OT, but I don't know where else to ask.

[Forty Rod]

I'm trying to find a plain black enamelled U. S. Army officer's "swagger stick" with gold tip and butt, ca. 1965. 

I've looked everywhere I can think of with no luck and figured some of you folks could maybe help me out.

Thanks.

[Major Matt Lewis]

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-equip/pace-stick.htm

Got this when I googled "swagger stick."  Give it a try and see what you can come up with.

[Forty Rod]

I found all sorts of "swagger sticks", "swagger canes", "officers batons", "swagger batons", etc.....almost all British, some few German and Aussie.....but none American.

[Mulee Pete]

The only "swagger stick" I can recall in America would have been the riding crop, Patton?.  Maybe around the army military academys in officer calvary training.  How about Marine DI's, Korea/Nam era.  Us Swabbies didn't need a stick.  LOL

[Major 2]

40
see if this will suit you

I took a 30/06 shell seated a bullet in it ( no powder ) and with a small tube cutter cut it in half
Then a 28" long 3/8 " walnut dowel is fitted to the two ends and pinned.
when finished with Tung Oil it makes a sharp looking swagger stick.

It'd work with most calibers

[Trailrider]

This will be NO help, but the last military officer I knew of who carry a swagger stick was an Air Force LTC.  As a major, he had a bad habit of whacking people on the buttocks with it.  He did it to a young enlisted troop and the kid's sergeant saw it.  Sarge told the major if he ever saw him do it again, he'd personally shove it you-know-where!  The major was later transferred (not because of this incident), and still later transferred back to the same base...as a LTC!  When the wing CO heard he was coming back, he told the Missile Maintenance Squadron CO to "tell that colonel he is NOT coming on my base unless he gets rid of the stick!"    This was in the '60's!  What that idiot wanted with a swagger stick in the USAF, I never could figure. 

[Pony Soldier]

Check Ebay.  They had 4 U.S. military swagger sticks listed.

[Forty Rod]

I was given one when I was commisioned and it just disappeared over many moves and many years.  I don't have a clue why I want one like it because I never carried it a second, but I'd like another one like it.

[Books OToole]

A friend of mine inheirited a couple of his grandfather's.  His granddad served in WWI in the AEF and I think the swagger sticks were made for him when he was in the Phillipines.  I remember one had boar's tusk for the end knob.

I met his grandfather once.  He was a neat old guy and came to talk to our class about the Great War.

Books

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I knew of many "short sticks" which were usually made with a 30 or 50 cal disassembled round on each end, but most swagger sticks I ever saw were crops.

But I wasn't an oskiffer. 

[Guns Garrett]

I know the USMC Officers and Staff NCO's carried swagger sticks up until the early 1970's.  I believe the Officers had silver trim and the SNCO's were gold/polished brass.  I was shown one owned, but no longer carried, by an old Gunny that he had made while in Viet Nam, made from  very dark wood (fairly straight, but "knobby", looked like blackthorn or briar)  It was tapered, about 24" long, and had a .38 S&W case on the small end, and a .45 ACP case on the larger end.  A small Sterling silver Marine emblem (looked like a tie tack) was soldered into the primer pocket of the .45 case (may have been a cut-down .30 cal).  This was over 30 years ago, and I just admired it, but really didin't make detailed observations of it.  I have seen some Marine Corps merchandising sites (Sgt. Grit, etc) that do sell Marine swagger sticks, and have seen other sites offering British sticks, but none for U.S.Army.  For that matter, I was not even aware the Army officially had carried them.

As an aside, I was informed that in the early 70's, USMC swagger sticks were not merely dropped from the "approved items" uniform list, but actually forbidden, with no "phase-out" period, due to actual or perceived abuses (beatings, pokings, knocking off covers, etc.).  I don't know if that's true or not.

[St. George]

When I was in OCS - the TAC Officers carried 'swagger sticks' - made of both chromed steel and sometimes of a lacquered dowel with the ends made of 7.62 NATO brass - the nicer looking ones using a dummy round with the fluted case...

They used them to point out 'defects' such as loose threads (lanyards) on a shoulder patch or nametape or other item of 'offensive' attire.

Once they found one - they'd insert the tip to tear it.

Unless you could fix it over the noon meal (an almost impossible task - given the tightness of the schedule) - you got gigs the rest of the day, and that made for some very long nights - 'walking off' demerits...

One fine day - one of the 'young gentlemen' left his 'unsecured'...

Thinking solely of making certain that Government Property remained under Government 'control' - I taped it to the inside top of my footlocker - right at the bend above the hasp.

That way - it was in full view - 'if' you happened to turn the footlocker upside-down - it wasn't 'hidden' at all...

He took a Triple Basic Load of BS from his peers for its loss - a 'most' gratifying thing to witness - and the attacks of the damned things seemed to diminish somewhat when they realized we'd retaliate and were wily - self-preservation being paramount...

Still have it - and it's still 'secured' in the same place

Imagine that...

The Infantry Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning was the only place or time I ever saw them in use, though I'd imagine that the other Branch-Specific OCS Schools used them, as well.


Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Dr. Bob]

Forty Rod,

I was in an antique mall here in KC and saw one in a case with a black lacquer body and silver shell parts at each end  Had an officers eagle and possibly Capt. bars at the large end.  Didn't get it out of the case.  Was $90 or $95.  If you are interested you can call me at 816-716-8866 after Noon CDT.

[Forty Rod]

Thanks, but at that price I'll use Miss Morrell's yardstick.