Category: Daily Living
Hi all. So recently I heard of a company called Advantage Canes. Apparently they used to be known as Revolution Enterprises. They're out of California, and manufacture graphite folding canes, among other kinds. Their website brags how much better they are then Ambutech. I've found the Ambutech canes to be of good quality, and durable, but they seem so heavy. I guess my question is, have any of you ever gotten a folding cane from this Advantage Canes company, and if so, what did or do you think of it?
I used to use only revolution canes. They were better than anything else I've ever had. Ambutec is heavy, and the graphite is not as strong. I've had them come apart before. Revolution canes took a beating, and didn't cost anything more than ambutec. I don't know how much of that has changed, but I doubt it has changed much.
Cody, just out of curiosity, what do you use now? Sounds like you don't use the Revolution ones anymore. I'm currently using a straight fiberglass one, but there are some advantages to folding canes as well, so wanted to get one.
I've heard of Revolution canes but have never used one. I have purchased a California cane once but hated it. It was light, which was nice. It also broke quickly and the fiberglass kept coming off and cut my hand once. Boo hiss to that.
I'll be interested to hear about the Advantage canes as I'm looking for a lighter cane than my current ambutech. Does anybody remember the canes that were available in the 90's made by MSI? Those were the best canes ever. They had handles llike bicycle handles and were light weight and durable. They went out of business in 1998 or so and I really wish I could still get an MSI cane. Oh well, such is life. lol
Right now I use a black cane. I found a company through blind mice mart that makes customized canes of different colors, or representing different sports teams and whatnot. I went with a solid black cane, made of graphite with a rolling marshmallow tip.
I got it to replace one of the telescoping graphite canes the NFB sells. I bought it and it lasted little more than a month before the graphite split entirely and it shattered.
I have an ID cane and I love it. It is very lite and folds up. Also folds up small too. I haven't had any issues with it braking or anything.
Do you use the ID cane while being totally blind though>? ID canes aren't made for actual cane use. If I tried to use one where I live, it would snap in a couple days. They're made to identify you as having low vision, not as an actual cane. That's why they're so light and thin.
DG, I think when this company was known as Revolution, their canes were also called California canes for where they were manufactured. The company is still in California. That's not good about the fiberglass coming off. I hope the graphite is better. I've never seen the graphite on an Ambutech splinter. They really are good canes, just so heavy. And no, I don't remember the company you're talking about from the 90's.
Cody, a black cane? That's pretty cool. What's the name of the company that makes the custom canes? I'm not so sure I'd get one, but I can think of quite a few of my friends who would be interested in the ones representing various sports teams. As for the telescoping canes made by NFB, yes, they do suck in the extreme. But I've never been a fan of telescoping canes, no matter who makes them. In my experience they collapse easily, even when you've taken care to make sure the joints are tight, and they shatter easily. No thanks.
The company is called Kustom Cane, (that's with a K). They're a bit spendy, but judging from the construction, its worth it. They also have a protective coating that prevents the cane from getting scratched up or knicked, which is nice. I'm completely satisfied.
I don't think I could switch back to a heavier metal cane, of any kind. I've had my NFB carbon fiber cane for over 2 years now, and its holding up fine. though, I do plan on buying one of the folding ones they sell, at some point.
I like y Advantage/California/Revolution cane; have had it for years! I cary an Ambutech as a spare. My parents once gifted me with a telescoping cane, which survived about 2 weeks of normal use.
I have a graphite folding, and it is tough. I got it at Independent Living Aids. I can’t remember the brand.
It is a bit heavy however, and that might be because it is 62 inches. Lighter than the others though.
I had a California cane too, until some lady shortened it with her tires. Lol
Now I’d love, love, love, a black cane, or anything different. Got to order.
Here is the question however.
Drivers are taught to watch out and recognize the white cane, or the white cane with the red tip. That is on the driving test here in America.
Would a different color actually be legal?
Does the company have some disclaimer about that?
Yes, yes, I know, you could have a white cane with flashing lights, and still not be recognized as blind, but I wonder if you are accidently bumped, could the fact your cane was not the correct color be grounds for dismissal of your case?
I do use it like a normal cane an I use it hard too and have never had an issue with it. I have my dog now and don't use it as much and yes, when I first started to use my ID cane I was afraid it would brake in half but it is pritty strong. I like it so much better. It is very lite weight and all. I know other people who uses an ID cane because of its ease. I have used mine for a few years and it still is nice.
I thought about that, but I don't think it really matters. I've not had anyone not recognize that I was blind yet, and my cane is solid black with four red stripes at the end. So far it seems to work.
I'm not yet sold on Kustom Canes. Descriptions of their canes look like they're lifted right from NFB and Ambutech. Do they actually make their own canes or just "kustomize" others? The cane shield protector [$25] looks cool but there's no information on exactly what it is.
Its a coating on the cane that resists scratching and wear. As for your first question, I'm not sure. Does it really matter if the quality is good and you get the kustom cane you want?
Thanks Cody, will have to check out the Kustom Cane site, as well as direct a few friends there.
Wayne, I don't think it matters what color your cane is. If someone can't see a pedestrian standing right in front of them, the last thing they're going to see is if the cane is white, black, red stripes, etc. I've never heard of it being a legal issue as to what color the cane is, though I might ask around.
It matters if what you get is really worth the price. For example, they list the Ambutech Night Walker Rolling Ball Tip as at least $35. It's about $20 at Ambutech. They list the telescoping cane for $49, mentioning that it's regular price is $69. However, it's about $30 from the NFB. I'm generously assuming the price hike is because they kustomize them with sports logos, names, ETC. Meanwhile, you can get ddifferent colors (including black) from Ambutech. Worth it? You decide.
If they'll do it my way, I'll pay the few dollars extra. I'd love to have a cane that looks better than the white and red. Slap on some Levi 501, RedWing boots, and a great jacket, and grab my walken stick. Yeah baby.
Yeah, I agree. If you can really customize it that much, the extra dollars would be worth it. I wouldn't pay to do it, because I don't care that much, but I can think of some friends that probably would.
I got my Advantage cane today. It is exactly like the one I got years ago when they were called Revolution Enterprises. I'm not sure how the joints will hold up, I can see the problem with splintering that I think Domestic Goddess was talking about. It is lighter than the Ambutech, I will give it that much. But I think Ambutech designs their joints the way they do in order to prevent the splintering. We'll see how it holds up over the next few months.
Like James I'm happy with my carbon-fiber cane and doubt I will switch back. I rarely encounter the problem of getting jabbed in the stomach as I have with the marshmellow and roller tips. I also don't have the issue of them not having the appropriate length that I need as I have with the previous folding canes that I used to have, plus my O&M instructor's unwillingness to provide a taller one for me. Thankfully I am an adult and am perfectly capable of making these decisions lol.
The custom color/sport team canes are interesting. The black one sounds nice because if it gets dirty it isn't as apparent as it would be on a white cane, but you sure as hell wouldn't find me walking around with a black cane at night. I can't imagine that they have any means of reflection which could possibly save me from being hit by a car by chance.
I can promise that a little bit of reflective tape will not be as effective as not being in the road will be, and that's at any time of day. Basic mobility skills will do more for keeping you from getting run over than reflective tape will.
I took a look at that site, and they do comply with white cane laws.
Black can be made extremely reflective actually, and they install reflective materials on all their products it says.
They’ve got this expensive tip that blinks! The thing even vibrates to let you know when you all needs to replace the batteries. *35? Wow, but if you just have too!
I’m asking Santa to bring me one next month.
Yes, sister, let us know how that cane holds up.
Me, I’m ordering a telescopic baby with my name on it!
I wonder if they can put that in lights! JK.
Guess you can tell I’m intrigued?
Cool! I want a blinking cane tip just because it'd be neato. lol I mean hell, if we have to stand out for using the thing, we might as well at least look flashy doing it. No pun intended.
I can't really justify the extra expense right now but perhaps it would be nice to get one for myself and my husband for times when we're dressed up. Nothing looks tackier than someone all dressed up with a raggedy ass old scratched up, bent, cane that's been rode hard and put up wet. lol
I think I'll take a look just for funzies.
