Walking Sticks & Canes.

[Edward]

Picked up a nice old walnut cane at an estate sale locally a while back. I finally got around to smoothing the octagonal sides and getting some tung oil on it. ( its old and has some blemishes, but I think it looks good. Just finished sewing on a black leather handle and shaft grip cover like I did on my main anti gravity stick last year. Just need to do a bit of leather shrinking to get rid of a couple wrinkles ( its difficult to sew smooth around a curve) Guess Ive now got a casual AND a more formal walking cane

View attachment 763654 View attachment 763652 View attachment 763655 View attachment 763656 View attachment 763653 View attachment 763651

Lovely job. What's the purpose of the lower-grip - is it a Bartistu thing?

Oh, I'm the other guy. The guy who buys a brand new pair of boots, and the first thing I do after I leave the store is go out and kick the curb a few times to scuff 'em up. There. Problem solved. I no longer have to worry about whether or not I'm going to scuff 'em up, 'cause it's already been done. Not that I abuse my canes or deliberately scuff and scratch them up, but if they fall and hit the ground/floor, I don't worry about it. That said, I do have one or two canes that I try to keep in good order so I can use them as "dress" canes.

Ha, I remember kids doing that at school. Usually when they got new shoes, to stop them looking too new. Obviously new footwear of any time I remember it being common for the other kids to "Christen" with a good, hefty stomping on (while they were still being worn).

The night watchmen stick with a handmade silicone sheath I made out of grip tape for TSA purposes. You just slip it on when you go to the airport and then slip it off when you get to where you are going. View attachment 764120 View attachment 764121

Good move. I'm surprised they don't question it, though I guess they don't scan it? I once had a walking stick I was flying with so I could use it as a dress can for a party turned back at Stansted airport security. Would have been about 2007, so post 9/11 but not immediate aftermath. Had to go back to check-in (when check-in was more than just 'bag drop', and your overall weight allowance didn't limit you to one bag and specific dimensions) and have it put in the hold. Surprisingly came out in one piece. Security had debated whether they'd let me carry it on, but decided against as they could see (and I didn't fib when directly asked) I didn't need it to walk with. It was frustrating at the time, but fair enough, I suppose.

 

[RickP]

Ive thought about fitting one of the Rockler woodworking spiked tip end kits for wet / icy weather...normal rubber tip, but unscrew it and theres a 1" hardened carbide spike underneath. Great on ice, but Im thinking a sharp pointy tip might be a good thing in sketchy areas. Prob not a good idea in airports though.

 

[Sonero]

Lovely job. What's the purpose of the lower-grip - is it a Bartistu thing?



Ha, I remember kids doing that at school. Usually when they got new shoes, to stop them looking too new. Obviously new footwear of any time I remember it being common for the other kids to "Christen" with a good, hefty stomping on (while they were still being worn).



Good move. I'm surprised they don't question it, though I guess they don't scan it? I once had a walking stick I was flying with so I could use it as a dress can for a party turned back at Stansted airport security. Would have been about 2007, so post 9/11 but not immediate aftermath. Had to go back to check-in (when check-in was more than just 'bag drop', and your overall weight allowance didn't limit you to one bag and specific dimensions) and have it put in the hold. Surprisingly came out in one piece. Security had debated whether they'd let me carry it on, but decided against as they could see (and I didn't fib when directly asked) I didn't need it to walk with. It was frustrating at the time, but fair enough, I suppose.

I have a doctor's note. If that isn't enough I let them squeeze my diapers when they pat me down ! They know for sure homeboy ain't messing around.
Yes they do scan but its solid.. Nobody knows the rubber grip slides off....

 

[robrinay]

Here are my two Malacca canes with Ivory and Stag Horn handles from 1886 and 1887 respectively

 

[Edward]

Ive thought about fitting one of the Rockler woodworking spiked tip end kits for wet / icy weather...normal rubber tip, but unscrew it and theres a 1" hardened carbide spike underneath. Great on ice, but Im thinking a sharp pointy tip might be a good thing in sketchy areas. Prob not a good idea in airports though.

