Canes | AppleVis

By OldBear, 27 April, 2024

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Assistive Technology

I suppose they are one of the most basic of assistive technologys for blind people, but also very personal to one's preferences... and one's budget. What are some of your cane hacks and tips, and what odd substitutes have you used?
I read a little of a discussion in another thread about the teliscoping canes collapsing sometimes during use. It happens occasionally when I haven't snugged each section together, the temptation being to just deploy it quickly, and it's immediately noticeable to me. When a section collapses during use, I stop for a second--though I've done it mid-step--catch the shoulder of the tip against the bottom edge of my footwear, and give the cane a pull to make everything tight. Out of habit, I do this before I start using it, just to be sure. Never had an emergency caused by a collapsed section.
* And as a side thought, it can also be managed if you're not wearing footwear: the beach around the neighborhood etc.
I find myself using any number of garden implements and even staffs I've carved from tree branches around my property (I grow and sometimes fell/limb fruit trees). I have them stashed all over the place. One implement is a cane-length of rebar with a crook bent in one end that I use to check how deeply I've watered by sinking it into the ground, or with the crook, grab high branches. A bit heavy for a cane, but I use what's handy.

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OldBear vs Old beer

That sounds like an awesome jewelry set! 😃

Significance

I don't know. It is the only telescoping cane I've ever owned. It's held up well, and if I take the extra few seconds to make sure each segment is tight, it does not collapse under normal use.
The titanium, telescoping canes sound interesting, and they claim to lock at each segment like how umbrella handles extend. That might be the next kind I try.

Question to Oldbear

So, the telescopic cane then does it not rattle? Never had one but always assumed for it to not collapse it would have to have pointy things that click into place as you say like an umbrella or something. This I always thought would make it rattle and wobbly if you see what I mean. From what you say that isn't the case then?

I am kinda interested in the titanium design...

I know of a solid and a folding titanium cane model, but the telescoping one sounds promising. 😊

Cane Rattle

The carbon-fiber, telescoping cane I have does not rattle. Each tube is slightly wider at one end than the other, and if you pull it tight, the friction and tension at the overlaps hold them together fairly tightly. You have to twist each of them a little to collapse the cane. It takes longer than folding up a regular cane.
I don't know if the titanium cane rattles. However, folding canes tend to rattle and wobble a little.
Back in the 80s, I was shown an aluminum, folding cane with a steel cable inside and a leaver built into the handle. It was as rigid as a non-folding cane, and probably much stronger. The down side was it was very heavy. That is where I am getting the inspiration for using paracord and the cord toggle to replace the elastic cord in my graphite folder. Neither the paracord nor the toggle will change the weight of a cane in a noticeable way. A down side might be that you might have to allow quite a bit of paracord slack to stick out the handle end of the cane, even when extended and tightened, to both have enough to fold the cane and also have a loop to wrap and hold all the links when folded. I can think of a few solutions, such as a hook-and-loop strap attached at the base of the handle that can wrap around all the folded links, or just roll up on itself when the cane is extended. Or I could make a carrying sleeve or holster.
Which reminds me, the telescoping cane I have came with a leather-like, vinyl, zippered case that seems well made.

Ceramic tip

I tried this out on a short walk today. I hadn't realised that mrs grieves was taking me to a walk I've not done for months and particularly hate because it has lots of different types of terrain, low hanging trees, bollards everywhere etc. So I've never found a good all-round cane for the job.

So first of all, it is really, really tiny. The circumference is about the same as the grip on my cane. It's almost a sphere but is flat when it meets the cane. It doesn't move. I attached it to my aluminium AmbuTech council cane.

I found it made the cane quite a bit lighter. The rattle it makes is pretty loud, maybe similar to the normal ball tip but a bit higher pitch maybe. So quite easy to hear and works fine for constant touch/sweeping. It was good through the car park and associated obstacles and similar terrain. We then went into a wooded area which had a dirt path covered in bark, leaves and so on. It did well there too, no problems.

However, as soon as I got onto grass it was totally hopeless, as bad as the huju and probably slightly worse than the roller ball although it's been ages since I tried that one here. But it jabbed in absolutely everything and wouldn't push through the grass at all.

