Guide
Natty vs modded: natural sticks and carved sticks
Two schools of stick, both respected. Here is how to tell them apart.
By the Stick League team ·
Stick fans online talk about two kinds of stick. A natty stick is natural, exactly as found. A modded stick has been changed by a person: carved, whittled, sanded, painted, varnished or fitted with a handle. Every Stick League card is marked one or the other.
How the judges decide
When you scan, the judge looks for signs of human work: clean cut ends, carved patterns, sanded or polished surfaces, paint, varnish, or fittings like a rubber tip. If it sees them, the card says Modded. Otherwise it says Natty. Driftwood that the sea has smoothed counts as natty. The sea is not a person.
Does it change the score?
No. The rarity roll treats natty and modded sticks the same; both are judged on how remarkable they look. It is a label, not a penalty.
The case for natty
- It is a pure find. The shape is the tree's work and the weather's, not yours.
- Anyone can do it on any walk, with no tools.
- Many collectors think the strangest shapes are the ones nobody planned.
The case for modded
- Stickmaking is a real craft with a long tradition, from shepherds' crooks to carved walking sticks.
- A good mod brings out what is already there: a cleaned-up knot, a smoothed grip, an oiled grain.
- A modded stick can be more useful. A ferrule and a shaped handle make a better walking stick.
Light-touch mods
Some changes sit in a grey area: peeling loose bark, trimming a twig, brushing off mud. The judges look at the result, so a stick that still looks natural will usually read as natty.
Whichever school you are in, read our guide to what makes a good walking stick before you reach for the knife.
