Wood for a Cane

kamkazmoto

kamkazmoto

Joined
Sep 14, 2002
Messages
4,135
Sorry, I don't know if this is the appropriate place for this thread. If not please move it. I found out that I will be needing a cane in the near future :grumpy: . This will probably be a need all the time type thing. I have tried the Hook type canes that most people seem to prefer for self defense and found them to be uncomfortable for long term use. I prefer either the derby or the fritz type handle (see www.canesgalore.com for an example).

Now to the heart of the matter. It seems that it is hard to find a regular cane with a hickory (seems to be the prefered wood) so I need some suggestions for other woods. I love ebony, curly maple and walnut would any of these be an acceptable wood in case I need to pound the occasional "rabid dog"? I realize that oak would probably be an acceptable substitute but for personal reasons would perfer not to use oak. Any suggestions? Thanks:cool:
 
Chris Reeve used to make canes. Don't know if he still is doing it but they certainly looked nice.
 
Try canemasters.com

They have some great canes, look for some made of hickory heart, they are almost indestructible.

Mike
 
Canemasters is undoubtedly a great product but I find that the hook type cane like they make is uncomfortable for perioda of extended use. Thanks anyway.
 
Have you tried any of the Leki hiking products?

As an alternative, I would suggest looking into your local area to find a good CUSTOM cabinet maker. When you run across a true artisan in wood, you will find what you need (and what you want :) ).
 
I've seen wading staffs made of Ironwood. The stuff is incredibly difficult to work, but as tough as well...iron.
 
Ironwood sounds great and the suggestion about the cabinet maker is also one that I haven't thought of. He would probably knbow which of these woods would be tough enough for what I need.

thanks
 
There's a reason why hickory is preferred, but if you don't want it then you might look for osage orange. It's an attractive yellow color when freshly cut, turns 'orange' after it's been exposed to air. It's as tough as hickory but it's harder to work, keep your whetstones handy. You should be able to buy osage orange (or 'hedge wood) staves from bowyers & archery supply houses.
Blackthorn is another traditional cane wood in Europe. Ebony is very pretty, and very hard. Also very, very expensive. I can't personally vouch for it's toughness. The only local member of the ebony family is persimmon...persimmon wood is often used to make golf clubs.

Walnut and cherry, while attractive woods and great for carvings and furniture, just aren't tough enough to make a top notch cane IMHO. Ash and oak will do, tho oaks 'open' grain checks easily.
 
Texascarl

Thanks for the information, I will have to look into Osage Orange. I don't have anything against Hickory just that it is kinda hard to find blanks. The only thing I found for Hickory blanks was to by a cheaper cane from canemasters and cut it down. Thanks again
 
Kamkazmoto,

I recently saw some very nice canes at The Real Mother Goose . They come in a variety of woods with one wood for the handle, a small piece of contrasting wood, then a third type of wood for the shaft. They are built in an "offset T" design and look very nice. Some of the woods that they use are Cocobolo, Bloodwood, Osage Orange, PurpleHeart and Hickory. They were selling for $65.

I'm sure that if you give them a call they'd be happy to tell you what they've got and send it off to you.

Hope this helps,

- Mike
 
I , too, must walk with a cane due the arthritis
in both legs. My choice is as follows......

A Cold Steel Lahti (reed) cane for work. This
cane is very light while being extremly strong.
The crook top is bent tighter which changes the
grip enough to make it both easy to handle and
very comfortable. Lahti is a cousin of bamboo
but unlike bamboo is not hollow.

My second cane is a Cold Steel Hickory "Walkabout"
Ball top walking stick that is superb for comfort.
I've fitted a paracord lanyard around the stick
to enable me to strap it over my KNUCKLES for
exact control.

Sadly, cold steel no longer sells "Walkabouts"
but have brought back the Lahti cane I believe.
If you ever have a chance to get one of the old
(or new) "Walkabout stick that cold Steel sold
grab it!

Since this decicion os very personal I'll wish
the best at findng what you need & like.
 
My Dad recently turned 75 and has been having problems with his hips, knees, etc. . .due to arthritis. . .for 5+ years.

Last year he decided to get a cane. The hunt was extensive and took 5 or 6 months and alot of trial and error.

Everyone has different needs when it comes to walking canes ! Here are a few of the sites that he browsed before he purchased. . .

http://www.houseofcanes.com/

http://www.walkingcanedepot.com/

http://www.brazos-walking-sticks.com/index.html

http://www.canescanada.com/

http://www.mapletonmills.com/canes.htm

Good luck in your search !
 
I want to thank everyone on this forum for all the help that I have been recieving. I posted the same message on another forum and got one person trying to help. Here I have gotten more help than I could have ever expected. You people ROCK. Thanks

I have tried the sites that have been recommended and they all are great. Cold Steel seems good but I am concerned about the comfort of a hooked (also called tourist) cane. I have tried the real mother goose but couldn't find the section that had the canes (did I mention that at times I am "net challanged :eek: " but I left them an email and hopefully they will email me back and let me know what I am doing wrong. GigOne, Thanks for all the sites, Of all the ones that you recommended I only knew about the House of Canes; I am playing with the others today. Everyone, Thanks again.