Overall, comparing it to the others - it was very similar to the roller and huju tips, however being lighter I would imagine it works better for the double tap technique which I was sort-of trying without really knowing what I was doing.

On the other hand, the Rover is the only tip that worked well with the grass but is much worse when it comes to car parks and trying to find those bollards.

If I do this walk again I'll stick to the Rover, sadly. But for most other walks I do it is a perfectly good alternative to the roller ball, and maybe a tiny bit better due to its size and weight.

@mr grieves

Thank you for the review. I'm considering the ceramic tip, as I overhaul my folding cane.
As I said before, I'm not a mobility expert. A technique I've used in tall grass is a variation on the two point touch, except it is more of a probe, almost a light jab with a high sweep. Slowing down helps, and even holding the cane like a pencil can get a better angle sometimes. It seems like this was taught to me, but I can't remember. Anyway, works great in knee-high and taller fields and brush.

Re: Ceramic tip

I'm glad you had an overall good experience with this tip. While it is not perfect, I feel it is the most, well-rounded, tip currently out there. Lightweight and versatile, and good for most terrains.

If it makes you feel any better, I was taught to use a pencil grip with a NFB cane (metal disk tip on a fiberglass fishing rod) in grassy/rugged terrain. Talk about a flipping headache.

Ceramic tip vs cracks

So today I went on a route I do a lot - this is a fairly easy and hard path through a forest. And I think this is where I might have found a downside to the ceramic tip because it seemed to snag on every single crack in the path. I usually go with the roller and I've not really noticed anything like that before - maybe a couple of times but this was pretty constant. The huju was also better, but I used an anti-jab cane with that so maybe not a fair comparison.

There was a sandy stretch in the path and mrs grieves commented that I am going to be freaking out any sighted people following in my path as the cane pattern looks exactly like a sidewinder which would not be a normal sight round these parts.

I'm going to say it, but not say it

@mr grieves, it's going to do that with a constant touch technique. I'm not sure what else to say.
Long ago, there was a counterweight designed to replace the crook of a strait cane, and balance the cane at the handle exactly how many types of swords are balanced. It made the Wielding of the cane very nimble. I decided to put one on an aluminum, folding cane when I was about fourteen. It worked, but I can't stand the crook. It just gets in the way of everything.
Ya, I could probably make one that wasn't a curved hook of steel, and probably partly out of junk people have thrown in my yard. The thing is, after forty years of it, I'm used to holding and using the cane with the two point what ever it is in the sword or flashlight or drumstick grip, and there are times around the neighborhood, I don't even touch the tip of the cane to the ground. Your wrist will get used to lifting it, if that's the technique you want to use.

reminiscing about canes

recently, I ran across my original cane, stuck in the back corner of a closet. I received it in the early 1970s when I was about nine or 10. How it survived this long, I don’t know. It had a crook at the top, did not fold, and the tip was worn at a severe angle. that reminded me of the time in grammar school when I forgot my cane at home and also forgot my lunch. I actually walked home six blocks at lunchtime without the cane together a peanut butter sandwich, grabbed the cane and walked back to school. Unfortunately, we had some people in the neighborhood who liked to keep an eye on me. Someone tattled to my mom, and I got a lecture on safety. Obviously, I survived that and many other interesting problems with canes. I had one snap in the middle of the street, and had to flop my way home with it. Another time, I was minding my own business walking in a building, and someone came along and got the cane caught between his legs, somehow. It snapped, and I tried to fix it with duct tape to get myself home. That didn’t work very well. I have had both titanium and aluminum canes. All of them seem to work pretty well depending on what you need to do.

snags and jabs

Whilst I agree that doing constant touch probably does run the risk of jabs I think there are mitigating factors.

I think a bigger tip is likely to jab less. My Rover never does it, the roller does sometimes But I suspect because it's so tiny, the ceramic tip seems the worst offender.

And then there's also the anti-ab thing which my graphite cane had. This was basically a sort-of spring loaded thing so if my cane snagged on something it would absorb it and I wouldn't get the cane rammed into my body. Which seemed to work quite well.

I think all cane tips have pros and cons. Whilst I like the weight of the ceramic I can see me going back to the roller in most cases. I'll stick to the ceramic a little longer but suspect it will become my spare cane. (Yes I have ended up with 3 of them.)

