As a community-appropriate alternative to a sidearm for dog walks in Arizona, the Cold Steel Irish Blackthorn and Walkabout sticks provide incredible peace of mind and a solid visual deterrent. The Blackthorn feels impressively robust for defense, while both sticks are surprisingly versatile for guiding a stubborn leash, improving posture during rests, or even using as exercise tools for stretching. Though I have no mobility issues, the confidence these give me to protect my dog from aggressive animals while hiking is worth every penny. They are socially acceptable everywhere, feel great in the hand, and have already proven their utility for everything from shooing away stray cats to clearing branches.

I purchased this stick about five years ago. I swear by this stick, everybody I came in contact with admired it. The stick was recently lost, I am replacing it.

It looks fairly original. It’s thick at the shift and heavier than I thought it would be. It’s not as nice as a hand crafted wooden one is but feels much hardier and would stand up to some heavy swings. All in all it’s a nice piece.

Plastic piece of junk