I've been using a cane for twenty years now, and I've never had one splinter or shatter. I've snapped the tip off a cane by mistake once, whacking it really hard off a metal pole in a fit of anger when I was much younger, and I've also had the elastic fall apart so all the pieces cascaded onto the hall floor of my school, but as for splintering and shattering...never. It's just not been a concern. You folks are either really unlucky, or I've just dodged a hell of a lot of bullets. My current cane is definitely a bit on the dinged and scratched side, but it's still holding up well and, aside from the wear on the barrel near the end and the tip itself, it's in great shape. I've had it going on three years.
I'm not posting in here just to tell how different my luck has been though, don't worry. Heh. I'm actually posting here to ask what the deal is with light or heavy? I don't have tons to compare to, but I have seen a few lighter canes, and some of them seemed so whippy that I'd think it would be a greater risk than benefit. Get it stuck in grass or sand or even gravel, get surprised by an extra stair-riser, and it feels apt to pop out of your hand and clatter of god only knows where. Is that really worth not having a cane with a little weight to it?
I've had the same good luck: sixteen years with canes and none have ever splintered or even come apart. At worst I needed one cane restrung, and I also had one bend one time under some serious stress. I also have the same question about weight of canes. I don't like light canes or light tips. Light tips especially make me feel like the cane is harder to control.
Wow this is interesting. I had no idea it was possible to make something black or something with a dark color be reflective. It's kind of hard to grasp because I was under the assumption that white was automatically reflective, as well as other brighter colors.
As for making the black reflective, I would imagine it has to do with the glossy finish. If something has a mat finish or dull, it won't be reflective but if it is shiny or smooth, it is more likely to be reflective. For example, if you put clear shipping tape on a cardboard box, the tape will be reflective but the box will not. I hope that makes some sort of sense.
Regarding the weight of canes, I personally prefer a light weight cane because of nerve damage in my hands. I like a small marshmellow tip because it isn't as likely to get stuck in cracks, grass, etc. Allot of our sidewalks are cracked or uneven so that is of concern.
As for durability, I haven't had much problems as an adult but I was hell on a cane in my teen years. I used to fly around like I could see so was always walking faster than my cane, therefore getting it jammed into my midsection. I literally broke 2 canes in the exact same location on the street and on the cane in a 2-week period. I've slowed down quite a bit as an adult. lol
Really? I have just switched to a marshmallow tip and find that my great big roller tip hardly ever got stuck; this one gets stuck all the time. Interesting.
for colors
lite colors are easier to see at night because it pops out of the dark but it is not reflective. Dark colors blend in. So if you have dark blue, black, and dark purple, these will blend in at night with the dark because they are too dark. If you have lite blue, yellow, orange, pink and such, these colors are a like tone and will stand out, some more than others.
As for the reflection. A lot of matirials are reflective but the colors aren't. Now if you have a lite color with reflected matirial, it will shine or pop out more than a dark color with reflection. But yes, a black can be a shiny black and reflect. Like black dimons which are a stone will reflect.
hope this helps
what a interesting subject and i'm not sure what mine is but it is one that doesn't fold though I've bent it many times, I've been through so many of them I have lost count and my tips don't usually last long either and I've tried all sorts and I agree the large rolling tip doesn't get stuck in things as much as the not so large one does but i'm a fast walker and are easily jabbing myself in the gut or groin, lol, smiles.
The one that was mentioned about the flashing light would be very handy to have as it would be noticed more than when it is just the normal white and red and I also think motorists would notice it more too so then we'd be more safer, smiles.
I know people worry that a lighter cane is not durable, but I've never found that to be the case. In fact, my fiberglass straight canes have held up a lot better over the years than pretty much any of my folding ones. I went for most of the 2000's with the same fiberglass cane, until a friend slammed it in a car door. I'd say that would damage most canes, however they're made. I've had people trip on the lighter cane, but it's never gone out of my hand, or broken, etc. We'll see how this new one holds up.
If you're using your cain, and its jabbing you in the gut, you're using it wrong. End of story. Using an NFB or california light carbon fiber or fiberglass cane requires a somewhat different style of grip and movement you need to master. But once you do, you'll barely ever need to move your wrist or arm to the extent a normal heavy cane would require.
I'll never go back to folding canes. Too rickety.
see, I've had excellent luck with folding canes. I wonder what the difference is? I get my canes from CNIB but I don't know who makes them.
I have the telescoping ones that actually lock in place when you tighten them, so they don't collapse.
I never had a problem with the telescoping cane collapsing, I had a problem with it coming apart at the seams and cracking. I can't stand straight canes though. They're cumbersome and a nuisance.
To return to an earlier subject though, how does the weight of your cane effect whether or not it flies out of your hand? If your cane is flying out of your hand you need to get a better grip, not a heavier cane.
I also have the problem of my cane sometimes stabbing me, and it has nothing to do with proper cane use. Proper cane use is what causes it. I walk fast and I live in a city with lots of cobblestone streets and sidewalks. Sometimes the tip hits a crack and you get stabbed. Its one of the downsides of canes. I do know of different cane uses that make this less likely, but they require a very loose grip and then we're back to the cane coming out of your hand.
Only problem for me is all the goddamn hanging tree branches. I'm 6-3 tall.
You need a helmet not a better cane. Lol
Now, any color can be made reflective, and when light shines on it, black blue, or any other color can shine just as well as white.
This is difficult to explain if you have never seen, but it is possible.
No black will not show up as well as white in the dark, you need the light shining to cause the reflective properties.
These pretty canes are not cheap I’ve learned, but like Domestic, I’m gonna get me one for when I’m dressed up.
I love folding canes, the straight ones are to difficult to put someplace, or if you are out with a sighted person to get rid of in your pocket or bag.
Yeah, I'm a pretty good cane traveler and I get stabbed sometimes. Some tips are more prone to getting stuck than others, but either way you'll get stabbed whether you're brilliant or a novice. Ridiculously light canes don't fly out of my hand, but they feel like they bounce too damn much when I use touch rather than dragging. You get used to it of course but it's an odd feeling at first.
I've been a straight cane user for several years, and will never go back to a folding cane.
I love the lightness, the fact I don't get jabbed in the stomach, the way I did when I used a folding cane, as well as that a long straight cane allows for more reaction time.
as for storing straight canes, I don't find they're harder to store than folding ones. different? sure, but not more complicated.
not meaning to get off topic, Alicia, but I wanted to share my cane useage experience.
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I was always told that the length of your cane should depend upon your height, not the type of cane.
Chelsea, I'm curious about something: you say that you got stabbed more with folding canes? how come? I found the stabbing to be about equal between folding and straight, so I'm just wondering if I'm missing something.
Folding canes and straight canes can be stored at home pretty easily either way; folding canes are really nice in tight quarters like crowded classrooms and buses and the like, though
Yeah, I'm curious about that too. How does the addition of a joint in the middle of the cane make it stab you more? I can't wrap my brain around the physics of that, and I'm good at physics. Explain?
There is a measuring guide thats use to know how long your cane should be, but for people who walks fast like I tend to do, sometimes will use canes that are longer to give us a bit more of a worning to stop at curbs and things.I know i had to get a longer cane because I kept finding myself in the road before I could make my feet stop when I found the curb with my cane. I figured this was happening to often and was afraid oneday I would get hit so got a longer cane. I haven't had this issue since...
Mine comes up to my forehead.
There have been some good points that have been brought up in this topic and it is interesting to hear the different views we have on the mobility aid we use.
I myself have had similar issues happen like the cane falling out of my hand and it is true that the length of a cane for the user is measured by there height but in some cases a few inchs will be added so that the cane is longer as of the pace that is walked by blind members as some can walk faster than others.
A folding cane is good to have when traveling, in crowded places but with me they never lasted as i'd be walking along and I would get my cane stuck in the foot path and all you would hear is snap so having a straight cane has worked out better for me, smiles.
hahahahahahahaha what a long cane you have, smiles.
Up to your forehead, and you're six four? Jesus, you're literally swinging around a six foot pole all day? How do you not hit every person within a ten mile radius in the ankle?
It enables me to walk faster.