Gary
 
Just a couple of thoughts. The woods that are dense, like ironwood or lignum vitae, will be tough but very heavy for all-the-time use. Some woods that are lighter will be brittle. Actual cane, which is old enough for the nodes to be quite close together, is light and pretty tough. You might want more than one. For attacking dogs, a nice standard or golf umbrella that you can open in their faces, or stones to pick up and throw, have worked better for me than a stick.

Have a think about the ski stick type of handle. It doesn't crook at all and ends with a rounded top. It allows you to grip from the side or the top. Apart from the fact that it gives your wrist a rest to be able to switch grips, if you think you will be wanting to wield the stick as a weapon, I'd find it a lot easier to do so without specialized training than if the handle has any kind of crook.
 
Kmclye

Thanks for the the thoughts about the weight of the wood. The only cane I have used extensively so far has been fairly light so I will have to think about that. I thought about the ski type grip and tried out a couple of walking stick types at a sporting goods store but the problem with that is that the different grips need different lengths and I will probably need to put considerable weight on the cane. That is hard to do with a vertical grip.

Hopefully I will be starting some Silat classes in a couple of weeks. I have talked to the instructor about my specialized needs and he thinks that he will be able to help. I will by no means be proficient but hopefully I will be able to avoid smacking myself upside my head or breaking my own leg.

Thanks
Gary
 
Heres a pic and a link to Cold Steels, Wart Hog tusk canes. I have heard good reviews of these.

They also make a fiberglass cane with a ball on top, called a City Stick.

warthogtuskcanes.gif


Cold Steel You have to look under Specialty Items.

Heres a Pic of the City Stick.

citystick.gif
 
Mate, If you select a Cold Steel Cane be aware that
you will need to add a rubber crutch tip to make them safe to use on the streets.

Except for the city stick the wood shaft ( and
Lahti) come with a metal ferrel to protect the
ground stiking end. The ferrel extends the life
of the stick many times but the rubber tip is
necessary for daily use. Just wet tip and ferrel
with water and shove. The tip will pop on and stay
just fine when dry.

Best of luck, mate:D :D

(added) One more thing...unlike cane tips crutch
tips are cheap and easy to find in any drugstore.
 
Gary,

I am also learning silat, as well as kali ilustrisimo, and I hope very much that you come to enjoy it and find it rewarding. Can I suggest that you call your instructor in advance of starting lessons and hear his suggestions as to recommended handle shapes before you buy a cane? I made my previous suggestions because in neither silat nor kali have I any experience of movements that involve crook-handled canes. I tried kali strikes with a crook-handled stick a few weeks ago and couldn't do them. The effective use of crook-handled canes for offence/defence seems to be a specialised skillset. Maybe there is a way to get a detachable crook handle?!!? I would rather like that!

As for the cane, yes, it is really light. However if you can find good quality old cane, I think you will find it quite tough enough to take all your weight all day. A lighter stick is more easily manoueverable, especially in tight, efficient recovery between the end of one strike and the beginning of another. After all, even if you never really have to defend yourself, you'll be wanting the fun of training to use your cane. I have tried gidgee (which, like ironwood, has an air-dried density of close to, if not over, 1000kg/cubic metre ie, it almost sinks in water) as well as with other woods and cane and find that Chinese waxwood and old cane are most suitable for me in kali if the stick is longer than my arm. (Actually, you might consider Chinese waxwood: it absorbs moisture, like sweat from your palm, and gets better with it! But it probably won't come in walking sticks - you'll find it in staves in martial arts shops that stock for karate and tai chi. You could get one and have a handle carved on it or added to it.)

Another consideration in favor of old cane is that, at the point of impact, I get maximum force and control if the stick is at right angles to my wrist. With a heavier stick, I find the momentum and weight tend to force a bit of a wrist flick so that impact occurs with the stick at somewhat more than 90 degrees to the wrist. This will be worse if you have been using the cane all day. If it's made of very heavy wood, your arm'll already be tired if you have to defend yourself at night! It's one thing to strengthen your wrist muscles, which no doubt will happen with time and use, but tendons and ligaments can be injured while turning a heavy stick, even if your wrist muscles are developed.

Good luck!
 
Hi Everyone,

Decided I am going to need at least 2 canes. One my son and I will be making from a product called Shadow Here is the link http://www.stickman-escrima.com/Products/Shadows.htm. The other will probably be a dress cane from figured maple. Probably either the Newport from http://www.mapletonmills.com/canes.htm or the one on the bottom of the page here http://www.houseofcanes.com/cswooden.htm Thanks for everyone now all I need to find is a suitable handle for the one that my son and I will be making. Cool

Thanks again

Gary
 
Kmclye

Thanks for all the interest you have taken in this thread. I have talked to the instructor and explained my situation. He agrees that at lease initially it will be OK to try to adapt his techniques to my handicap ... woops sorry physical challenges ... have to be politically correct because at least initially comfort is going to be much more important than how good a weapon it will be. The funny part about all this is that my wife would rather I studied a different art and she is Indonesian :confused: . Thanks again.

Gary
 
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