I decided it was time to order a walking stick--mostly because I think I should be too young for a cane:) . After looking around online, I found the BubbaStik, but I did not want the "Bubba Stik" burned into it. I have issues advertising other people's products, and I think it takes away from the looks. I found BubbaSam's site and the StepinStik. StepinStik does not have any names burned into it. I found the site was pretty simple and it walked me through all the steps to place my custom order.

So, a little about me: I am generally an impatient perfectionist--yeah, its a curse. Well, my new StepinStik arrived in just a couple days (I didn't even have time to be impatient). It was packed perfectly in a strong cardboard tube with the right bubble wrap in the right spots. Apparently BubbaSam has done this before! I was really excited to unwrap it and try it out. It was the perfect look, feel, and fit. While sitting there admiring it, I found a small flaw on the handle. I then looked at the reviews on Amazon and found a few negatives--don't even pay any attention to the Amazon reviews, they are not for BubbaSam--I will explain momentarily.

I fired off a rude email to Sam, who immediately replied very pleasantly with his apologies and offered to take care of everything to my satisfaction. I re-read my rude email, and I realized how inappropriate I had been. We emailed each other a few more times, and I feel as though I have learned some things about Sam. He is a good guy who really cares about his product, his customers, and people in general. Not only has he taken care of my product, but he threw in some extras to make up for any inconvenience it may have caused me--more than circumstances dictated.

In retrospect, I feel like I ripped him off! I got a great product, at a great price, and I should never have even complained in the first place. In either case, I now have much more than just a really nice looking functional, and well made "Stik", I have a good experience to remember (for as long as my memory holds out). I feel like I have made a friend with a true American (a Vet no less), who cares about quality and craftsmanship.

As for the BubbaStiks, it turns out Sam orders only the wooden shaft with the burned in logo from the original manufacturer in Texas and provides all the rest of the products himself. These are not the same products that you may see advertized on Amazon, and they are NOT the same product you may see in a truck stop.

So, if you are trying to decide if you should make a purchase, just DO IT! You won't regret it...and if you even THINK you'll regret it later, Sam will take good care of you--he's a good guy.

THANK YOU SAM!

GT