I use the same type of cane that Chelsea uses. We both received the same training from the Louisiana Center as to how to use the cane we have. It's not the type of cane that prevents you from being jabbed, but rather how it is used. You obviously can't use this type of cane as you would with a marshmellow/roller tip. Being that those types of canes require constant contact on the ground on concrete or cement surfaces, that is why you are more prone to being jabbed in the gut because it will hit every crack and uneven spot. Now, with the NFB cane that Chelsea and I use, if you aren't careful and depending on the way you walk, you are prone to being caught off guard by these cracks or uneven spots, because the NFB cane does not use constant contact with the ground when used properly. It is also not impossible to get jabbed in the gut by this sort of cane, but it seems to happen way less frequently with this type of cane which I can also attest to.
A couple of people here have mentioned using a somewhat different style of grip and movement for lighter canes without actually going into much detail. Also, do most of you prefer two point touch? I've always heard that constant contact is generally better for detecting drop offs, and I've seen a couple studies to back this up. I know the NFB frowns on it, though.
I have full contact with the ground at all times as I am unable to do the non-contact as I end up missing things and then having accidents.
lol I think that person was just joking as I doubt you can have a cane that goes past your head, smiles.
I use 2 point touch. I tried to learn that Doug Boon method but I might as well have tried to learn to walk on my hands backwards. Two point touch has worked for me for over 30 years so I'm good with it. lol
I don't know. I knew a guy in high school who used a straight cane that was taller than he was. He also had the worst cane skills I've ever had.
I never really bought the idea that having a longer cane lets you walk faster either. Maybe its just me, but I don't need six feet to stop before I hit something, and I'm a very fast walker. I walk faster than most sighted people do. Maybe I'm weird.
My cane has always been up to somewhere in the top part of my chest. I'm six feet, and it's about four feet ten inches or something. I use two-point touch for the most part, and the only times I get jabbed in the stomach or breastbone are when I've got a pencil tip and it gets stuck in a sidewalk crack when I'm not expecting it. With larger tips it almost never happens. As far as drop-offs go...I'd never thought of that, but then I've also never tumbled down a flight of stairs or over a curb using two-point touch either. I suppose it might be technically more sound in that you will sense the lack of ground instantly, but you've got to be fairly quick with a cane anyway so I daresay that if you're using two-point touch the way you ought to, and the cane is more than a stride ahead of you, you're still going to sense the drop before your feet do.
As far as light canes popping out of your hand more easily than heavy ones, my only worry was just that...weight. Somehing light and whippy, particularly if you're unused to it, is easier to pop loose if stepped on or jammed. I'd also figure it'd be easy to break. This is sort of interesting...I've been using a cane for twenty years or so now and my instances of breakage and large damage are rather minimal.
I don't think getting jabbed in the stomach or chest has to do with whether you're using a folding or straight cane, but rather the kind of tip you have on it. I rarely get jabbed. Sure it happens to everyone sometimes, but it's rare for me. Also, as someone else said, to me it's not that straight canes are hard to put somewhere or store, you just handle them differently. It was kind of annoying when I first started using a straight one back in 1999, but I got used to it quickly and got to where I didn't even think about it. If nothing else, having a folding cane makes for a good spare you can put in a bag or backpack, etc.
Yes, it is very possible to have a cane that's as tall as you are. I do think that if it's too tall, your technique goes to shit, but that's just me. How tall your cane should be is a totally individual thing. Mine comes to my chin or a little above. I too, find that it gives me much better reaction time.
Speaking of cane technique, I use both touch technique and constant contact as the situation seems to call for. I can go back and forth between them very easily, and often do it unconsciously, depending on what information I'm trying to obtain.
I've been using my new folding cane for the last few days. I'm still not entirely sure if I'll make it my primary cane, or a good back-up. But I will say as folding canes go, the lightness and tactile feedback of this one is better than others I've tried. I have the metal tip on this one like I do my straight canes, so that helps too. Now we'll just see how well the joints hold up over the next few months.
Nuh uh. No stabbing. The handle of the cane is parallel to my left hip. Well, a little beyond that, but all the same. No way would I walk with it straight in front of me.
interesting to hear about the different techniques used by us people whom use a cane, smiles.
No, Cody, you're not weird. I'm five two and my cane comes up to just below my collarbone, so it's not very long. I walk very quickly for the most part, faster than most of the sighted people I know, and I've never had any trouble. I can stop on a dime very easily so I don't need tons of warning.
I use either constant contact or two-point touch, depending on the area I'm navigating. I like two-point especially when the ground is rough or uneven. I rarely get stabbed, and as my technique got better it hardly happened, but straight canes didn't stab me any less than folding canes, so I still don't really get that one.
Oh man, I could never go back to a straight cane after having a sturdy, reliable folding one for so many years. They're just so easy to shove in your backpack, or rest in your lap when they're not in use. Gone are the days when I'd have to lean it against a wall, shove it under a table, or have it sticking straight up in front of me in order not to trip people or get in their way.
It's interesting because we were actually strongly discouraged from placing the cane handle anywhere but towards the centre; this is supposed to help keep a straight line and while I don't notice a huge difference, I get stabbed in the gut so rarely that it makes little difference where I put it.
I'm with Gregg: I've been using a cane for ages, hard use mind you, and never ever ever ever had a cane actually break. They look like hell when I finally retire them, but they've never broken. They've also never collapsed randomly as I've heard some folding canes like to do. You have to use a little elbow grease to fold and unfold them, so they never just collapse while you're trying to use them, and they feel reassuringly solid in your hand.
The thing with your arm being midline is that, as Meglet said, it orients you to stay straight, keeps your arc properly centered. If you don't need that, then you'll have to seriously compensate on one side or the other. Bear in mind that when you do this, your wrist has to flex much further to one side than the other, or else you're not going to protect the far (non-cane) side of your body. Do whatever works for ya, I suppose, but they don't have you center your elbow against your sternum for nothing.
I used a straight cane for about six months before switching to a folding cane and never going back. I've had it stick in a sewer grate, run over by a car (albeit a car going very slowly), kicked numerous times and even fully jumped on so that it created a huge bend, and still the only actual break I've ever experienced was when in a fit of anger I hammered my tip against a metal pole and sheared the whole end off. It was an old cane but I still shouldn't have done it. I wonder if folding canes in the States are just poorly made on the whole, or if you guys are somehow harder on your canes (which I honestly doubt), or what, because I just don't see a reason otherwise.
Well, in all fairness it isn't often tha a cane has actually snapped on me, but I consider a bend just as damaging as a break. Hard to use a bent cane, not impossible I suppose, but practically so. The few times I have had a cane break it broke at the joint, so it was the inner tube of the cane that broke, not the actually cane itself. Today those things are made of much better material.
I had a pretty serious bend in mine once but I was able to straighten it out with a lot of effort and patience. (it was a straight cane). But, on the whole, I'd consider a severely bent cane broken. Still only happened once though and the circumstances were pretty extreme.
I've used a straight cane for years as it is stronger and I have bent it but never has it broken but many of my folding canes did and most of the time it was because of wearing the tip out till I had made a hole in the end and once I was walking down a street in town and the string inside broke and the cane bits fell off and rolled down the street and I had to race after it but had to manage with out one for a while, I walk a lot, smiles.
I remember when I was in school and had to use it and I tripped a student up and he landed on it which bent the cane real bad and my mobility instructor tried to straighten it but ended up snapping the cane in half so I was given a new one to use.
I'm pretty short so my cane comes up to the breast bone and I walk fast and even some sighted people can't keep up with me, smiles.
Oh, I lied. I hadda really old spare cane fall apart on me once when the elastic frayed inside and all the pieces sort of cascaded. It was rather funny...I'm only glad it wasn't in the middle of a street or something. This cane was about four years old by then, and had been very hard-used.
By severe bend, I'm talking about the kind where one side of the cane actually dimples enough to impinge the elastic; if it's just a bow in the cane's normally straight barrel, you can nearly always straighten that. Integrity's never quite the same again in that section but it usually does the job. My dad and I, between us, straightened my cane many times from fairly significant bends.
So I'm the only one who holds the cane with the handle somewhat parallel to my hip?
I think you might be impy. I'd find that sort of grip very uncomfortable, personally.
