I carved a walking stick for my father-in-law last year, from alder. Around 100 cm tall, slightly crooked horizontally. Painted with stained walnut varnish. Rubber end cap.
Camel's are known to be hard headed and stubborn, but luckily the camel that got this as a gift has a sense of humour.
Right now I'm also carving another walking stick to an elderly relative. This time the head will be a whooper swan and it will have a winterized (spiky) head.
Definetely prefer encourament to walking rather than smoking.