkers after orthopaedic surgery
• Fitness walkers who want the upper-body engagement that paired sticks provide

For a matched pair, the working specifications:

• Same wood, same length, same shaft diameter, same handle, same ferrule
• Slightly lighter per stick than a single working stick — total carry weight is double
• Both at the user’s wrist-height measurement (no terrain adjustment for the pair specifically; both sticks share the surface)
• Rubber ferrules on both (Nordic walking on hard surfaces with brass ferrules is unpleasantly loud and slidy)

Working makers can produce matched pairs from the same batch of seasoned stock — the maker selects two pieces of closely similar character and finishes them identically. Lead time for a matched pair is the same as for a single stick; the maker’s stock selection is the only added step.

Pricing for a matched pair is approximately double a single stick (slight discount for buying two together is sometimes available; ask the maker).

Pattern 2: Working stick + ceremonial stick

Two sticks at different specifications: one for daily walking, one for formal carry. The pattern suits:

• Users who own a working daily stick and have a formal occasion (retirement, wedding, regimental event) that calls for a presentation piece
• Users who’ve inherited a ceremonial stick and want a separate daily working stick
• Buyers who want to keep the working stick informal and oil-finished and have a separate polished piece for formal carry

For the working-and-ceremonial pair:

• First stick: working specification — fitness-fit length, modest decoration, oil finish, durable construction. See Your first stick.
• Second stick: ceremonial specification — substantial head, polished finish, possibly silver collar and engraving. See Best stick for ceremonial use.
• Lengths can differ by ½ to 1 inch — many users prefer a slightly taller ceremonial stick (the formal register accepts modestly tall; the daily working stick should fit precisely)
• Same wood is common (both blackthorn) but cross-wood pairing works too (working ash + ceremonial blackthorn)

The two sticks live in different places: the working stick by the front door or in the umbrella stand; the ceremonial stick in a display cabinet, on a wall mount, or in a presentation box. Different storage produces different patina over time — the working stick darkens and develops use-character; the ceremonial stick stays as-delivered.

Pattern 3: Daily flat-ground stick + hill stick

Two sticks at different lengths and possibly different woods, for different terrain. The pattern suits:

• Users who do both urban/canal-towpath walking AND serious upland walking
• Users in regions with mixed terrain (a Welsh hill walker who also visits Cardiff regularly)
• Users who want sustained hill use without compromising the daily flat-ground fit

For the flat-plus-hill pair:

• Flat stick: at the user’s normal wrist measurement, standard wood (blackthorn, ash, hawthorn), standard diameter
• Hill stick: 1 to 2 inches shorter, shock-resistant wood (hickory, blackthorn, ash), slightly thicker shaft, convertible ferrule. See Best stick for hill walking.
• Same wood is common (both blackthorn at different lengths) but cross-wood pairing makes sense too (flat blackthorn + hill hickory for genuine load-bearing hill use)

The two sticks travel separately. The flat stick lives at home and comes out for daily walks; the hill stick lives in the rucksack or by the car and comes out for the hill day. Treating them as a pair (even though they’re used separately) keeps the user thinking about which is the right tool for the current walk.

Pattern 4: Personal stick + guest stick

Two sticks at different specifications: one for the user, one for a guest or family member who walks with the user. The pattern suits:

• Households where one person is a serious walker and others are occasional walkers
• Hosts who want to offer guests a stick for joint walks (B&B owners, country-house hosts, rural Airbnb hosts)
• Couples where one partner has been walking for years and the other is just starting

For the personal-plus-guest pair:

• Personal stick: precisely fitted to the user, premium spec, deeply personal
• Guest stick: sized to typical adult height (~36 inches), modest spec, sturdy enough to survive variable use, suitable for the average guest

The guest stick is a more durable, less precious piece — typically blackthorn at standard 36×22mm, with a rubber ferrule, in a working oil finish. The personal stick is whatever the host actually wants.

Some users build out to three or four guest sticks (covering 32, 36, 39 inch options) so visiting walkers of different heights can be properly fitted on arrival.