Totally weird, Because I find the in front of the belly button method very uncomfortable, always have.
Yeah Imp, you're the only one I've ever heard of who holds a cane that way. I can't imagine using that at all. I think I'd miss a ton of stuff that my cane usually picks up, or my technique would be all screwy while I tried to get the same information.
I think I would run into every single pole along the sidewalks if I tried the centered thing.
I used to use a similar grip to the one you use, Imp, though someone corrected me and ever since I've switched to the centre and not looked back. But hey, if it works for you and keeps you safe, more power to ya.
Just to clarify, I hold the handle with the index finger resting on the flat part. That's what I was taught to do.
That part is right. Your index finger should be flat against the flat side of the grip. I'm not condemning what you do, only wondering about it. If the cane is held on one side of your body (say the right side), then you have to bend your wrist far to the left in order to get the cane-tip over that far; there's no problem on the right side, however, since you're already there. Instead of flection in both directions on your wrist (top-side and underside muscles), you're overusing your topside muscles and not using the ones underneath near as much. I don't know how old you are but you may develop problems with this later down the road. Then again, you may not. If it works for you, go nuts; just don't ignore your wrist if it starts getting tense or sore or overworked.
I don't do either one of those. I have my thumb on the fla, and the cane just in front of my appendix pretty much. I curl my wrist just slightly, supporting the weight of the cane on my palm, then cause the motion of the tip with pressure from my fingers. There's very little movement of my wrist, and my thumb only works to keep the cane securely gripped.
I'll give it a go. I imagine it'll make me walk slower for a bit.
I have both. I have an NFB straight cane, and a folding cane.
Because the joints on the folding cane slide into each other I can’t imagine how it collapse.
The only way is if the tip gets stuck in a closing door or something and you pull back, but otherwise no.
I hold mine center, and depending on what I want to see I tap or slide it.
When moving I tap and once you get the swing going it just moves easy. I don’t get tired.
The only way I’ve dropped a cane is when it was kicked out of my hand by a person.
I’ve had them bent or broken by car tires and people stepping on them, but otherwise I’ve never broken one using it regular.
I like the breast bone length, but have longer too.
I could and have use a broom stick. Lost my cane once and had to get to work, so. Smile.
I have both metal and rolling tip. I like the rolling tip a little better. I tap with it mostly as well.
I try to keep my cane centered, but it will wander to the right if I'm distracted, then I check myself.
I didn't feel quite as safe with a cane that only came up to my chest. I have a long stride and though it gave me a steps worth of reaction time, that was not enough to make me feel comfortable. Using a cane that comes up to between my Adams apple and my chin nearly doubled my reaction time.
Anyone used a ceramic tip? I've had one for over a year and it shows no signs of ware yet.
I like ceramic tips. They give good auditory feedback and last a while. I prefer them over metal tips.
Actually, my NFB telescoping cane just broke over the weekend, so I pulled out my old Ambutech with a standard roller tip from the closet. It took a day to get comfortable with it -- but I've got to admit, while lighter canes might initially seem cooler and more responsive, there's definitely something to be said for a trusty, solid, heavier, well-built cane. If only the paint didn't chip and discolor at the bottom. That's still my primary complaint with these things. If the Advantage canes are indeed lighter as the OP says, I might look into them. But I might just stick with this for a while, because it works well enough and I can think of other things I'd rather spend money on.
See, the thing I don't like about aluminium, or graffite, is that they're so rigid that you don't really get a nice crisp feel as you move it along the ground. Or tap it. Hope that makes sense.
interesting hearing about this but i'm not heard of a cane tip made from metal and yeah I have to agree that the paint does get chipped a lot so some of the red turns into grey, lol, smiles.
I swear I heard somewhere, sometime, that ceramic tips run the risk of shattering?
No, I've never used a ceramic tip, but I've heard really good things about them. Where do you get them, LV? I might order one if I knew where. I don't know if one would fit on my new folding cane, but I could try it with my straight one. Right now I'm using a metal tip, as I have for years.
Got mine from Beyond Sight. They're a little pricey.
neat wish I could get one myself as my tips wear out especially because of all the walking I do, smiles.
Not sure if they make them for the thicker metal folding and straight canes. I'm using a graffite telescoping cane.
A little pricey is ok, so long as the tip last long enough. I hate over-paying for junk!
This discussion is interesting.
So my cane goes up to the bottom of my breastbone. This is what I was taught as a kid, and seems to be a mainstay for me.
Anyway when I need length, I merely extend my arm, elbow in front of stomach and extend straight outward further and continue using the cane.
I didn't know there were words for the various cane use methods. I only drag it, I guess you call that continuous, if I am very unsure of the ground surface I'm on. Other than that I do something like the two point thing, where your cane taps the ground on the opposite side of your leading foot. However, I often don't directly strike the ground at all. I was taught this trick by a mobility instructor in high school and it does pay off. The aim is to have it hovering just above the ground, maybe even a quarter inch, occasionally you'll hit the ground. But anyway it makes for two things: Speed plus no worries about cracks, and second you make less cane noise.
This is something the Wife noticed when we were around some other blind people, she told me I make a considerable amount less noise with my cane than they did. I can understand how this would be seen as a disadvantage by some, but I do thrive on using the background sounds / ambiance and so only make as much noise with it as I need to.
I did have a NFB straight cane once, and even a collapsible which died on me, but the straight was sort of ok. I admit the heavier one takes more work to use but you'll get used to it.
I find it interesting on here people who say they use the NFB canes and went to the Centers to learn how to use it. Neither a good or a bad thing, but a bit of perspective. Should someone go to Toyota's center to learn how to drive a Toyota? May be the Toyota is the best car out there, but a need to learn how to drive differently by going to the dealership's center would probably put people off.
If the joints of a folding cane are made well enough, you'll have the kind of feedback you need. I've had mine for seven years, though five of those years have been spent where I can't walk anywhere, now that is over and done with thank the gods and the gargoyles for that.
I think something that isn't touched on much on this thread is terrain. Cody lives in Florida, for instance. Florida is so flat you could use it as a level work surface. Seriously though, I did live there a few years, and flat terrain is sure different. Portland and Seattle are all hills, so is SF. So you can feel a drop downward when in fact it's just a steep hill. I guess if the cane was in constant contact with the ground you'd know, but I tend to just use a few different factors I am not sure how. I agree with what people say about do what works for you.
I'm reminded of my daughter going through Driver's Ed a couple years ago. So many things, so much to keep track of. But after awhile you get so you do what works (within the law and good sense) and leave it at that.
I don't know what brand my folding cane is. And I do have an old beater I got in Spain whose tip I could never replace. I showed it to a mobility instructor and he said he'd never seen a tip like it. So I reserve that one, which is slightly longer, for outdoor hikes / beach trips, as it's convenient to not get beach sand in a foldable.
Anyway curious about what you all mean by a proper stowing of a straight cane. Generally I try and find a corner or a place to tuck it away. I definitely prefer a folding which can get stowed in a pocket. I put my phone in my pocket when I'm not using it, same with my pocketknife. So why not the cane? It's not an icon, just a damn stick that's a tool for us lol.
And lol Wayne to the broomstick comment. Had the same trouble when I was a po' folk in college once.
Never met another blind person who used a broom handle.
Oh and as to the custom jobs? It'd be neat to have a folding with a Thor's Hammer on the head, not the business end the part where your hand is.
Hmm, I'm not sure how well that keeping your cane just above the ground would work for me. The idea for me is to get tactile feedback about what's ahead of and around me, and how am I going to get that without my cane touching the ground? I also get a lot of information about what's around me by the sound echo that comes from my cane tapping on the ground, and I'd miss out on that info, too. I don't think you have to make a ton of noise with your cane when doing touch technique. Now if I'm in a parking lot, trying to find a building, I might tap a bit harder on the ground to get a better sound cue. But when I'm walking around my work place for instance, or when I'm not looking for a specific sound cue, I'm a pretty light tapper. It's not the same with everyone: I knew a guy I jokingly called Thunder Cane because he would tap so hard and make so much noise it was embarrassing to be in public with him. But he was the exception to the rule: most people are pretty quiet even with touch technique.