As the saying goes...

What works best for you is what you should use. 🙂

Slight progress

With the paracord experiment. I have dug out my older folding cane, which had a broken cord, and replaced it. I had to order more toggle stops because I'm not quite getting the holding grip I want with the one I have. It is possible to put two toggles on there. When the cord is under the tension I want, it is very solid feeling, without any wobble between the sections.
The paracord does have a bit of stretch, but nothing like what the elastic cord has. That means there will be some excess paracord hanging out the back when it's tightened. Not too much of an issue, since there is normally a loop on a folding cane. However, the paracord has to be released and pulled back into the cane as the cane is folded. It seems that to accommodate that length of cord, then also have additional cord for a loop to hold the folded sections together, like is done with the elastic cord, would leave a ridiculous amount of cord hanging out the back of the handle when tightened. I'll work something out, but I think this is the way to go for me.

Zombie Apocalypse

I am making my claim here and now. When the Zombie Apocalypse happens, I'm hanging out with OldBear. He has all the cool toys! 😀

Zombism is overrated

But that cane is kind of coming back to life. The white and red tape, or what is left of it, needs to be replaced. I'll have to test an adhesive remover on some part of it to see if it affects the stuff holding the graphite together. The tip is worn, but has plenty of life left to it.
So ya, it's an undead cane, in the process of being reanimated. Good to have a few spare canes, as mr grieves says. And as "they" say in all the cookie-cutter, action-thriller novels, two is one, and one is none, so you need three or more. LOL

Interesting advice

Someone once gave me some advice that I never took to heart, though have always been a little curious. I was told that it was possible to go into a sporting goods store, and purchase reflective (and weighted) sports tape. Was suggested to me that it worked wonders on really light canes, like the NFB or D cane. I have never really used a D cane, but they are now the defacto standard in my state, and are a bit like the NFB, except they are a little sturdier and a lot more. . . bendy. 🤷

Strange...

I'm not sure I understand why making the cane heavier with weighted) sports tape would be a good thing. Aren't we always looking for a lighter cane?

Snow!

I almost forgot such a thing existed, and I have no idea why I remembered it because it's very hot outside, and it doesn't snow more than a few flakes on the very coldest winter days here. It was the technique taught to me for mobility in snow that I use in tall grass. That is to poke the cane into the snow or tall grass where you would normally tap or touch the tip, then retract as you lift it, sweep across the top of the grass or snow, and do the same on the other side. You don't want to be walking as fast as you can while doing that.

@OldBear

For those with tactile sensitivity issues. Heavier is better.

Ah...

I understand what you mean now. And I suppose having a weighted tape would make the cane heavier across it's full length, rather than being tip heavy.

Ceramic vs roller

So I've been using the ceramic tip all last week and went out for a walk with the roller ball on Sunday. And I was amazed at how heavy it seems now. It does make a huge difference. My hands were almost shaking at the end of it. Guess it is all about what you get used to.

@mr grieves

Keep at it, and you'll find what works for you. Then bite off anyone's head who tells you it's the wrong way.

What he said...

(Pointing at OldBear)

More cane colour controversy!

I've seen reports of a new blind Barbie doll for the holiday season. I'm told she has a white-and-red cane.

In my book, that would make her Deafblind Barbie, but what do I know?

I don't know anything...

That Barbie song by Aqua just started playing in my head... again.

US vs UK?

I believe, in the US, white canes with a red tip, or red shaft at the tip, is a lot more common than perhaps in the UK? Asking because I do not know of any significance between the different colors. I do know that my very first cane was an Ambutech, white folding came with the last section being red.

As I said, white+red is Deaf_Blind

As far as I know and have aalways known in the UK.

What I thought

White cane with a Red stripe was deathblind. I didn't even think it was a whole Red section. Mind was told recently now you can buy white canes in all different colours which seems extremely daft to me. The whole point of the White was to indicate blindness.

Tips and Grips

You've all given me a lot to think about when it comes to what tips to use and try. I usually use the Ambutek canes, whether folding or not. One thing I can tell you about grips is that if you have not tried the cork grip, you may want to give it a try. I think it lightens the cane down a little, and I also think that it is a wonderful surface to grip onto. Anyone else tried cork grips, and what are your thoughts?

