I carve from a variety of wood: pine, cherry, pinion pine: these sticks are decorative and are not suitable for persons with disabilities, nor are the meant to replace a medical mobile aid. That being said, I have enjoyed countless walks and hikes with these sticks without incident, utilizing them not for carrying any weight, but for minor stability when hiking. My designs are my own, and each item, again is unique and one of a kind. At the moment we are working on a more stable shipping method, so we are unable to sell these for a short time.