Well I seriously doubt I am all as quiet as she made it sound but yes I believe I must tap the ground far more than I think because of what you just said, changes in gradient, etc.
I did take the test drive approach just now and applied to get a free carbon fiber cane from the NFB. Not as long as some talk about on here but maybe a inch or so longer than I usually do. Then I can try it, especially when just out running around for the express purpose of running around. I think I'll be taking the folding one into bars / pubs etc still though. I understand the "Only Toyota dealers can teach you how to drive a Toyota" type thinking some people are saying, but I'd think a stick's a stick, a cane's a cane and a blade's a blade, I can just as well use the carbon as the old aluminum.
I'm guessing those probably make a bit less noise anyway because of how light they are.
It's been ages so I really don't remember.
Anyway it's clear many have really thought about this stuff while some of us have just gone along doing it. You who have done the thinking about it will make things a lot easier for people just figuring this stuff out. Hard to say, when you've just done it since you were a kid, you just do it, I guess.
I also don't pound, but just touch lightly. Sometimes I don't really thouch much at all.
I also like to know what type of ground I'm on, so sometimes will feel it by sliding.
It just depends on what I need I guess.
Yep, a broom. Had to have something, so. Lol
I never whent anyplace to learn how to use an NFB cane. I just ordered one, it came to my house, and I've still got it, and use it sometimes. A cane to me is a cane. Some are lighter, some heavier, and I'm hoping to get me a prettier one shortly.
to clear up a misconception, I didn't learn how to use a straight cane at an NFB center. I learned from friends who had plenty experience using such canes, and who recommended I try one out for myself.
I use the constant contact method, as I find the two point touch, or whatever it's called, to be too much of a hastle.
I'm similar to Chelsea on this one. While I did eventually go to an NFB Center, I started using the straight fiberglass cane about two years before I even thought about going to any center at all. I too did it on the recommendation of a friend. I'd grown up with folding canes, so I was pretty skeptical of a straight one, almost outright hostile about it. It was kind of a challenge, my friend wanting to show me they could be useful, me wanting to have room to say they sucked. I couldn't well say that without having tried the thing. but in the end the laugh was on me, because I really came to like it and the tactile feedback I got from it.
I suppose I'm easy with whatever, because my mobility teacher would give me different things to try. Mainly a cane for me allows me to see what is in front of me. Keeps me from stepping in a hole, or walking in to something.
Any stick long enough handles that duty just fine.
I, too, was very reluctant to try a straight cane. like Alicia, I wanted to go on and on about how they were pretty much worthless pieces of shit, but it didn't take me very long to realize what a world of difference the straight cane made in my life, in allowing me to get much better tactile feedback than I ever did with a folding cane.
Can someone explain (because I'm apparently missing something) why a straight cane gives better feedback than a folding cane?
Because supposedly the links in the folding cane allow it to bend just enough to prevent it from transmitting the feedback. Personally, and I mean no slight to anyone, I think that's a cop out for poor mobility skills. I could, if I wanted to, walk without my cane and be just as fine. I might not be as fast, but I'd make it. I think people are taught to depend on their cane too much, and that in turn leads them to give too much credit to different attributes of the cane that, as of yet, no one has been able to explain the physics of.
Parenthetically, I hate the term straight cane. They're all straight, its a rigid cane.
I agree with you, and I'm also a little confused by how you all "properly" use these ridgit canes for better feedback. For example, someone mentions that he and Chelsea got the same training on the rigid cane in post 50, and adds that with the "NFB cane that Chelsea and I use, if you aren't careful and depending on the way you walk, you are prone to being caught off guard by these cracks or uneven spots, because the NFB cane does not use constant contact with the ground when used properly." But then Chelsea says she always uses constant contact with her straight cane in post 93. So ... which is it? I'm not trying to put down anyone's technique, I just don't understand.
I'm with Cody on the physics part, with Wayne on the stick part. To me, the only difference between a folding and a straight first, you can put a folding one away in your pocket, and I do love to use my pockets. And second, I prefer my straight beater for outdoor things like the beach or the mud, or cutting a Christmas tree with the daughter / nieces, stuff like that. No chance of getting anything in the joints. Beyond that it's a stick, man, it sure is useful for the things Wayne pointed out.
I don't remember anything profound about the NFB rigid one I had ten to fifteen years ago. But I jon't reY tap against the sidewalk that regularly.
To the last couple posters, I think you're trying to make sense out of nonsense, because more and more it is starting to sound like a religious debate. If it wasn't some kind of dogma or religion, someone would be able to tell you how to do it right, in steps, and give you concrete reasons as to why. For example, when I bought a ukulele this past summer, the arguments about cases I read online sounded sometimes like dogma, like people talking on here. But strings was another matter. Concrete informN, even step by step on how to stretch and install the premium strings.
I guess I can't relate to the idea of one type of cane "sucks" because there just aren't that many moving parts. I do feel that way about cutlery or even collectors' swords, or any number of other things, because of practical considerNs about tang construction and rivets.
People who say carbon fiber as a substance gives better tactile feedback than alluminum are backed up by some simple physics. But the joint construction on the folding canes I've had, save for one, have been a good fit and slide in tight. It's like pipe fitting. You just screw it one or two times if it's not that tight. Guess it is pipe fitting, minus the threads and the dreaded PVC Bonding glue which is a royal pain in the ass to use if you're blind, but that's another issue.
Anyway, where there is no physics I think we're looking at either preference (I like blue, you like tan) or dogma. Preference is fine, but dogma is silly, in my opinion. If there is a unique way to use a rigid carbon-fiber cane, then one would be able to find a comparative analysis between the two and how their uses vary, and a roadmap to make it happen. You can't get around that: that's how we do mechanics in the physical universe we inhabit.
I have to agree. I've never found that using a rigid cane is much different from using a folding one. I just like the folding ones for storage purposes.
I will say this, though: I don't really find anyone here is being particularly dogmatic or religious about this stuff. It's been pretty civilized and honest. There may be some stuff here that isn't backed up, and that's not necessarily a good thing, but this isn't really dogma like the dogma surrounding guide dogs, for example.
Guide dogma? Lol. As I said earlier, I hate the rickety feel of folding canes.
i did find that description to be a bit funny but i have to agree that nothing of the sort is happening here, just having a friendly discussion here and nothing else.
I found with a folding cane that some of the connections that the different parts of the cane go into would stiffen up a bit and so it made it hard when having to open the cane up ready for use and then packing it away when not in use.
Now i do remember once a member of staff whom was at the hospital reckon that the folding cane looked like there might be a weapon in it which i thought was funny, smiles.
Vassoline or wD40 works well on the joints.
You can also draw on them with a pencil, it works.
Regardless of the type of cane one uses, I still say you people who center the handle in front of your stomach are insane. That's practically begging to get yourself jabbed in the gut.
I can understand, because I've used, and have both types how a thinner stick creates more feedback.
The thing I am lost on as well, is how that feedback matters? If you touch a pole, you feel you have touched something, so you go around it.
Feel a drop off, you use the stick to learn how big it is. If you feel air, you assume you'd better not step off there, because it is too deep. If it is a burb, well, cool, proceed.
I am totally in to when I sit down someplace, moving that stick out of the way of traffic or something.
Like at an eating place, sometimes the tables are really short. There is no place to lean your stick, and if you lay it on the ground, the help, or customers might kick it, causing them to trip. You are forced to lay it on your shoulder, butting your arm around it.
Now with the foling job, I fold it, and can lay it on the table if I want.
If I'm out with a sighted friend, I just require it to go to the bathroom. The rest of the time it is in my pocket or someplace.
This is really interesting though. I never knew cane types to matter so widely.
I'll give you that technicality Cody: the more accurate term would be rigid cane. But I guess it's all in what you're used to calling it. The way the feedback difference got explained to me when I was trying to puzzle out why it felt different was something like this. It's kind of like a telephone wire: if the wire has breaks in it, as the signal travels along it, it's going to get more distorted, thus being pretty garbled by the time the sound reaches the recipient. In this example, the breaks being the joints of the folding cane and the signal being the tactile feedback.
