Bengalas Tokotoko by Alvaro Wolmer is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award Hiriwa in Hoahoa Putanga Motuhake me te Hoahoa Ritenga Competition Category.

HiriwaPutanga Motuhake· 2022

Bengalas Tokotoko

by Alvaro Wolmer

Client: Álvaro Wolmer Movelaria Fina Ltda.

A' Design Award Hiriwa Winner in Putanga Motuhake Category

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Colors

The Design

About Bengalas Tokotoko

Ko Bengalas he kohinga tokotoko haere i mahia ki te oki whero, ki te oki mā rānei. E rua ngā āhua o ngā kakau: he āhua C me te āhua T. Ko ngā tokotoko mō ngā tāne he 25 mm te whānui, ko ngā tokotoko mō ngā wāhine he angiangi ake, he 22 mm te whānui. Ka mahia te roa ki tā te kaihoko i tono ai. Kua whai tiwhikete FSC te oki. Kua whakapakaritia ngā kakau katoa ki te jacaranda paulista, he rākau taketake nō Parahi. Kua whakaotia ngā mata ki te hinu tung. Ko ngā pito taea te whakakapi i mahia ki te konumohe me te rapa paparanga kia pūmau ai te pānga ki te whenua.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hiriwa

Ko Bengalas Tokotoko te toa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa taumata teitei rawa, ātaahua me te whakamīharo. Ko ngā toa Hiriwa he mahi tino kanapa, tino auaha e whakaatu ana i te mātanga, te pūmanawa me te mōhio hōhonu o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Bengalas Tokotoko he mahi whakamīharo, he tauira, he tino ngaio, he auaha hōhonu. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Hiriwa he hanganga rongonui, whakamīharotia e whai wāhi ana ki te whakawhānui i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ko Bengalas Tokotoko he mahi e hae ana te tini, e whakaara ana i ngā hiahia, e kawe mai ana i ngā kare-ā-roto pai, ā, e whakaoho ana i te mīharo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The walking sticks are made to perfection of best quality red or white oak. Handles can have a C shape or a T shape. Walking sticks for men have a diameter of 25 mm; walking sticks for women are a little slimmer: 22 mm of diameter. The oak is FSC certified. All the handles of our walking sticks are reinforced with jacaranda paulista (Machaerium villosum), a Brazilian native wood. The walking sticks are finished, basically, with tung oil. The replaceable tips are made of aluminum and laminated rubber.
Dimensions & Packaging: Walking sticks for men have a diameter of 25 mm; walking sticks for women are a little slimmer: 22 mm of diameter. The oak is FSC certified. The length is custom made. MDF Package: 105 cm long x 20 cm wide x 3.6 cm thick.
Tags: walking stick, cane, luxury walking stick, wooden walking stick, fine walking stick, fine cane, de luxe walking stick, de luxe cane
Production Technology: The walking sticks are produced by fine artisans with regular woodworking machines and techniques, plus a CNC router to shape them and the MDF package. The replaceable tips are made of aluminum and laminated rubber. The aluminum parts are produced in a CNC lathe and anodized in black. The scientific names of the two woods are laser engraved. The walking sticks are finished with tung oil. The oak is FSC certified.
Design Challenge: Very few things are older in the history of humankind than a walking stick. At the present time, it was a real challenge to create something just a little better or slightly different from many many walking sticks. Having said that, I think I have created a walking stick that gathers several qualities: beauty, warmth, discretion, lightness, durability, and good design.
Research: I basically researched on the Internet. I saw thousands of walking sticks/canes before start making my own designs. From the very beginning, I wanted to have a walking stick: (1) of solid wood, (2) pleasant to touch, (3) with a decent tip (4) durable. The walking sticks are made of laminated oak and jacaranda paulista. The purpose: no joins, stability, and strength. The walking sticks have non slippery, replaceable and elegant tips.
Inspiration: I have been making fine furniture for almost 4 decades. Some old clients became my friends, and every now and then asked me to make a walking stick. I made one, two, three, and realized that there is not an actual fine walking stick in the market, in Brazil or abroad. That was my inspiration. The C handle is a classic. The T handle is my design.
Project Duration: The project started in Sao Paulo in January 2016 and ended in São Paulo in January 2021.
Operation Flow: Oak wood is a very special material for the walking sticks: it is strong, beautiful, warm in the winter, fresh in the summer. I have heard from many buyers: "I love my walking stick. When I am not walking with her, I have her on my lap” or “I love to have my walking stick in my hands, even when I am not using it”.
Patents: The design was registred in IAB - Instituto dos Arquitetos do Brasil.
Team Members: Designer: Alvaro Wolmer
Master Woodworker: Daniel Lavaroni
Master Woodworker: José de Deus Rocha
Image Credits: All photos were taken by Ding Musa.