Walking sticks

[Doc Hudson]

The problem with standard sticks is that they don't fit everyone.

To find out what length stick you should use requires the assistance of another person.

First stand upright in more or less the position of attention, with your thumbs along your thigh. If wearing trousers, align the thumbs with the seam.

Then have your friend measure from the floor to the wrist-bone on the outside of your arm. That is the length you need.

When my CaneMaster cane first arrived, it felt odd because it was several inches longer than any other cane I'd ever used. After a day or two getting used to the CaneMaster, I could never go back to the old canes, including one I'd inherited and used often in the past. Without a proper fit, you actually cause yourself more discomfort than you alleviate.

I'm betting that Dr. Douglas will verify my methodology.

BTW, Dr. Douglas, my cane is what Master Mark calls a teardrop shape. As he says, if you whack someone across the shins with that striking edge, it will bring tears, and probably blood.

[Dreadbelly]

The problem with standard sticks is that they don't fit everyone.

To find out what length stick you should use requires the assistance of another person.

First stand upright in more or less the position of attention, with your thumbs along your thigh. If wearing trousers, align the thumbs with the seam.

Then have your friend measure from the floor to the wrist-bone on the outside of your arm. That is the length you need.

When my CaneMaster cane first arrived, it felt odd because it was several inches longer than any other cane I'd ever used. After a day or two getting used to the CaneMaster, I could never go back to the old canes, including one I'd inherited and used often in the past. Without a proper fit, you actually cause yourself more discomfort than you alleviate.

I'm betting that Dr. Douglas will verify my methodology.

BTW, Dr. Douglas, my cane is what Master Mark calls a teardrop shape. As he says, if you whack someone across the shins with that striking edge, it will bring tears, and probably blood.

My canes require a short shaft because of my hight. And Doc Hudson is correct for cane measurements. Most people suffer from canes being far to long or far to short. I have short legs and extremely long arms that almost hang down to my knees. (You folk have seen my pictures, ahem) I am practically a primate in my body proportions.

When walking and you require a cane as I do, it should be an extension of your arm that reaches the ground. You should be able to stand straight armed, hand at a slight angle, and support all of your weight on your cane.

My cane was custom made for me, at a time when I weighed in at well over 350 pounds. It is brass cored with a mohagany outer shaft. It has an amber resin knob at the top that is molded to my left hand to keep my hand from getting stress fractures that crook topped canes can cause. It was designed to hold hundreds, even thousands of pounds of stress with out breaking. As you can see in some of the pictures I have of it, it is quite nice. When I got it, I suspected it would be a good weapon. In the city where I used to live, somebody tried to mug me coming out of the drug store. I found out through first hand experience that it is an excellent, and fearsome weapon. It didn't just bring tears or draw blood... It caused a compound fracture in the mugger's upper arm. And this was at a time in my life when I was still quite feeble, had limited movement, and the act of walking was still quite challenging.

The only part I don't like about my cane?

Well, there was one time I had it leaning in the corner of the kitchen counter while I was hobbling around trying to fix something to eat. I bumped it. It fell over. Landed on my big toe, knob first. Big toe broke in three places. OW. And it was my good walking foot too... That set me back a long long way in my physical therapy.

I am looking at another custom cane, this one made from recycled golf clubs. Carbon fibre, titanium cored, magnesium and other metals for strength and rigidity. From my understanding, when swung, it vibrates a great deal as it travels through the air, much like a golf club. All that energy is discharged on striking. On a golf ball, it travels as far as the eye can see. On a human body, from what I have been told, the shockwave causes the bones in a wide area to turn into jelly and it will pulp internal organs in the event of a torso strike. Even a medium strength blow directly to the stomach or the spine would be fatal. Not instantly. You would have time to think about the error of your ways before you expired.

[Sciuropterus]

I carry a cane with me when I travel, especially by air.

I use an inexpensive hickory stockyard cane (used for sorting/herding livestock) that I bought at a farm supply store, it is very sturdy and has a large crook that will hook a neck or leg easily. A cane was one of the weapons we had to learn when I tested for my black belt in Kosen Ju-Jitsu, and I also have some Aikido & Filipino martial atrs training that relates well to a cane.

I'm familiar with the Canemasters guy, seems like good stuff that he teaches.

[James]

Slightly to one side of the topic-with delayes at airports etc and the lack of seats: I carry when on travels a shooting stick-a great boon to be able to sit during those long waits.

James

[Scotus]

Thanks for the link JerMc. I really like walking sticks and that page has a great selection. I guess I'll use Doc's link if I ever need a stick for beating people up.

[Doc Hudson]

Slightly to one side of the topic-with delayes at airports etc and the lack of seats: I carry when on travels a shooting stick-a great boon to be able to sit during those long waits.

James

James if you fly out of an American airport, don't tell the idiot airport renta cops (now paid with my tax dollars) that your cane is a "shooting stick" they will probabbly sieze the stick and detain you for questioning. Just tell them it is a cane, perhaps their feeble minds can grasp that concept.