But in the end, it's really all just down to personal preference. A cane is a totally individual thing, just as the choice between using a cane and a guide dog is.
And as far as the feedback discussion, I will say this. The Advantage cane that I originally started this board about does have the best feedback of any folding cane I've used. The Ambutech ones may be more durable, but this feels better to use.
That's a pretty fair explanation, Alicia. But your telephone wire, in fact most circuit wire, is actually a series of connected wires like your folding cane. But you're absolutely right, the connections matter. The connections make for the continuity.
As an aside, I've always wondered why the NFB didn't go on ahead and patent their carbon fiber design. Something that really grinds me is this idea that patents are only for corporate types with in-house dream team lawyers. This is America: I don't care if you ARE a nonprofit, you engineered a technology, you have a right to the trademark / the patent on it.
If the NFB thought it through and decided against doing this, that is fine, but far too often people / organizations don't know their options. Contrary to popular opinion, patents aren't just for lawsuits. In fact, in many cases multiple patent owners come together and create mutual partnerships that create new technologies.
A bit of a diversion I guei's. But my impression by reading the NFB people's description of their carbon fiber technology, looks patent-worthy to me. But, I'm an engineer and not a lawyer, so. So long as they understood their choices and made their own choice not to, rather than the common misconception about patents.
Something like the carbon fiber technology is precisely what our patent system was designed for, it's not some idiot patent for a swipe to unlock or a marking place technology, it's a physical substance with specific chemical properties the NFB's chemists have carefully crafted.
I did say that ten to fifteen years ago, I didn't see anything particularly outstanding about the NFB Cane I'd bought. That was just cane use. The device itself was smooth, clearly well-thought-out mechanical / joint construction: it's a well-crafted tool like a favored machete or a trusted hammer, I can see that.
Anyway just my thoughts on that issue, for better or worse.
Of all the folding canes I've tried, the Advantate is the best at conducting enough vibration to my hand, is a decent weight, is most durable, and I need a new one. How amusing, this topic should resurface as the elastic begins to fray in my trusty Advantage. When I unfolded the thing for my walk, I was reminded of that silly Gico commercial with "Someone help me, I've a flat tire!" LOL. That helpless fool won't be me; I always carry a spare!
smiles and the more I read this the more interesting it gets, smiles.
I'm not disagreeing with you Alicia, its all personal preference. However, I have to parrot the question of why does it matter. The difference between the two, at least to me, is minimal at best. The folding cane has a bit more give in it, so it doesn't transfer the vibration quite as much, but do you really need to know how rough the surface of the sidewalk is? Its not like you're trying to count grass blades with your cane tip or anything. Why do you need the feedback in the first place?
You mean you don't count grass blades Cody? What's wrong with you!
Imp, the reason we "crazy" people use the centered grip is because it helps us, in one way or another, and I've been jabbed in the gut so rarely that it's been literally years since it happened to me.
Oh come on, Cody and Meglet, we're supposed to count steps all the time you know, so why not grass blades too?
Seriously, Cody, again I guess it comes back to what you're used to. Do I absolutely 100 percent need that level of tactile feedback? No, not really. Could I use an Ambutech or some other kind of cane where I don't get as much, and still travel safely? Absolutely. I guess it's just that I'm used to having it, like it, and want to keep it if I can. In this case, I've found a folding cane that gives me that, and I like it.
And Dave H, that's an amusing picture of the Gico commercial.
Fair enough. If its what works for you, who am I to argue with you. I'm getting a dog anyway.
I kinda want to try out one of those roller tips that's completely round like a ball bearing.
Yeah, me too. My other roller tip would always get clogged with just...stuff, and stop working properly.
It's funny, but you reminded me of the sensory input from a rigid cane. It's a much more...jarring experience on the hand. Everything is just that little bit more intense. I don't want that, but if others do, that's cool. Goes for anything, really; there's nothing wrong with it and I'm not being picky.
I'd like to see a really good rolling tip sometime; every one I've seen so far is...sort of odd, for one reason or other. That, and they tend to be heavier, which drags at both the hand and the wrist. That can lead to problems down the road. Are there really light roller tips?
My rolling tip I've had it for about 2 years, and it still works fine. That might be due to how I use it. It is one of the solid long type. Not a mushroom, just round.
Oh okay. Mine looked kind of like a big marshmallow tip. After awhile it wouldn't roll from side to side anymore at all. And it weighed a ton.
To the comments about the stomach jabbing issue, I think it also has to do with how close/choked up you are with your cane. If you hold it at a good distance away from your stomach, added to your pace, the farther away you hold the cane handle the less this should happen. Perhaps the lenghthe of your arms also has to do with this. If you have longer arms you will be able to hold it away from you more, thus you can walk faster without jabbing yourself.
Another plus to the NFB canes is they are flexible. When they jam in a crack they will bend and absorb the impact, lessening the chance of being jabbed. You don't have that kind of flexibility with most folding canes, at least the ones I have felt and worked with. When they stop in a crack there is no bending.
Actually, Ryan, I disagree with part of your statement about flexibility. While I won't speak for an NFB cane's flexibility or lack thereof (for want of experience with that tool, I mean), what I will say is that most folding canes have at least a bit of give to them as well. Some don't, but most do. In fact, in my limited experience with a rigid cane when I was younger, I remember that getting the tip jammed in a sidewalk crack while walking was even worse because, as it's been designed, the impact is something you feel more thoroughly, so it sort of shocks the hand even more. I don't know what to tell you on that one; I'm sure that wasn't an NFB cane, mind you. Point is, I don't think folding canes have the proble you cite, by and large. If they do, I've yet to see or notice it.
Oh, and as far as being jabbed in the gut? If you have your elbow midline in front of your stomach and your arm extended, you have a crazy amount of reach, plus there's some leeway because your elbow isn't squished against your belly. Unless you're constantly getting your cane caught in things, I think the gut-jabbing issue is a matter f what sort of cane, environment and experience you're dealing with. Constant contact lends itself much much more to being jabbed because instead of just tapping the ground, you're practically begging to find a crack by gliding back and forth over top of (and sometimes right into) them. Also, tree roots suck for that.
Folding canes can be pretty flexible. I've bent rigid canes, never bent a folding cane, and I put some of them through absolute hell.
to answer the question of why I got jabbed so much with a folding cane, it may have had a little bit to do with poor mobility skills. mostly, though, it was cause I have short arms, and I used to have trouble extending the arm that I used the cane with.
So why wouldn't you get jabbed with a rigid cane even more then? Please explain to me what's different about how you use a rigid cane over straight cane...because if you are using a four-and-a-half-foot stick and you wave it back and forth from the same position and upon the same focus, with its near end midline in front of your stomach, it seems to me that, rigid or folding, the physics will be much the same when you get stuck in a crack. Is there some sort of different length and grip thing going on that means the cane's butt end is somewhere else when it jams?
But even if you hold it farther away, don't you risk jabbing yourself in the groin then?
No, because you're holding it farther away, not farther down. You don't drop the cane lower, you just hold it farther away from your belly.
I once got a cylindrical roller tip on a graphite Advantage cane. It was very expensive and heavy. Maybe it lasted about a month, then the rolling bit fell of and I lost all the barings. I was left with a sharp, little stub, on which I managed to make it home. I replaced the broken tip with a non-rolling teardrop one I happened to find in my jumk drawer. Speaking of canes and mileage, I happened to order a free NFB cane. When I've used these in the past, the metal-covered tips lasted about 2 weeks, after which the covering would break into a separate ring and flat bit, leaving the rubber exposed. For the same of argument, I'll assume my technique to have been at fault, and ask your suggestions for getting the most out of this NFB tool.
Chelsea doesn't have a penis, so I guess that wasn't one of her issues with her folding cane.
I do agree getting your cane stuck or jamming it is how you use it, not if it folds or not.
I don't tend to get mine stuck in cracks, but I tap mainly, so.
So, blind folk call their penises "folding canes"? Mine's been a bit too folded of late, but I digress... LOL!
the one cane that has not been mentioned here is the modular cane. anyone remember those? it was a way of getting different length canes quickly by building them like a mechano set. they felt a bit like a straw when you were using them, but held up very well, and if they broke, all you replaced was the bit you broke, not the entire cane. so say, if a joint bust, you replaced that joint, bit of shaft? same thing. very cost affective. of course, like all good things, they stopped being made. *bohhoo*
Damn. That woulda been awesome to have.
