How Many are Now Carrying a Cane?

Do you carry a walking cane?


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In TX, it's a concealed handgun license. No sword canes, Bowie knives, or tomahawks. This is why I like my canes so much: they're legal just about everywhere, especially with disability laws.
 
I need to check this out to be certain, but my 'Concealed Weapons Permit' doesn't state any particular weapon; just says 'weapons'. I'll try to get a ruling on this sometime during the next day or so.
 
Thanks, Glistam. Saves me a phone call or two. I was reasonably certain my license included most weapons. My instructor talked about concealed knives and such during class; also several other types of weapons that people carried.
There are a couple of other sword canes that I see online that I would really like to have. The one I wanted most was 'out of stock' the last two times I've checked on it. It's a cane with a nice, but plain handle similar to some of the ones I see in Walmart, but has a blade inside. The other one I believe is considered a 'Celtic' designed handle.
 
I carry a cane, both out of necessity and defence. I have a bad knee that flares up 3 or 4 days out of the week. So i always have one or two in the vehicle. I have a variety of canes. A standard rattan cane from Hapkido class, an African walking stick from Cold Steel, and a variety of home made canes and walking sticks. I also have a tall shepheards crook for special occasions.
 
I joined the Cane Club a few months ago when my knee got bad enough that making it to the bathroom in a timely manner got iffy...

After looking at the handles of the store-bought ones, I decided to make my own. I used a 7/8" hardware-store dowel, a crutch tip, and "furniture leg" from Lowes that's basically a flattened ball; about 2-1/2" diameter with the top and bottom cut off. I counterbored a hole in the ball, glued and screwed it to the dowel, and then kept cutting the dowel until it felt like it was about the right length.

What I found was that there's one length that's optimal for taking my full weight when my knee is completely uncooperative, and there's a longer length that's better for keeping my balance while walking. They're a bit over an inch apart. I split the difference and it works OK.

So far a number of people have been impressed by the big round handle; I've made a couple of canes as gifts to others who admired mine.

I don't know if the knee has simply had a turn for the better in the last few months, or if just taking some of the load off with the cane made that much difference. Like someone said way upthread, "It's not for the walking part, it's for the not-falling-down part."

Once you get to where you can't be absolutely sure a knee won't give way at the next step, you're forced into a gait that causes problems of its own...
 
The number of us "Always" folks in the poll has remained 47 for a looong time. No new full-time members I guess.

Here is one of my favorites looking at you. 37" of Privet Wood with an air soft pellet eyeball.

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They look a *lot* better than this in real life; the camera exaggerates the wood grain for some reason.

The square edges on the top and bottom of the balls allow a little extra grip and control when positioning the tip on an uneven or broken surface.

The ball on the center cane is about 1/4" smaller in diameter than the other two; it's my wifes, and I shaped it by spinning it against the disc sander until she liked the way it fit her hand.

The top and bottom balls are as I bought them, 2-1/2" in diameter. I picked up the first one in a "what the heck" moment, thinking it would probably be too big. After using it I liked it a lot, particularly on days when I had to put a lot of weight on the cane.

The dowels are 7/8" because I had a spare one laying around when I built the first one, and then I found it was the most common crutch tip size, and I like those better than the more common styles of cane tips.
 

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I'm only 41, but have been recently diagnosed with scoliosis and arthritis in my back and sacroiliac joint. Standing and walking aggravates things. Been looking at getting a cane, this thread is great. Just need to find one for tall guys.
 
Lost a third of my left kneecap at age 9. Have 2 sticks. Both straight and as tall as I am. One is a leather wrapped Chinese bamboo with a rubber foot, the other is maple with an iron foot and a bayonet fitting at the head. They take some practice to use for self defense but absolutely worth the time. Thinking about adding a blackthorn to the collection, as the full lengths can become impractical in confined spaces. Try using a 6 footer in a phone booth and you'd understand. Does a waist-high completely eliminate the need for a blade as a fallback in such situations?
 
I live in Rhode Island and the laws are pretty Bravo Sierra here, too. Into my 30's now and still never driven a car. Dedicated cyclist, need to keep a bad knee from deteriorating. While being pulled over for a non-motorized speeding ticket, I dismounted and leaned on my staff, which the officer decided was a veiled threat and arrested me for brandishing a deadly weapon. (Trying to quote the last bit of post 403 here but my sausage fingers are posing a problem)
 
Out at the barn to day fixing up some of the wife's ugly sticks she uses on her horses and picked up my stock cane again.

Got me wondering if an ASP type telescoping baton is legal in your area would something like a sword can containing an ASP rather than a blade be a useful thing?

You would end up with most of the cane in one hand and the handle and ASP in the other.

Might work well in an Umbrella.

Of course both may already be out there and I just missed them.

-kBob
 
Back when...........

................this thread started, I was good. But constant pain in joints made me go the doc. Turns out that I've had Lymes disease for either 10 or 20 years. Saw the bites. Never had the symptoms. Young and stupid. Blew it off. 54 now and feeling the effects. Arthritis in the joints is one of them. Still work. Though I took a manufacturing job that pays less and left electrical construction which paid me twice what I'm earning now. Can do my current job. But I find my blackthorn handy while walking in my area. Have actually had my blackthorn long before my health problems. It actually has teeth marks in it from a dog that wanted to tangle with mine. Live rural, for me a stick, knife and firearm has been standard practice for years. Been starting with the stick on my rare urban excursions as well. Also have Menieres disease. It helps me keep my balance when my ear is acting up. Got a cool staff I made out of applewood that I made aboard ship in the '80s. Multiple coats of tung oil. Aluminum end cap made from conduit. And currently a little over one foot of paracord in the grip area( newest addition, the old nylon cord from decades ago finally called it a day).

Yeah, a stick can be handy.
 
Got me wondering if an ASP type telescoping baton is legal in your area would something like a sword can containing an ASP rather than a blade be a useful thing?

You would end up with most of the cane in one hand and the handle and ASP in the other.

Something like this did pass through my mind years ago. However, isn't this just hiding a stick in another stick? ASPs are really just trying to replicate a straight stick but with the convenience of belt or pocket carry. I don't see the point when I can just swing the cane itself.
 
I've had a couple hip surgeries, and a tricky knee. I don't carry one every day, but once in awhile it seems wise.
 
I had a good week without a cane then I was using it all day for 3 days. At 49 those auto accidents and 30 years of running done my knees, feet and ankles in but good.
So keep on Trucking along folks.
 
I'm 72 years old and I only have one good leg, the other was amputated above the knee when I was 15. I always use a cane and consider it my first line of defense. My CS9 is my back up.
 
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