How Many are Now Carrying a Cane?

My retirement date is looming, somewhere from November 2017 to May 2018 being the likely exit time. The wear and tear of an active life is a reason. I am aging-out of being ever-ready to arrest a miscreant who would rather not go downtown. I am generally OK when when supporting my own weight, but when carrying anything substantial, I welcome the extra support, as much for balance as for helping support actual weight. During recent training in the NHTSA standard field sobriety tests, I found myself unable to pass the walk-and-turn test when stone cold sober. Yes, it is un-fun to get old, but it beats the alternative.

As for adding more sticks and canes, I am eyeing a variety, from rustic Irish Blackthorn, to several finely-finished wood options, to the aluminum Crawford Survival Staff, which is two-piece, so that one part can be used alone.

I've had both feet fused, makes walking and staying upright a challenge. I'm also a big man, as a kid I was called Hoss. After 5 years of fighting, last summer I was convinced to get a cane. My life is now better, my back doesn't hurt from all the limping. Got a Cold Steel Dragon, which is strong. Made with polypropylene, it has a lot of spring. 42", fits me fine. First thing I did was hit utube for training. Since I can't move at a speed above slow, it is my first line of defense. Figure on either a takedown or disarm move. Then pull the 9 out of my pocket or start destroying organs with thrusts. Since I can't run I will either die fighting or tear the hell out of the miscreant until Rexster's compadres arrive. Like one night at our museum when one of our members was surprised by a trespasser. When the PD arrived and cuffed the culprit, he asked what happened to his face. Well, sir, I was chasing him and he ran into this chain link fence. And the cop had to do his best to keep from laughing.

REAPER4206969 said:

Why not just carry a collapsible baton if you're into that whole skull crushing thing?

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Because expandable steel batons are considered a deadly weapon. A walking cane generally is not.

My hickory cane (1 1/8" straight grain from PurpleHeart Armory) is always with me. I always have 3 to 4 levels of response: largest folding knife legal, Mace, cane, and 9mm. If I am going into a prohibited area the gun goes into the lockbox and the cane comes out. Batons are not legal in my locale.
I can take my cane anywhere; courthouse, airport, hospital, bar, and "no weapons allowed" businesses, and never raise an eyebrow. I can handle anything from a stray dog to an armed assailant.

My new "cane" is a 60 inch sheep crook from Tractor Supply. I have a scout event in the Smokies coming up and wanted something longer than my normal walking cane for the trail. I had considered cutting off the crook, but then considered it might be useful for corralling wayward Scouts.

BTW I have needed my cane less this week than any week over the past few months. The wife bought me an inversion table which I scoffed at. Some hanging head down, some odd back noises and feelings and I am actually walking a lot better in just this first week.

Still want to have a cane with me for when I need it, whether for walking or dealing with social events, I need it with me.

-kBob

kBob said:

My new "cane" is a 60 inch sheep crook from Tractor Supply. I have a scout event in the Smokies coming up and wanted something longer than my normal walking cane for the trail. I had considered cutting off the crook, but then considered it might be useful for corralling wayward Scouts.
-kBob

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Hey! I was once a wayward scout. My leaders rarely carried walking sticks, but they were known to carry the 1911 they brought back from Europe.

Deltaboy1984 said:

I have a testy right ankle and when it doesn't feel right I carry a cane and I also carry it at night. I have 4 of them.

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2017 update I have over a dozen now and I keep one in my ride and in my closet at work!.

I keep one in my hand anytime I'm walking now.

I actually used the sheppard's crook in the Smokeys around Dyson City (kept hoping to see one of them knives stuck in a tree or laying in a rivelet) last week. Slipped on a "Hazzard" rated trail and turned it side ways and caught a couple of trees and later used it to hook a tree where a switch back was blocked and had to go up a ridiculous slope to stay on the trail. Sunday I carried my regular TSC cane to church and told everyone it was my sheppard's crook worn down to that height by the trip. Main thing I learned from the trip is that I really am out of shape. Bad news is that the boys are talking the possibility of a four day hike along the Appy Trail next year as a possibility......I am hoping that between the two camps that the fish our way to Key West and fish back crowd wins the right to plan next year's adventure. Need to make sure my cane floats before then.....

-kBob

New member here - joined after finding this thread.
I first started using a cane back in 2004 after an operation for torn meniscus. Bought a cane master, but I've always felt conspicuous with the sharpened crook end - maybe I'm just paranoid. Had two more meniscus surgeries over the next five years and used it after both surgeries. But I never carried it otherwise.
This past June I had to have surgery on my Achilles after traring the tendon. I started off with the cane master when I was able to ditch the crutches. But I didn't feel right taking it to a family get together for the 4th of July. So (think I may have seen it somewhere back in this thread) I bought a solid aluminum cane with the crook. Also bought a knob for it, but find the crook much more comfortable.
Just turned 60 last week, so now being older than dirt, I may feel a little less conspicuous carrying it after I recover.
Yesterday I received a Blackthorn walking stick that I found on the auction site from Ireland - it is so beautiful that I'm afraid to dirty it up - so I ordered a Cold Steel 37" Blackthorn today - I won't mind beating on this or carrying it walking in the woods anyway.
So thank you to all on this thread for helping me find more ways to spend my money

Nope still do 30 minutes on the elliptical at 69, every day. Can't do treadmill bad back, but the eleptical is adjustable resistance and zero shock.

In July I spent 5 days on full life support and overall at least a month in the hospital for pneumonia. Am home now but can't really use my cane yet - any self defense videos using a walker? I think the only one would be the crippled up one pulling his gun and going pew pew.

I never far away from a cane!.

Me either. One in my hand anytime I'm walking these days.

I'll be 68 years old on New Year's Eve day,I don't use a cane now and hopefully not in the near future.

I gotten better but with my underlying issues I don't trust myself to be very far from one!

Canes are wonderful!

Yes they are. Kinda like a kick stand on a 2-wheeler. Gotta have one to stay upright at times.

I really enjoy a good cane, but they look out of place in my hand now. At 37 and athletic, even the most elegant cane is something that raises eyebrows.

That said, my favorite came is one I made. It's a piece of seasoned oak that fell out of a tree in my yard. Termites tried to eat it, but they couldn't make it more than a touch under the bark. Sanding and stripping revealed a very solid piece of wood to work with.

I shaped the head on a grinder then sanded it to a custom fit. Instead of a traditional blackthorn painted lacquer finish, I wrapped the whole thing in a product called Fiber Fix. It's a special tape that is strong enough to repair broken tool handles. You wet it, and it sets up like a cast.

I wrapped the whole thing, short of the head, twice. It strengthens the wood and offers a very grippy texture. I sanded the roughness down with a sanding sponge and coated the whole cane in three coats of spray shellac.

It makes for a good woods walking cane, and it's so dang heavy it would ladle an aggressor about as well as an axe handle.

starbuck6264 said:

I have been looking at Cold Steels Irish Blackthorn walking stick as well as there city stick. Does anyone have any experience with either of these canes/walking sticks?

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I have 4 of their sticks--2 African, a 25 year old purple heart and their dragon stick--all are tough sticks that would smart with a light strike--the physician I had at Kaiser for many years jokingly called it a war hammer

Love a Good stock cane!

Good Day I had to use my cane over the weekend after my right ankle popped out!

Ankle sure did not like the damp weather today!

I made my dad a couple of canes, he was post-polio, and they helped him. I got them back when he passed, for that I'm grateful. I'm pretty spry at 63, and it's not my time yet. I'll keep them around just in case...