A STERLING SILVER MOUNTED WALKING CANE

A STERLING SILVER MOUNTED WALKING CANE

With a secret compartment for liqueur hidden in the wooden shaft, an Art Deco design embossed silver handle marked STERLING 925 SILVER and a small rosette with the maker's mark: HOWELL LONDON ENGLAND. Footnote: Howell & Co could probably be best described as the Wilkinson of canes. The Howell Company was founded in 1832 London by John Howell at 76 Aldersgate, but it is only in 1859 that the company really became known for its canes under the leadership of John’s son Henry. Henry married into a cane maker family and started his own shop which merged with the original one in 1867. The company expanded to become one if not the biggest producer in the world, employing nearly 500 people and reached its pinnacle around 1910. While of course not every walking stick was meant as a self-defense implement, the Howell Company made sticks out of extremely resilient woods and tested each their sticks for solidity. A gentleman looking for a cane to defend himself in England or America would have probably felt confident carrying a Howell cane.

Dimensions: L: 34 in., (88 cm)

Condition: Very good