Sir Jeffrey Hillpig-Smythe’s 1941 East India Burmese Trekking Stick (Repro), 3'

 
This beautiful two piece bamboo hiking or trekking stick was originally designed by an alcoholic Brit who found his calling, at least temporarily, when drafted into service as an Intelligence Officer with the British Special Forces in Mandalay, then part of British East India. It was designed in 1941 for trekking through the jungle-clad mountains and subsequently issued to Burmese Army rangers stationed on the north east frontier. Sir Jeffrey disappeared on a trek in 1944 and his whereabouts remain a mystery.
 
The trekking cane, however, was ‘re-launched’ as the Burma Army Trekking Stick (Burma Army being the British version of the Burmese Army) in the early 2000s by a long time resident of Thailand, Dennis Brown, a British man who inherited a small factory in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, run by Sir Jeffrey’s descendants. 
 
It is constructed of mature baby bamboo with a smooth, solid row-boat handle. It can be unscrewed in the middle for easy transport by backpack, pulled out and put back together when needed. We believe it is a reproduction of the original, without the plaque commemorating the man who invented it.
 
These are no longer in production following Dennis Brown’s passing and the Thai government’s new protection of this kind of bamboo, which was at risk of going extinct.
 
It is a strong and sturdy cane, apparently never used by our mother, to whom it was given as a gift. It is in excellent condition.
 
The upper section is about 19” high and the bottom section about 18” high. Together they turn into a cane of approximately 36 5/8”, or about 3 feet tall. 
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.