The modular cane is a concept that makes far too much sense, and has died; boohoohoo.
Sounds like it was a great thing, would've been really nice to have.
I've not heard about that type of cane before but it sounds pretty cool, smiles.
Yes you can have rolling tips that are light in weight as myself use one and some do need to know every detail of what feedback is given to them so they can keep safe and they may be less confident and feel safer with knowing all details of what they are walking over, on the road, footpath and so on.
What details can you possibly get that would make you feel safer that you couldn't get from any sticklike object? I mean, would you feel safer knowing if you were walking on asphalt or concrete, or the height of the grass you're trolling over?
I can pick up on the resistance from puddles with my folding cane, so the feedback of a rigid cane would have to be more sensitive than that. Are you afraid you'll trip over a feather? What security do you get from those miniscule details?
well no but there is a lot of detail your cane can pick up than what is under your feet, smiles.
You can actually replace the parts on any folding cane. If you beend it, you can just buy the section you need.
so true but not when the whole thing comes apart then of course you have to replace the whole thing, smiles.
I don't know what canes cost in the US, bbut here in Canada we're talking about maybe forty bucks. You won't catch me replacing a part of a cane; I'd rather just buy another one.
Maybe so, but a part might cost 10 or less, so depending on the person they might want to fix it.
I am just pointing out folding canes can be fixed. I've made a couple for people after they've broken or lost them.
I had a friend visit and she lost hers. Well when we got home, I had some parts around, so I just made her one. New tip, no scratches, nice. Free to her. Lol
Well, yeah, if you already have the parts lying around then great. But chances are if you need parts you'd have to get them ordered and probably shipped. Around here at least, you can't even get cane parts at the CNIB, so you're better off buying another. This is based on the fact that canes generally last me years, mind you.
In that case the NFB cane beats that price at $25. I'm honestly not sure how much any other type of cane costs here but I am curious now, so will have to see. That is an interesting point to bring up as it hasn't been braught up yet, but it seems as though people don't seem too concerned with the price of a cane. I imagine those customary ones that Cody and others were talking about earlier are more expensive, but maybe I'm wrong?
Ok, if there are details you can pick up with your cane that isn't what's under your feet, what are they, and how are they picked up better by a rigid cane?
I don't really think forty bucks is asking much for something that lasts two or three years. Though judging by some of the posts here, some of the canes you people buy don't last very long or are broken more easily. lol
regarding how you hold the straight cane, Meglet is right. you hold it farther out, away from your belly, not further down on the cane.
The Kustome canes cost. I'd say they are expensive, but if you want something different, I'd say worth the price.
Most other canes are from about 30 to 50 online and if you have a store in your city.
I haven't had to buy one for a while, so for my Christmas gift to me will order the Kustome job.
A possible way to minimize joint pain, muscle and nerve damage, or fatigue on one’s dominant hand is to develop ambidexterity. Depending on the distance one is obligated and willing to walk, this skill would only increase stamina.
Using a cane skillfully with both hands is also advantageous under many circumstances. For instance, switching a heavy load every few minutes from one hand to the other on trips from the grocery store. Or climbing and descending a flight of stairs with one’s hand on the rail for support and balance.
Dependence solely on one hand is sometimes a limitation. Little skill is required to wave a cane from left to right. For this reason, obtaining this capability would probably be simple for most people.
However, those who are in the process of becoming ambidexterous or lacking confidence in their skills should use their dominant hand when crossing busy intersections or traveling along other potentially dangerous areas.
Question: do guide dog schools discourage ambidexterity, or do guide dog users have the freedom to exercise their judgement with a matter such as this?
I am ambidexterous, and I must say this helps greatly with my rist joints.
But regarding guide dogs, most schools, to my knowledge, train and allow you to use your dog only on one side, most often the left. This is usually nonnegotiable, especially because some of the harnesses, the curved ones like the one I used to have for instance, are made specifically for use with the left hand and on the left side. The dogs are also trained to walk on the left side in advance to being pared up with a human, so that's another reason why switching around would be a bit tricky, if not ill-advised.
yeah I tried using my cane in my left hand but unfortunately it didn't work and canes in new Zealand can cost a bit but usually you can get funding for one which i've done and I think it is clever of the person whom posted in here about being able to repair a cane or even create a new one from parts, that is so cool, smiles.
I use the left hand only.
I second bernadetta on both points. I can use my cane equally well with both hands. However, guide dogs are trained to go on your left side. I remember being told the reason for this, but it has since slipped my mind.
Huh. I heard they're supposed to go on the right side, but I don't remember who told me that. Could've been a grad from some whacko school.
Anybody have any tips for switching hands? I'm so right-handed it's not even funny; I'm not even sure why I have a left hand it's that useless. lol
Sure, just pretend you are left handed and start using it. Lol
I was afraid of that.
Yep, that's pretty much it. Try doing tasks with your left hand. If you want some fun things to do, or at least easy things to do, here's how I started training myself to use my left hand. Take a piece of paper and crumple it using only your left hand. Now uncrumple it using only your left hand. Repeat. Little things like that help make your left hand more dexterous, though it may never become perfectly so.
I did get my carbon fiber rigid cane from the NFB today, and just used it a bit to run the recycling out. Anyway, I forgot how lightweight they are.
I can see it has its uses when streetwalkin'. But I still would rather take a folding one when I'm going to be sitting down at a pub or somewhere.
Hey, I just got my free carbon fibre cane, too; great minds, and all that; lol. That tip finds every crack in the sidewalk, and the shaft transmits every bit of vibration to the hand. If I intend to make frequent use of this thing, better get lots of those tips; they'll wear quickly.
Thanks, Cody.
Honestly, if you're dominant in one hand or another, you will almost certainly never get true ambidexterity, particularly if your dominance on one side is serious. But Cody is right when he says that you can probably become decent.
The most important thing to work on is dexterity, but beyond that you also have to work on control, which is a function of both dexterity and strength. You know how it's kind of difficult to pour something heavy? Well, try with the weak hand once you get a little confidence. I'm a rightie, pretty much, and I always pour with my left hand. I use a fork in my right, knife in my left, rather than crossing over and cutting with my right. I can use a cane in either hand. And no, this isn't a brag-fest, I promise. The point is teaching. Cut food with your weak hand. Use the cane on routine trips in the off hand, get used to how it feels. Work the wrist, work the fingers, demand a bit more of that hand and take some of the strain off your dominant right.
I'm not sure I'd feel safe using my cane in my left hand, even in familiar areas, it's that useless. It's not weak, it's plenty strong. I can carry a twenty-pound bag in my left hand with no trouble at all. It's that it lacks dexterity to a serious extent. I wouldn't even know how to hold a cane properly in my other hand, let alone do the movements properly.
And, Gregg, you're lucky in that your left hand has more inherent strength and dexterity than mine. True, you use it more, but you've always been luckier with it than some, so I'm not sure you really get where I'm coming from on this.
I completely get it, actually. I'm only saying that it can still be done.
If nothing else, after a little time goes by, use your cane in your left hand, say, inside your residence building, but switch to the right when you get outside. That sort of thing. Small, calculated risks. It's going to feel weird because you don't really do it and because your wrist is oriented a different way. Your left hand is used to nothing at all more than brute carrying, pulling and hauling. If it's something you want to get better at, just test it in places where it doesn't matter all that much...indoors and in non-crowded places, especially.
well yes but still it is not easy to do as I tried it out but i'm sticking to using my right hand as I use it for a lot of the things I do, smiles.
Anyone here used a mini guide as well? If so, how was it?
I'm not sure what that is so could you explain more about it please, thanks, smiles.
It's a little device that you hold in one hand, supposed to vibrate when you're near an obstacle.
how neat I could use one of those but I would think they would be expensive to buy or aren't they?
So I wanted to bring this up again, since I have used their promotional where they let you get a free cane from them.
