Where to buy cromach in USA

[Tobus]

If the ground is frosted or we are on rock, then we just hang the cromach on our arm when using binoculars.

I regularly hang my cromach over my forearm for all sorts of reasons when I need to use both hands. That's one of the handy features of it!

I've watched this discussion with interest, holding back from commenting. I don't understand the viewpoints from some people here that you must use a "proper" walking staff instead of a cromach. A walking stick is a walking stick, regardless of the top decoration. For 99% of what it will be used for, it doesn't matter. And I say this as one who has a wide variety of staffs that I use for all manner of things. I have hiked many hundreds of miles through rocky, steep, hilly terrain and used my sticks not only as walking aids for crossing creeks and balance on hills, but functionally for propping up shelters, etc.

Sure, if I'm doing a serious backpacking trip where I expect to abuse my stick and put it to hard use, I'll use my plain walking staff from Brazos Walking Sticks. The "combi-spike" feature allows the bottom rubber foot to be removed, exposing a spike that's very handy.



But if I'm dressed for public viewing (i.e. daywear) and expect to spend all day on my feet at a Highland Games or festival, I consider the cromach more of an appropriate stick. I don't find it pretentious any more than wearing other traditional bits of Highland attire. It just suits the aesthetic more appropriately. And the height of my cromach (traditionally it should be to the height of the owner's nipples) is just right for resting my hands at heart level. This is important to me because my hands tend to swell up when I'm walking or standing all day, and I need the ability to raise my hands up to heart level for a while so they don't throb and hurt. I can rest one or both hands at the top bend of the crook.



I'm sorry, I don't know where to buy a well-made cromach in the USA. There are a lot of sellers offering plain wooden crooks, but finding one with a traditional ram's horn crook in the USA is not easy. I bought mine from Tony Espley in Wales, and couldn't be happier. Yes, they're pricy but well worth the money and the wait.
@kiltedcontractor, I'll try to get some measurements of mine this evening and post them for you if it'll help.