Category: Daily Living
Hi, all. A question. I have an Ambutech folding cane, and the cord is beginning to fray at one of the joints. I don't want to have to order a whole new cane, because the rest of it is sound. I see on their website that Ambutech sells replacement cord, but I have no idea how to actually go about replacing it once I'd get it. Have any of you ever done this? If so, how? Or do you just order a whole new cane? Thanks for any suggestions. If nothing else, I'll call Ambutech and see if they can tell me how to do it, but thought I'd ask here first in case anyone already experienced this.
Depends on the style of cane and how the cord is fed through. The "easy" ones you would basically remove the tip, cut/remove the cord at which point all the joints would be separate, so be sure to keep track of the order/where they roll to. Thread the new cord up the cane and through the top handle, then back through and knot at the bottom. Be sure you have the correct tension so it can fold and unfold easily without being too loose or too tight. If your old cord is in tact you can use that length to measure by roughly. If your last cane is super old, it may be more annoying. I had a cane that we had to drill a secondary hole in the handle in order to feed the cord back through because of the styel. At my old work, I'd sneak into the woodshop and help repair canes when I was burnt out/on breaks.
Thanks for the info, Nat. It's not that old of a cane, maybe a year or a little more. All the joints are in good working condition. I'm not exactly sure what the inside of the handle would look like. The old cord is intact, at least for now. It's just fraying badly at one of the joints, so I probably could use it to measure by. I may call Ambutech tomorrow and ask about their canes specifically, to know if it's done like you describe. Then I'll have to see if it's worth all that, or just easier to buy a new one.
All of them can be replaced the chords.
I use a wire clothes hanger to pull the chord so I can get the tenchen.
I think mine's a Revolution cane. I didn't know you could just buy the cord yourself. I always either bought a new one or sent the broken one in for repair.
Where can you buy the elastic?
I have an AmbuTech Cane and it's a six section cane which is working better than the one I had from them that I ordered in 2012. I ordered it back in August of 2012, and when I was using it outside my apartment in February of 2013, it got stuck in a snow pile. I didn't have to pull it hard, but even though I was easy with pulling it free, the string broke and I had to find the segments that were trapped in the snow and to make it more exciting, I locked my keys in my apartment and the front and back door of the building itself was locked with the back needing a key and the front needing a numbered code which I put in, then got back in the building. Good thing that it was only the deadbolt that locked my apartment door and not the regular door knob itself, as in that apartment building, the door knobs worked, but they allowed each door to lock only by way of the deadbolt.
So that was an exciting day and fortunately, the cane I have now has lasted from when I bought it back in July of 2015, though I just got a telescoping cane from The NFB and am trying it out to see what I think. I'm actually enjoying it and used it when walking around Campus last Wednesday when registering for my classes and find that it works pretty well, but that's just my own thoughts on it.
James
oh wow i didn't know you could replace the cord in your cane though I've only broken the string on mine once and then i just brought a new one but i have to keep buying new ones every 2 and half years or maybe less because i'm very active with my cane I've even walked marathons with my cane.
I like the story about you getting your cane stuck in the snow but glad you get it out and were able to get back into your apartment and glad your enjoying your new cane that you are using, smiles.
I know you can get new reflective tape for your cane but not sure about getting a new cord for your cane.
The other day I was gonna take the cord out and remove one section of the cane itself to make it shorter, but that thing's stuck in the handle so tight. I Wanted to try a shorter length rather than buying a new shorter folding cane.
So called "shock cord" is readily available through camping and marine stores as well as
the better craft places.it might be called tent pole replacement cord, etc.while shopping
pick up a fine small round or tapered round file. Lightly dress the mouth of any joint
where the cord frayed to smooth burrs that will fray the new cord...be careful not to
distort the joints, just give eff m a whistle. The outside edges of the inner or male joints
can be sanded with a nail file. The aluminum is pretty easy to slick.
Probably just easier to buy a new cane or get your state to give you a new cane.
I'd get it replaced, and order the cord. Then, I'd have a friend help me fix the old one, if they had time. If not, I'd ask the company to. Not because I'm lazy, but because, my skin is really sensitive. I get cracked skin, and have very little idea, where I was when it split.
Blessings In Christ,
Sarah
Ah, the human condition.
If something is perfectly useful, but needing repairs, toss it and get a new one.
Smile.
I say try to replace it.
It is a little time, a little learning, but cheaper.