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Cold Steel® Irish Blackthorn Walking Stick-Inspired by an authentic Blackthorn walking stick in the private collection of Cold Steel® president Lynn Thompson. The original was a weapon the Irish called "shillelagh" that measured 2 to 4 feet long and was made from the Blackthorn bush found throughout Ireland and the British Isles. It was originally the national weapon of rural Ireland but was later banned by British law because in expert hands, the Shillelagh was deadly. So the Irish modified it a wee bit to get around the law and turned it into a walking stick. The British didn't feel they could outlaw walking sticks too, so the world gained a beautiful and functional walking stick simply called the Blackthorn.