A stick's a bit like a knife when it comes to self defence, imo: can be useful, but if you don't have a bit of training in the right methods, it does create a danger it can be taken from you and used against you. That qualifier aside, I suspect the best option is just a good, hefty stick in and of itself. That way nobody can suggest you'd gone out tooled up and looking for trouble! YMMV with local laws, of course.

Ice spikes look a great idea in the ice, though I would have thought would reduce the usefulness of the stick as a balance aid on hard and flat ground without the ice?

 

[RickP]

A stick's a bit like a knife when it comes to self defence, imo: can be useful, but if you don't have a bit of training in the right methods, it does create a danger it can be taken from you and used against you. That qualifier aside, I suspect the best option is just a good, hefty stick in and of itself. That way nobody can suggest you'd gone out tooled up and looking for trouble! YMMV with local laws, of course.

Ice spikes look a great idea in the ice, though I would have thought would reduce the usefulness of the stick as a balance aid on hard and flat ground without the ice?

That kit has a threaded metal ferrule inside the rubber tip and it just screws over the spike which is also theaded. Screw the rubber on and no one knows its there.

In a past life Ive had a couple jobs that required breaking things and changing attitudes quickly.... Im a big fan of sticks.. Thats why I put leather covers on the grip and down the shafts of my canes..... good nonslip gripping surfaces

 

[Zombie_61]

...Screw the rubber on and no one knows its there...

That's what she said.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Purchased a blackswift. Maybe too light and thin for me but for the price it looks interesting thank you.

You're welcome! The BlackSwift carbon fiber stick I have is super skinny, tapered, and looks like it wouldn't hold up much. The first few times I took it out the door I was sure this was going to be a disaster. Never the case though and the fiberglass version they sell now is supposedly a straight, non-tapered shaft and a heck of a lot tougher than the early carbon version. Would love to hear what you think of it once you've had the chance to take it for a spin.

Oh, and it was a motorcycle wreck a couple summers ago. Left foot snapped off in the middle of nowhere. I rode 450 miles home w/ a foot slip sliding around on the end of my leg and had it screwed back to right a few days later. Rarely bugs me now but when it does a nice stick is a welcome partner. Paired w/ a fedora the BlackSwift looks refined and graceful. The Cold Steel stick is about 4x the weight and looks like it was made for changing truck tires.

I hope you like it!

 

[Sonero]

You're welcome! The BlackSwift carbon fiber stick I have is super skinny, tapered, and looks like it wouldn't hold up much. The first few times I took it out the door I was sure this was going to be a disaster. Never the case though and the fiberglass version they sell now is supposedly a straight, non-tapered shaft and a heck of a lot tougher than the early carbon version. Would love to hear what you think of it once you've had the chance to take it for a spin.

Oh, and it was a motorcycle wreck a couple summers ago. Left foot snapped off in the middle of nowhere. I rode 450 miles home w/ a foot slip sliding around on the end of my leg and had it screwed back to right a few days later. Rarely bugs me now but when it does a nice stick is a welcome partner. Paired w/ a fedora the BlackSwift looks refined and graceful. The Cold Steel stick is about 4x the weight and looks like it was made for changing truck tires.

I hope you like it!

Where did you see on the website that they switched to one thickness tube? The website says they still taper at the bottom.

 

[GHT]

Following my hip replacement a few years back, my surgeon told me to use some sort of support. "Don't be vain," he said, "If you trip and fall, it could easily undo all my work. Get yourself a strong walking stick."
A strong cane the man advised, I remember doing a search and lo & behold I found that search. Tell me, would you pay £12K for a cane? Albeit an 19th century rarity:

Have a look at the website: https://www.mayfairgallery.com/early-19th-century-english-gold-mounted-cane
"Where's your Grandfather's cane," Tina asked. I told her that It's still in the umbrella stand.

