I Think I Found the Pewter Handle to a Really Old Walking Stick!

[FreeBirdTim]

Back in the woods today searching for that last piece of my shoe buckle. Didn't find it, but I did find something really different. I'm not positive, but I think it's the handle to a very old walking stick! It's made of pewter and is hollow, but solid and sturdy. Very ornate with a tiny hole on the side where I think you would nail a brad into the wood to hold it in place.

I could be way off on this one, so let me know what you think. No matter what it is, this relic is really cool!

Here's a few pics:

 

[Patriot Relics]

Gorgeous piece of early pewter, big congrats

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Thanks, guys! As for preserving it, it's in really solid condition right now. Not flaking or corroded like most of the pewter spoons I find. I did nick it in two spots with my digger, but I couldn't help that. It was only 3 inches down, but under a root at the base of a tree. Had a really tough time extracting it.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Just an update on this relic. I found a cool website called "Cane Quest" and thought they might be able to do a better job of dating it. Here's their reply:

I would agree it could very well be a cane handle! Is it pewter or base metal? If base metal, it may have originally been plated, that it is if it in fact a cane handle. The elongated and slightly flaring knob leads me to believe it is from the period up to 1800.

How exciting to find something like this!

So it could definitely be from the colonial era! She's probably right about it being plated at one time and that it's some sort of base metal. Pewter relics rarely come out of the ground looking this nice.

Here's a link to their website detailing the history of cane handles. Very informative!

Cane handles | Canequest