Antique Push Stick - Antique Ski Poles   
c. 1920's - 40's, 20th Century
Wood, leather, metal
63" tall, 7.5" basket diameter
© Vintage Winter

A great set of vintage bamboo ski poles featuring original leather hand grips, bamboo shafts and large elite Duraloid covered double leather basket rings.  It was described in the c. 1921 Lund brochure as follows:  "A high quality pole of thick wall Tonkin cane, Duraloid covering in red or blue colors.  Attractive and strong.  Double rattan ring 7.5" diameter, laced with Indian Tan leather.  Deep brass ferrule and tapered square point of tempered steel.  Rubber grip and wide, leather wrist stop".  All in all a great set to decorate the walls of your home.     

Single poles were used until about 1910 and made of a hardwood (hickory, willow, oak, etc.) to be sturdy and strong “push sticks”. In the 1920’s, bamboo shafts became popular because they were lighter weight and still strong. Ski Poles were also made of cane, in fact many of the 1940s WWII US Military 10th Mountain Division Ski Troops had cane poles with leather hand grips, rattan ring baskets with leather straps. The tip was steel and most had aluminum ferrules protecting the “snow” end of the ski pole (dating 1920s – 1950s). Adaptations continued in the ski pole “baskets” – going from a sturdy round wooden discs – to rattan rings and leather lacing. The hand straps of the ski pole were once simple canvas straps. Leather hand grips and straps were “in” for ski fashion in the 20s and 30s. Ski poles evolved to rubberized hand grips, metal shafts and metal rings in the late 1940s and 1950s.