How the second stick affects the first

Adding a second stick changes how the first one gets used. Common patterns:

• The first stick becomes the “indoor” or “lighter use” stick — the hill stick takes the hard terrain; the original handles pavement and garden
• The first stick becomes the working stick — the ceremonial second piece comes out for formal occasions only; the original handles all daily use
• The first stick gets “promoted” — once the user has a second working stick for hard use, the first becomes the cherished piece and gets babied
• The first stick gets relegated — the user discovers they actually prefer the second and the first becomes the loaner

There’s no right answer here; the patterns emerge naturally over the first few months of using both sticks. The buyer should expect their relationship with the first stick to shift slightly once the second arrives.

Wood pairings that work

Common second-stick wood combinations and what they’re for:

• Blackthorn + blackthorn: matched pair for Nordic walking, or daily + ceremonial. The canonical Irish double.
• Blackthorn + ash: daily heavy + daily light. Different woods for different days; the blackthorn for traditional register, the ash for weight-sensitive carrying.
• Blackthorn + hickory: daily walking + hill use. Traditional daily walker + the American shock-resistant hill tool.
• Blackthorn + oak: working daily + heavy ceremonial. Both substantial; the blackthorn for daily use, the oak for presentation register.
• Ash + ash: matched Nordic pair, lighter than blackthorn pair, suited for weight-sensitive carriers.
• Holly + blackthorn: pale ceremonial + dark working. Aesthetic-distinctive pair; some buyers want the visual contrast.
• Hazel + blackthorn: light everyday + heavy serious. The hazel for casual walks, the blackthorn for substantial carrying or hill use.

The two sticks don’t have to “match” aesthetically; they have to serve their actual uses well.

Budget allocation

For buyers planning ahead and considering both sticks at once (rather than buying the second 6-12 months after the first), how to allocate budget:

• For matched Nordic pair: split evenly. Both sticks are equally important; one isn’t subordinate to the other.
• For daily + ceremonial: the ceremonial piece typically costs 2 to 5 times the daily piece. If total budget is £600, allocate £150 for daily and £400-450 for ceremonial.
• For daily + hill: roughly even split. Both are working sticks; both deserve quality specifications.
• For personal + guest: the personal stick gets the substantial budget; the guest stick can be 30 to 50% of the personal piece.

For buyers who can only afford one good stick now and want to add a second later, the strong default is to buy the daily stick first and add the specialty (ceremonial, hill, Nordic) later. The daily stick provides the day-to-day usefulness while the user accumulates funds and considers the second piece.

Storage and care for multiple sticks

Two sticks need a place to live. Common arrangements:

• Umbrella stand at the front door — works for one or two daily sticks; the working register is right
• Wall mount on a coat hook — for sticks that come out only for specific use (the hill stick, the ceremonial stick); keeps them visible without cluttering the entry
• Display cabinet — for ceremonial pieces specifically; keeps the polish intact and the dust off
• Presentation box on a shelf — for the most precious pieces; protects from light and humidity

For multiple working sticks, basic care applies to all: see How to care for a blackthorn stick. The ceremonial stick can use a slightly more cautious regime (less frequent oiling, no exposure to rough use); the working sticks need the standard annual care.

Common second-stick mistakes

• Buying a second stick that duplicates the first — produces redundant rather than complementary collection
• Buying the second too soon, before understanding the first’s gap — produces a guess rather than a considered purchase
• Buying a matched pair when single-stick use is genuinely sufficient — Nordic walking is a real use case but it’s not for everyone; many users do better with one stick than two
• Underspecifying the second because “the first is the important one” — leaves the second feeling cheap and disappointing
• Overspecifying the second because “we should level up” — leaves the buyer with a precious ceremonial piece they’re afraid to actually use

A buyer who waits until they know what the gap is, identifies the right pattern, and specifies the second stick to fill the gap properly gets a complementary pair that serves longer than either stick alone.

Where to commission

For commissioning a complementary second stick — particularly matched Nordic pairs or daily + ceremonial pairings — see The makers page. The journal’s recommended Irish maker handles second-stick conversations regularly and can advise on the right pairing for the buyer’s specific first stick and intended use. For the broader gift-vs-personal-use question, see Gift vs personal use sticks.