2,000 handmade sticks... and still going strong!

Born in Bradford in 1931, Jim Bunney was raised by his father, grandparents, aunts and uncles after his mother died when he was just six months old. One uncle was a wool merchant who purchased a farm near York in 1937, and quickly took on the lease for another. It was when World War II broke out that Jim spent a lot of time on the farm and soon realised he was at his happiest exploring the countryside. He learned to shoot and developed his skills with a shotgun. It was on these shooting trips that he first started cutting hazel shanks and crafting walking sticks, which of course has turned into a lifelong obsession. His ability to shoot, combined with milk and cheese from the farm and a pig a year, meant the family never went hungry. 

Jim’s education was fractured, but he gained his school certificate and left school aged 14 years and 11 months. He went to work for an ex-master of the Derwent hunt, working with horses, but realised he wanted the chance to earn more money and better himself. He moved back to Bradford and joined the furniture trade before a two-year hiatus serving in the RAF for his National Service.

When he returned to Bradford and the furniture trade, Jim became chief buyer and general manager, eventually starting his own business alongside his work. Jim also purchased a business in Shipley which had a double-fronted shop and double garage behind and started a side business/hobby selling rally and motorsport accessories. He built some racing cars, modified plenty more and raced a Marcos Mini in hill combs and around short circuits, which he describes as “frightening but very fun to drive on the limit”.

Jim sold his business in 1971 but stayed on to manage its national retail division until he retired with spinal arthritis in 1994. The condition still causes him extreme pain if he lingers at his workbench too long. He carried out part-time work as a gardener and mole catcher for a cousin who has 50 acres at Denton, near Ilkley, and spent his spare time following foot and mounted packs and shooting on some amazing estates.

Now unable to walk far, and with arthritis meaning he can no longer handle a shotgun, Jim is still bound to his beloved countryside thanks to his ongoing work making the walking sticks.

Hand made from hazel shanks, no two of Jim’s walking sticks are the same – many are finished with an antler handle and a smooth wood or gleaming metal collar, others with a shaped wooden handle, and they all would make a beautiful gift for anyone who loves exploring the British countryside on foot.

Jim estimates that during his lifetime he has made over 2,000 walking sticks, the majority going to charity, and some are dotted around the world as their owners have relocated away from the United Kingdom. Jim claims that, despite making thousands of walking sticks, he’s yet to find the perfect hazel shank – and he’s still looking.