Nowadays I still heed the surgeon's advice, although it's more of a comfort blanket than an actual support. I have a couple of common or garden canes for everyday use and grandfather's beauty for special occasions. Mea culpa, I have a guilty sin. My cane often gets me a chair or privileged place when some function or other is crowded.

 

[GHT]

The Stick & Cane Company have some very tempting canes, but I just cannot justify the cost of the indulgence.

 

[Sonero]

I came across a cane maker in the UK called Nephilim Canes :

https://www.facebook.com/groups/336993400711559/

Would love to contact them but I do not have a Facebook account. Can anyone provide me with contact details ?

Thanks so much.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Where did you see on the website that they switched to one thickness tube? The website says they still taper at the bottom.

Sorry... didn't see your post prior. I'm going off of memory and my recollection is that they initially offered two versions; a carbon that was dramatically tapered (which I have) and a fiberglass that was much stouter and much straighter. The website has changed significantly in the last year or two and either my memory is faulty or they've combined what they felt were the best features of both into one new stick.

 

[Edward]

Following my hip replacement a few years back, my surgeon told me to use some sort of support. "Don't be vain," he said, "If you trip and fall, it could easily undo all my work. Get yourself a strong walking stick."
A strong cane the man advised, I remember doing a search and lo & behold I found that search. Tell me, would you pay £12K for a cane? Albeit an 19th century rarity:
View attachment 764321
Have a look at the website: https://www.mayfairgallery.com/early-19th-century-english-gold-mounted-cane
"Where's your Grandfather's cane," Tina asked. I told her that It's still in the umbrella stand.
View attachment 764322
Nowadays I still heed the surgeon's advice, although it's more of a comfort blanket than an actual support. I have a couple of common or garden canes for everyday use and grandfather's beauty for special occasions. Mea culpa, I have a guilty sin. My cane often gets me a chair or privileged place when some function or other is crowded.

It's surprising the difference a cane can make. My wife has the occasional flare-up of her psoriasis that affects her mobility badly. A few years ago she needed to use a cane for a few months when it got really bad (it mimics arthritis in her joints, though it's a phantom symptom that doesn't, fortunately, leave behind the damage of actual arthritis). Before she got the cane, a lot of people used to push and shove her on the tube for being slow; once the cane appeared it was surprising how much more considerate most people were.

 

[Trouser Bark]

people used to push and shove her on the tube for being slow; once the cane appeared it was surprising how much more considerate most people were.

It's hard not to like preferential boarding at the airport.

 

[Edward]

It's hard not to like preferential boarding at the airport.

Not something we experienced with airports (we've not flown on holiday for seven or eight years now, so all my flying in that time has been primarily solo, with work), but during that period we did holiday in Paris, which was wonderful. Staff were remarkably helpful everywhere - not least at the Louvre, where they spotted us in the entrance queue and came running over to wave us straight in via another door.

 

[M Hatman]

I was thinking about canes lately as I occasionally have to use one (or a walking stick). I have several "Special" canes with everything from flasks, to swords/daggers, to even a compass. Here is my stick holder in the hall with a nice variety of canes that do "something else" (many more downstairs).

 

[M Hatman]

Here is a recent purchase of a "special" cane. This one was made over in the late 19th or early 20th century using a 12.5" dagger from a 1820's cane that was destroyed. The canes carrying these back then were thin delicate affairs often made to resemble hawthorn or bamboo (with the surprise inside). This one will last much longer than the original did.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Here is a recent purchase of a "special" cane.

Has it been your experience that friction fit cane sections stay together well? Seems like that could be finicky and that coming apart on its own could be pretty uncomfortable.

 

[M Hatman]

Has it been your experience that friction fit cane sections stay together well? Seems like that could be finicky and that coming apart on its own could be pretty uncomfortable.

That would be a no.....most of all mine either screw fit or in the case of the sword canes have a locking devise (usually a spring hook). This one was done by someone who did a VERY tight friction fit, and while well made fits way too tight.....making it very difficult to separate.