How Many are Now Carrying a Cane?

[Deltaboy]

I get doors opened for me from time to time. It still feels funny to me but I am getting over it.

[Ogreon]

It seems especially odd when it's women older than I am. They're in a slight majority. The next highest group is men (both younger and older).

Where's the Swedish Bikini Team when you need it?

[Deltaboy]

Many older ladies got in the habit after WW2 when we had wounded warriors come home according to what my Grandma tells me.

[Owen Sparks]

This is just part of carrying a cane, especially in the South.

[glistam]

Many older ladies got in the habit after WW2 when we had wounded warriors come home according to what my Grandma tells me.

My grandmother told me similar, especially with the Gray Lady Service, which she was part of.

[Deltaboy]

Owen is right a crippled man or any one with a disablity is treated with a great deal of respect and differance in the South. Yankees are rude and ask what is wrong with you like you might expect from a very young child in the South but never from an adult.

[Deltaboy]

Wife is hording the camera so I have not got pics of my last 3 canes. She did request I don't make or buy anymore until July.

I have customize 2 stock canes and got a Brass horse headed cane off ebay.

Pictures will come soon as I get her out of the house and I can get ahold of the camera.

[Owen Sparks]

I am making one out of hornbeam today. This wood is very tough but a little light for my taste so I am making it a full 1 1/4" diamiter to keep the weight up over the minimum of one pound. It is for one of our students who has to fly to New Joysey as part of his job and they do not honor our states concealed carry permits up there.

[Old Guy]

GPMG Sounds like a Brit statement Bob?

[Deltaboy]

That Hornbeam will be tough when it gets done.

[Owen Sparks]

That Hornbeam will be tough when it gets done.

It is. I gave it a workout on a big pine tree. This seems to be a good testing medium. The larger Southern pines (2' wide or so) have thick enough bark that it provides just a little bit of padding. After all, human bodies are just not that tough. I see no point in testing a stick on oak trees or rocks. Also, the bark on some trees like sweetgum can be damaged by impact. The pines in my back yard have stood up well to my occasional testing and training and show no signs of damage.

[Deltaboy]

Good I have been happy with all my canes except my hammer head it gets heavy on all day trips. I save it for short in and out days when I am in the suv 1/2 of the time.

[JimStC]

59 years old (very soon to be 60, nice round number) Just ordered my first cane. Next project is a mulberry cane, but as I have learned on other threads, now is not the time to cut a limb. Winter time project. After that I plan to work on some black locust. Tree is already down.
I do a fair amount of rough carving of sticks but nothing fine. What does the collective wisdom of THR recommend for tools/lathe?

Jim

[Deltaboy]

I use Rasps and belt sanders for shaping and scroll saw to cut out handles and such.

[Carl Levitian]

"59 years old (very soon to be 60, nice round number) Just ordered my first cane. Next project is a mulberry cane, but as I have learned on other threads, now is not the time to cut a limb. Winter time project. After that I plan to work on some black locust. Tree is already down.
I do a fair amount of rough carving of sticks but nothing fine. What does the collective wisdom of THR recommend for tools/lathe?

Jim"
_______________________


I never do any carving on my sticks. I don't think it's a good idea on a stick that may be used for defense. I have the worry that any lines or groves may induce a stress point for it to break under an impact. Since most of my own made canes are made from local hornbeam, the surface is not really good for carving anyways due to the marked natural ridges in the wood that gives it its other name "musslewood." Hornbeam is crooked and full of charter on it's own, and I don't even take the bark off. The hornbeam bark is thick, and has a very thick under layer that is tough to get off. So I tree it like blackthorn and just polish up the bark with 0000 steel wool, and just satin it and seal it when I finish the stick. The only thing that gets a real polish and fine finish is the root knob handle that looks like fine pipe brier when highly polished.

I think peeling the bark off hornbeam is a mistake, and due to the thickness of the bark may even weaken it. I noticed that when Bill Moran made hornbeam sticks, he experimented with bark on and bark off, and decided it was a mistake to remove the bark. Bill was way smarter than me, so that was good enough for me to go by.

I notice that when looking at websites with sticks, like Lollysmoith and others, they all have the sticks with bark on, and no carving in the wood.

Carl.

[Owen Sparks]

I had to take the bark off mine to get rid of the taper. It was properly seasoned and so far shows no signs of cracking even after some vigorous impact drills. I like a stick that is roughly the same diameter throughout with the balance point near the middle. The reason is so that it will handle the same no matter which end I grab it my.

[JimStC]

Not happy with this one. Too thick. Too long (37"). Bad grip. Slips on hardwood floors. I put Gorilla tape on the tip.
Don't buy this one. It isn't worth the $37 I spent.
Nine inch circumference handle grip. Umm a sledge hammer head??
Tapers from 5" to 4" (circumference). Way too big.
Very bad decision. Live and learn.

Jim

[glistam]

Hey, glad to see this thread still going.

I'm feeling the itch to make a new cane, and I recently found a source for some great exotics in pre-cut 1" dowel:
http://www.bellforestproducts.com/wood-dowels-1/

Now, I only have ever heard of a few of these woods. Besides Cocobolo, does anyone recommend one or more these woods for a "fighter"?

[JimStC]

Great web site, glistam.
Thanks

Jim

[Nematocyst]

Glistam, I've interacted with the guys at that company via email, and found them to be helpful and informative. I asked some questions about the best wood for a project (my 18" sticks), and they responded with what seemed a reasonable response.

FWIW.

[Deltaboy]

Good Infomation at the wood place.

[Unkei]

Originally Posted by JimStC

Not happy with this one. Too thick. Too long (37"). Bad grip. Slips on hardwood floors. I put Gorilla tape on the tip.
Don't buy this one. It isn't worth the $37 I spent.
Nine inch circumference handle grip. Umm a sledge hammer head??
Tapers from 5" to 4" (circumference). Way too big.
Very bad decision. Live and learn.

Jim

Better off to buy a real Blackthorn, available on many sites at $45 to $55. They are the real deal from Ireland and much better feel, also stronger!
Unkei

[JimStC]

I agree 100%. I tried to buy an authentic Blackthorn on Ebay numerous times and was always outbid. Guess I need to bid higher or find a direct source.

Jim

[Owen Sparks]

I got a real blackthorn for Christmas and was disappointed. It is very thin and light, about half the weight I like. This thing was made to sell to tourists. Blackthorn has the same general properties as rattan, light and flexable. Neither carries enough mass for a defensive cane though both are very durable and perfect for sport fighting.

[Nematocyst]

While you're waiting to find a blackthorn, look at some of the other fine knobsticks available.

I bought an ash (as in used to make baseball bats) knobstick a couple of years ago. It's 39" (by choice), a bit more than an inch in diam right under the knob, tapering to about 3/4 at the tip. I think it's beautiful; I love the grain. The shop owner sent me pics of the four he had then and let me chose. I plan to install a brass ferrule on the tip that has a removable (screw out) ice point.

I don't use it much right now for various reasons, but will someday. These days, in the snow and ice - which was exceptionally rare here last year - or on the trail, I use an adjustable length trekking pole with a titanium ice tip that can collapse down to about 18" long and strap to my day pack when I don't need it.