Espley Walking Sticks handcrafted in north Wales, United Kingdom
My interest in walking sticks began over thirty years ago when I wanted a thumbstick and all I could find at local shows were poor quality and overpriced factory-made specimens, so I decided to make my own and purchased a book on the craft of stick dressing.
One after another I turned out sticks from hazelwood, making simple knobsticks and thumbsticks, but the pictures in my book were of splendid horn handled crooks and stick handles with carved animal heads and I was determined to learn the skills necessary to create such works of art.
I specialise in Welsh mountain rams horn handled sticks, particularly plain market sticks and shepherds crooks but also decorated handles with animal carvings.
My walking sticks are finished to the highest standard, made in the traditional way, well balanced and proportioned with a nice comfortable hand, all intended for daily use.
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Spring 2023
Here we are, emerging from a long cold and wet winter in north Wales. A very busy 2022 for me making walking sticks, shepherds crooks and decorated sticks and l have been fortunate that many good quality rams horns have come my way, though now far more expensive to buy. Most of my work has …

Spring 2022
Spring here in North Wales has begun with some glorious sunny weather. As well as making sticks my winter has been busy harvesting shanks from local woodlands and collecting rams horns from various places around the country. Horns and shanks are the core materials for my walking and working sticks. The shanks are not difficult …

Spring 2021
A busy few weeks in the workshop since Christmas. Plenty of new orders coming in and I’ve also found time to get out cutting shanks for next year. Its always enjoyable searching through woodland looking for that perfect specimen. To date I have cut approximately three hundred hazel shanks and a few prized holly shanks. …