First, people, read the manufaturer's website. The NFB people on here are right, but then again, they *are* the manufacturer. It's like us now using the ZipCar hybrid if we have to drive, RTFM. So they say on their sort of manual thing that you don't drag the cane or it gets stuck. Mine has not gotten stuck, but not because I have done a single thing spectacular. I just read their instructions.
Admittedly, the way they write their instructions is shall we say a bit off beat and a bit testimonial, but I took off my engineer's hat and said to hell with it read the parts at least on how to use their product.
It would be unfair of me to say anything less here since their free product must be some kind of a promotional or something, anyway it works totally as advertised. Sure, I took my folding aluminum job to the Coast Guard Change of Watch, and to the pub the other night, and so on. But their straight or rigid streetwalker model is doing exactly as advertised. I simply don't drag it, just as their booklet online describes, and it works. I'll admit that is one mushroom-man job of a way to do instructions but maybe they are more of a educator than engineer crowd.
And yeah I've taken a long look at the device, the fittings and all, and although some use dogma to describe it, I'll just say it looks very well cast to me. I don't have the physical sensitivity some seem to have on here, I guess I rely on a lot of other ambient things which may distract me from the tactile side on this one.
But it's clear that any vibration that goes along its length will be less impeded by joints like a folding, and of course carbon fiber as a material is going to be a lot more elastic that way.
So for Alicia and others who can maximize that aspect of it, knock yourself out I say. There's physics behind it, though I myself get way too distracted by sound and other ambiance I guess, plus I almost never drag, but now especially not with this one after their write-up. If you take a look at the tip, it's constructed of two pieces of metal cast together it looks like, a plate on the end and a rim before you get to the rubber bushing. I could see how dragging could make that plate separate on you more quickly. It's aluminum, it looks like, and that's a pretty soft metal.
The lightweight part feels a bit odd at first but downright fantastic. Kinda like handing my wife a MacBook Pro after she'd been using a seven-year-old Dell for years. Lightweight doesn't mean breakable. Your aircraft, proportionally speaking, are all lightweight.
Anyway, not to drag this up, but I owed it to the community to say this if I was gonna use the NFB's promo product. No free lunch in life, and all that.
Wow. I just used it like a stick. Never thought a cane would have a manual.
If I don't want it sticking, I touch thing softer. Lol
Mine works just fine. It is light, sure, so I act like it and don't expect it to stand up to hard use. When I want to bang, I get my heavier stick. If I needs to really sweep, I get the broom.
I really never thought about all the points that have been brought up in this board as related to my cane. Really interesting.
interesting I didn't know there was a manual for using a cane but offesly there is, lol, smiles.
All right bringing this topic up again, for a couple of reasons. And they do surround the NFB's promotional situation where you get a straight streetwalker for free once. And I do very appreciate mine, even if we had a couple skinny-jeans-wearin' hipsters tread on it while lmfaoing and texting around our neighborhood, nearly knocking themselves into the street, poor spazzes. I was less worried about the cane than the young skulls full of mush with bodies attached.
The cane bounced back. Whatever people have said about carbon fiber in the past, the NFB's technology has surpassed that.
So, for expedience, I went out and ordered their collapsible. On the site it says you can twist it when you expand it, and it won't collapse. The reason for that is I buy one set of tips, both canes. I'd still rather not take straight streetwalker to the pub, especially if said venture is going to involve beers in one hand and Scotch in the other.
Anyway they sent the wrong size by accident, they said it was their mistake but it coulda been me as well as them pushing the wrong button for a 6 instead of a 5. Anyway I'm saying they are as competitive as any store with this stuff, more than some. The collapsible model comes with a pleatherish-sorta zipper bag which is pretty cool can be tucked into your belt like a knife sheath without a buckle I suppose.
I really like the look and their graduated cylinder design looks like it will be stable. I'm not gonna lie to you, I could not have used the accidental one that came the first time, up to my eyebrows. Lol I told my wife it would be like her walking down a city street looking through binoculars. Doable but pretty inconvenient. I get the length thing, I'm a pretty fast walker too, but I just extend the arm when I need more length. I can get way out in front of me with just my arm in front of myself and a normal sized cane like they showed you in schools.
So, if I'm understanding correctly, the collapsible is much like the rigid except for the fact it folds? I actually had the opportunity to really get out and use a rigid and loved it. The only reason it hangs out in my closet is because it doesn't fold and that is not something with which I am willing to contend. If they have a collapsible version though that's equally as good and relatively light, I'm in. Guess I'll go check it out. Thanks for the info.
It twists and collapses into itself. It operates on the principle of graduated cylinders.
I only use a rigid one if I'm just going to a store or something.
I'm with you there. I know there are techniques for safely storing the rigid ones but would rather not bother in a pub or something. Fold or collapse it, put it away start drinking. There, boys and gargoyles, is your blind daily life lesson. Lol
Twists and collapses into itself and operates on the principle of graduated cylinders equals a fantastic description for a "Telescoping cane." Made me laugh.
In all seriousness though, that graduated cylinder design is pretty solid and amazingly lightweight, about as solid and lightweight as a sleek and collapsible cane can come today. They're designed by someone named Chris Park, and it tells you so on the cane ... in print, of course. Chris actually designs the same model in a seven-section folding design, which the NFB carries in addition to their telescoping model. The versions of the telescoping model that the NFB sold prior to 2011 were not very durable and disliked by a lot of people because they would collapse at inopportune moments, but the relatively new model Leo has works just fine.
The thing that's so nice about these telescoping, lightweight models that organizations like the NFB sell is that they're just that: collapsible, lightweight and durable. And when you think about it, that's what a good cane should do: get the job done, do it well, and get out of the way so you can get on with more important things. Like beer and scotch, for example.
Dancing. After you get on the dance floor you don't want a third leg in the mix. I'll order one of these and give it a test. Summers coming up, and lots of live bands in the city, and I's love shaking my, um, well, ass!
Then again, if I use a rigid cane to get to and from a bar, it of course is more noticeable, and people tend to talk to me more and buy me drinks. Haha.
Impricator, if you have a trump, play it! LOL
@Post177 Glad to know a human inventor is acknowledge for this work, rather than a faceless international corp. And yeah my description may be a bit mechanically nerdy but technically correct. That design more or less is how certain pipe fittings are managed.
And, I took mine to the superbowl party yesterday.
So I walked a lot of blocks with my NFB telescoping yesterday, I went to our local Ukulele Association meetup thing. I didn't want to mess with the straight streetwalker when sitting around with a whole bunch of people and trying to learn how to do new stuff.
Anyway the telescoping only collapsed once in at least 25 blocks or so, and that was probably because I hadn't fitted the joint properly.
Once you do screw them tight though, some of them take a little effort to get them loose to slide inside one another.
Anyway it's not like you hear about, collapsing all the time when you are going along at a clip. I'd say tighten the joints the way you would a commercial or household fitting, save for the use of a wrench of course, and it won't collapse on you.
Also, I kept mine expanded until at the event, meanin I didn't collapse it on the train or bus. It's not like the traditional folding kind in that way.
And, there are five fittings, not four, so you have to remember that.
Also I don't think it matters which direction you turn it to tighten it, there's no righty tighty lefty lucy rule. It doesn't appear to be internally threaded. So loosening it just amounts to worrying the joint until it comes undone. The foot joint appears to be the most tricky to get loose, which if you think about it, is actually the way you want it.
Also the lack of internal threads will mean the fittings will hold for a longer period of time. But it will take you a bit of fiddling to make it collapse properly as I found, once I'd been running it for awhile.
Anyway this is the longest trip I've taken with it on foot, seeing as usually I just walk to a pub or several with it. So this was a real test run into long distance dog-trotting through semi-residential areas. Definitely not as reliable as their rigid version for long distance travel but gets the job done and just fine.
I'd only what it for emergencies, or when I'm out with a date or sighted friends. If I have to go to the bathroom, or walk for some reason.
For real work, I'd take my touch folding cane.
I have used one of those things you sweep and it vibrates when something gets in the path. I also used one that makes a lot of sounds instead of vibrating. I tried them out in highschool during O&M
wow I've not seen those kind but they sure do sound cool, smiles.
Can they detect drop-offs though? Otherwise they could not be a cane replacement.