Sword-Cane Legality Canada

A

Alexandra Leishman

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Oct 15, 2020
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So, I was ordered by several Drs to use a cane, but being only 21 (and having been ignoring them already for 5y...) I decided that a sword-cane would be the only way I'd actually use one any time soon. I double checked the legalities and found that a sword-cane is perfectly legal in Canada so long as the blade is 60cm or longer, so I ordered one. The problem is that though the ad listed the blade as being about 65cm it just arrived today and is only 45cm, with the 'edge' part only 37cm of that. It isn't sharpened though, and doesn't appear to be able to be sharpened, so my question is whether or not it's still legal or if I'll have to send it back and get a different one with a longer blade. I can't find anything on this anywhere I look.
 
Concealed knives are illegal in Canada. Concealed means the blade is disguised to look like something else. In this case a cane. The same goes for those little credit card knives.
 
Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 4
  • 10 Any device having a length of less than 30 cm and resembling an innocuous object but designed to conceal a knife or blade, including the device commonly known as the “knife-comb”, being a comb with the handle of the comb forming a handle for the knife, and any similar device.
Your blade is long enough.

Carrying it will count as carrying a weapon.
You probably shouldn't do that.
 
Alexandra Leishman said:
I would rather get arrested than use a normal cane this young
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It's awful that you need a cane but maybe instead of a sword maybe something a bit whimsical? I'd rather see something beautiful out of wood work than a "hidden sword" any day, bet you most people would compliment it too.

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RoyalHolic said:
It's awful that you need a cane but maybe instead of a sword maybe something a bit whimsical? I'd rather see something beautiful out of wood work than a "hidden sword" any day, bet you most people would compliment it too.

61wTdfYJtxL._AC_SL1024_.jpg
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^ This.

Don't worry that much about having to use a cane. Really not too big of a deal or anything. Really, it's only a well-made hiking stick!
 
Cold Steel makes some reasonably priced canes that were designed with self defense in mind. I really dig their Blackthorn walking stick. You could definitely clobber someone with that. FWIW, the few sword canes I’ve encountered were all unsharpened, much to my dismay, and seemed to be more for novelty purposes. I’d take a good club over a crummy sword any day.
 
Yeah, it isn't legal to use a cane sword. The over-arching law is it isn't legal to carry even non-prohibited knives for the reason of self-defense. I'm pretty sure there are some laws that make cane swords illegal, but the most simply way to put it is, you cannot justify to police carrying a cane sword for utility purpose therefore it would be considered a concealed weapon and illegal to use.
 
I would look at a good sturdy cane. Something with flair and is personal to you. I would rather have a solid piece of oak or hickory over a sword cane. I have never studied nor been schooled in using a sword in the classic sense.

However, I can certainly haul off and whistle a piece of wood around at a crushing velocity.

I would look at something like a cane masters cane and download a few lessons on using a crooked stick. I am actually purchasing an Unbreakable Umbrella with the crooked handle because I can't carry a cane without it looking out of place given my age and build. However, an umbrella is an umbrella, and the hook of the grip can be used in all manner of blocks, traps, and deflections.
 
Alexandra Leishman said:
It isn't sharpened though, and doesn't appear to be able to be sharpened
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but historically, sword canes were thrusting weapons with blades too narrow to be effective for cuts.

Alexandra Leishman said:
I would rather get arrested than use a normal cane this young
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I kind of see your point, I might have felt the same way before I became so, uh, familiar with law enforcement.
 
:) If it's indeed legal for you to buy and own , where you live , you could have a sword cane for use at home .

Maybe a matching , non-sword cane for going out ? ;) It's good to stay legal .

There are many interesting and beautiful canes out there to be discovered . Some people even collect them .

There are also many different martial arts for both sword and regular canes .

If you're serious , study and practice one or more or these arts . :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
When I was a teen I used a "sword cane" to dispatch an injured squirrel. Ran it completely through six or seven times before it was still enough to put one through the base of the skull and finish it off. I felt quite bad about it as it was not the merciful act I intended. It also changed my mind quite a bit about how effective a cane sword or smallsword would be against an enraged or intoxicated 200 lb man. Didn't work out too well for Major Norris Wright either. Besides being illegal most places, I think they are best left for the movies.
 
If you need a cane, a sword cane is a terrible substitute. Note that sword canes always have that tag of “not for medical use,” even if the maker claims that you can park a car on them. A working cane receives weight with every step, vibration, and torque. The lock in that thin-walled sheath is going to get tested a lot more than if it was simply a walking accessory. Most of them are not really expected to do more than hang on a wall or lean in a corner.

The best compromise is to get a cool cane, one that you don’t feel self-conscious about. I put one together out of Kamagong and Desert Ironwood that works, looks, and feels good. I get a lot of satisfaction from using when my leg is cranky. Another favorite is a Cold Steel Slim Stick, because it is super light, very tough, and the shaft won’t dent. A classy option would be to get a real Blackthorne cane, and they have been SD weapons for centuries. Or cruise Etsy for something you will want to use... it’s better for your health to follow doctor’s advice, and for your wallet, getting arrested is followed by court fees and fines.
 
Bastler said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but historically, sword canes were thrusting weapons with blades too narrow to be effective for cuts.
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You're wrong. Sword canes are not a normal weapon these days, but they have been around for a long time. Japanese sword canes (yes, there is such a thing, and they are not cheap if you find one) were very much cutting weapons. English sword canes from the Edwardian era seem to be mostly thrusting weapons (the ones I've seen), but Victorian era ones are more likely to have cutting edges. (Personally I think this is due to fencing being more common as a patrician sport.) Shorter blades tend to have cutting edges over longer ones. Swords and daggers can be found all over the world hidden in canes, walking sticks, swagger sticks, and even whips. Original antiques are very collectable.

There are several companies other than Cold Steel that specialize in sword canes. They get expensive quickly.

FYI there are also canes with guns in them, most common being a shotgun type.
 
Big Ol’ Hauger said:
Cold Steel makes some reasonably priced canes that were designed with self defense in mind. I really dig their Blackthorn walking stick.
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As a child growing up, we had a real blackthorn walking stick that came from my Dad's side of the family that someone had scratched "1867" just under the knobby handle. It looked like it went through hell and back and I know I used it as a rough and tumble toy but it took it all in stride. When my Dad died in the '90's, my brother got it and it is hanging on his living room wall.

I always wanted to get another real blackthorn stick and those Cold Steel jobs look like a good substitute. Plus, now that I am retired, I could get away with a walking stick. Sword canes...not so much.
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
You may think differently sitting in a small cell ... no matter your age.
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Indeed.

I don't know squat about Canadian weapon laws, but unfortunately, I do know a lot about doing time, and believe me, being in jail, or prison, is bad enough when you're in the best physical condition, it's a lot worse if you are physically impaired, and a whole lot worse if the other inmates know it. And if you are handicapped, as well as "young and sweet" as the boys inside are inclined to say, you could be in for a living nightmare.

I don't know if the OP has ever been in jail, but it's very easy to be cavalier about it if you've never been. Actually being in REAL jail, locked up with violent criminals, not just a drunk tank, will certainly cure a person of any such cavalier attitude. I strongly recommend avoiding the experience.

And although this isn't a self-defense forum, a cane, depending on it's design, can be a very effective weapon, both for striking and thrusting. You don't need a sharpened blade or needle point to inflict serious trauma with the tip of a cane, particularly a cane with a tapered metal tip.

EDIT- Whoops, I just realized the OP is a female. I have no idea what life is like inside womens jails and prisons. Likely not nearly as rough as male institutions.
 
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