Blackthorn Thumb Stick

Tax Information

All orders placed with delivery to the UK or the European Union, 20% VAT is added. All other orders being delivered outside the UK are VAT free and prices are amended at checkout, once the delivery country has been selected. All product prices are shown inclusive of VAT. If you are an international customer (non EU), please register and stay logged in to see ex VAT prices in the general pages.

Please note: We are not apart of the Tax Free Shopping incentive for customers travelling home and leaving the UK within 3 months of their purchase.

VAT Relief Declaration

VAT exemption allows chronically sick or disabled people to buy eligible items at 0% VAT to save them money. To qualify the goods have to be manufactured and designed specifically to suit a disabled person. VAT can only be waived on orthopaedic walking sticks designed solely for the use of the disabled. Therefore standard crooks, derby's, folding canes, country sticks, collectors and speciality canes are NOT eligible for VAT relief. We shall be working through our products to start indicating if a product is eligible for VAT relief, until we are finished please give our customer service team a call if you are unsure if the item you want is eligible.

For full details please see our Terms and Conditions.

Please place your order as usual and send in your completed VAT declaration to receive the VAT refund.

CLICK HERE to download our declaration form in a PDF format

Our Guide to Measuring Yourself for a Cane & Stick Shortening Information

Free Stick Shortening Service

We offer a FREE stick shortening service at the Stick & Cane Shop. When you order, simply enter the length required in the box provided and it will be cut to size before dispatch. If the stick can not be shortened the comment box will not appear in the checkout.

Please be aware however that we cannot refund or exchange walking sticks that have been shortened, as these have been personalised for you. All sticks are fitted with a rubber ferrule after cutting in order to protect the cut end and to limit wood bloating from water ingress.

If you would like a metal ferrule attached to your stick, or have any other specific requests for your stick, please contact us directly before placing your order.

How to Measure Yourself for a Standard Walking Stick

To measure someone for a walking stick, ask them to stand with their weight evenly on both feet, looking straight ahead and with their arms relaxed by their sides. You then need to measure from the floor to the prominent bone of the wrist. This is the length of walking stick required.

Please note this is just a rule of thumb. If the person has special needs, they may need to be measured by a medical professional. Alternatively they may have personal preferences for a longer or shorter walking stick.

We measure our sticks from the top curve of the handle where the palm rests to the bottom of the stick without the ferrule. The ferrule should not be included in the measurement as this will vary over time due to wear.

How to Measure Yourself for a Hiking Stave

When it comes to hiking staves of any variety (e.g. standard hiking staves, thumbsticks, shepherd's crooks), these tend to be longer and are held with the hand aligned vertically with the shaft. The 'rules' on which length to choose are less strict and are subject to user preference.

However, a good rule of thumb to follow is to ensure the point at which you hold the stick is somewhere between the height from the ground to the elbow, or the ground to the sternum (i.e. the bone at the centre of your chest where your rib cage ends). Remember, this is the height at which your hand will hold the stick, and in the case of thumbsticks, this is the height at which your thumb will rest in the notch. The overall length of the stick will be slightly longer. So please consider this when working out the overall length you need. Please see diagram below.

Please note that if you choose to have your hiking stave, thumbstick or shepherd's crook shortened, we will fit it with a rubber ferrule. However, for an additional charge we can fit the stick with a steel ferrule or a combi-ferrule. Please contact us before purchase if you would like to have one of these fitted to your stick.