Micarta walking sticks...

[Fred Fuller]

For several years I've been using a fiberglass stock sorting stick as a walking staff (I can't legitimately call what I do "hiking"). It's about a half inch in diameter, 52" long, with a golf club grip on one end and a metal ferrule on the other, which I have covered with a crutch tip. Looks like this one but with the tip covered - https://www.sullivansupply.com/cart/tx/p-763-fiberglass-sorting-stick.aspx .

I've been thinking that something like this might make a pretty useful walking stick too. I've been looking at golf club handles and trying to figure out what the largest diameter micarta round I can fit into a generally available golf club handle might be. A walking stick length of micarta (for me, about 38") with a good handle should be pretty useful as a walking stick, and it might make a passable bokken in a pinch as well.

Anyone here ever done this sort of thing, or re-gripped a lot of golf clubs? Seems like it would be reasonably easy to put the appropriate components together to get what I want, but I need to find out what's available that will work together. So far the grips I've found online only go up to about a .60 - .67 (some TaylorMade shafts) core diameter. Am I missing anything?

Thanks for any help...

 

[Owen Sparks]

I looked into this as a commercial venture a while back and the cost was prohibitive. For a single individual purchase it might be feesable. You need a good amount of mass for penitration. That means at least a pound to a pound and a half for a 3 foot walking stick.

 

[KungFuNerd]

Cold Steel has a bunch of options you might look at
http://www.coldsteel.com/sticksportal.html

 

[hso]

Am I missing anything?

Yep, mass.

Owen is a proponent of heavy sticks. Me, light, but what you're proposing goes well below light into featherweight using golf club shafts and well high if using micarta of ~1" diameter. John's a fan of phenolic rod and you can pick up micarta rod stock easily enough.

With wood or micarta you don't need to wrap it for grip because you can pick a practical diameter to start with.

 

[Owen Sparks]

I only propose the heaviest stick that YOU can handle.

 

[Fred Fuller]

This is what I'm looking at for the stick itself - http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24375&catid=679 , CE or G-10 grade.

Golf club grips aren't wraps as a rule, they're one piece and they slip on over glue. Like these - http://www.golfsmith.com/search/grips . They provide a bit of cushion to the top of the stick as well as offering a more secure grip for the stick itself. And they would make the whole thing look very innocuous, I'd think.

Thing is, the largest shaft size the available grips I've been able to find so far will fit is .60 to .67". I'm thinking a 3/4" diameter rod (.75") should be about right for diameter/weight, but I can't find a handle that will fit that large a shaft. 5/8" is .625, that might be a force fit for a .60 core diameter grip but I don't know how much 'give' they have as I've never re-gripped golf clubs before - heck, I don't even play golf. And I don't know if a 5/8" rod would have enough mass to work well, either. The TaylorMade 'bubble' shaft takes a .680 core grip (http://www.golfsmith.com/product/30024792/taylormade-crossline-bubble-680-ribbed), and if they have enough stretch they might fit a .750" rod, that's the kind of thing I need to know.

A 5/8" rod is only 1/8" thicker than the fiberglass rod I'm using now, and for less than $20 I can get another one of those and cut it down to fit me as a walking stick. I haven't managed to do more than surface damage to the fiberglass stick I'm using now in several years of whacking stuff with it, including the steel gate to get the dogs to come back in when it's time to go back to the house.

I might well be better off experimenting with a cut-down fiberglass stock stick to start with, just to see how the whole thing works out.

 

[Owen Sparks]

I have relitivly small hands and anything smaller than about 3/4" just does not have enough surface area to hang on to. If you have large hands anything smaller than an inch might be a problem.

 

[JShirley]

For a walking stick or hanbo, .85-1" shaft is the right size, with 1" being about ideal. A 4' piece will run about $40. Trim to length and add brass or rubber tip, if desired. Set up a striking target (duffle filled with rags works) and work out with it every other day with 85% power strikes. Unless you set it on fire, you can leave this cane for your favorite grandchild.

(A 6' staff should ideally be 1.125", but no more than 1.25".)

 

[Madcap_Magician]

I've been dreaming of having a derby-style cane with a teardrop cross-section made out of polished black G10... but a sheet of the stuff big enough would cost me $350, and I don't have the ability to grind it on my own (don't have the ability to control the very toxic dust).

Edit: If weight is the issue, try tapering the stick.

 

[hso]

You're better off getting a hickory stock cane from the co-op.

 

[sKunkT]

you could use handle material for a fishing rod, such as eva with a plastic or rubber buttcap. They generally come in a variety of different inside diameters, and can be reamed out to fit perfect. They also glue on. Best of luck, interested to hear how it turns out.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

I just wanted to be the golfer who chimed-in. I've changed a whole bunch of golf grips. I re-grip at least my full iron set (10 clubs) annually and have played since Nixon was President. That's (whew!) ~400 re-grippings. I also enjoy canes & walking sticks.
If I understand what you're thinking, the golf grip idea may not be your best bet. Yes, they do stretch some, but the more you stretch 'em the quicker they wear out. Golf grip makers expect you to replace them regularly & don't build stuff strictly for durability. Also with the .75" - 1" diameter you're leaning toward, you might look at bigger grips made for mountain bike handlebars, baseball bats (wraps?), or maybe a tanto-style 550 paracord weave wrap. Any of those should outlast a golf grip. Keep us posted & good luck!