Re: Grips

I have always liked the golf grips that Ambutech canes have. On the flipside, I am not a fan of foam grips, like the NFB canes. The issue is if/when you drop your cane into something wet, like a rain puddle, the grip absorbs it. Likewise if you have sweaty hands, the grip absorbs that too. Makes for a potentially unsanitary experience. Rubberized grips like the golf grip is the way to go in my experience. 🙂

. . . and God forbid you ever drop your cane on the floor of a public restroom. 😬

Cork

Never had a cane with a cork grip. I've had and made other things with cork clad handles, however. I admit, it does have a comfortable feel to the hand, and probably is lighter than what ever plastic material they use on the typical cane grip. Most definitely, it looks classier than a grip with GOLF PRO permanently printed down the side.
Cork requires a bit of care, and wares down over time, or even crumbles and cracks from environmental changes and wounds from rough treatment that you may think disappear, but gradually work themselves into a problem. I might go with a EVA foam grip, if they were offered. That type of grip has a soft feel, and is about as light as cork, not that all cork oak bark is the same density.
If I had or made a cane made from reed or bamboo or some other woody material, any of which could be made to have folding segments with ferrules, I would choose cork for the grip, just to keep it real...

Wood Grip for Me

For the last 2+ years, I have been using Ambutech canes with wood grips and really like the wood grip better. The grip is wider than a golf or cork grip and really gives the cane a 'refined' feel. I am told that it also looks nice too.
I have tried the cork grip on two previous Ambutech canes (one in 2013 and another in 2016), and I found it to not be very durable at all. The grip on my 2016 cane chipped at the bottom within a very short time of my receiving the cane. I was very disappointed and definitely would not recommend the cork grip unless you have already tried it and like it.

There you go

Wooden handles would be even better. I have a couple of gent's saws with rosewood handles that are very kind to the hand, though beech and other hardwoods are also fine. I can imagine one of those handles, a bit longer and heftier, on a cane.
The downsides might be the potential to ding or crack if dropped, and the need to refinish from time to time.

Svárovský

Has anyone tried these canes? I've heard them mentioned a few times and they are supposed to be incredibly lightweight. They were talking about them on Double Tap recently. I looked them up and they have aluminium and compound versions. I guess it must be the compound one that's light?

Just curious. I'm doing ok with my aluminium AmbuTech and ceramic tip, although I'd love the light weight of this setup but with a big ball tip so it didn't keep getting snagged in everything.

And while we're at it, anyone tried the Urban Explorer?

I know nothing!

At least about those canes, mr grieves. But I'm glad you're progressing with your cane use, and that you remembered this thread.

I would like to know…

I would like to know the kind of tips that are available for the titanium canes. Tips are very important, after all. 🙂

@OldBear

The discussions we've had on here have completely transformed how I use my cane. I feel so much more confident now. I still need to work on the orientation side of things but in terms of feeling my way around it has really made all the difference. I'm incredibly grateful to you and everyone else for the help.

So I'm not going to forget this thread in a hurry.

Titanium CANES?

I'd be dead now if I had had one of these when I first learn to use a long cane. I was young and way to fast, tip technology wasn't as good as it is now. I went through a lot of canes, bent them beyond repair, 'running' onto them.

I would have run myself through with a titanium cane!

I'm glad for that, mr…

I'm glad for that, mr grieves.
Ah yes, Charlotte Joanne, the old days of aluminum pretzel canes...

Carbon fibre ones

Never break one of those. Lethally sharp if you touch the broken end. Very strong until you stand on them lol.

Aluminum for me…

I don’t really have a good reason, other than I simply like the feel of the aluminum canes. 🤓

Re: Svárovský

I asked about these canes. The company had only really sold the composite ones, which is a type of plastic. So I guess that's why they are lighter than some of the others. But don't know how sturdy that would be.

They come with a small rotary tip - I presume this is some sort of ball thing but a bit smaller than the usual ones.

The canes come with a choice of wood, leather or neoprene handle the latter of which is a type of foam. Sounds like maybe the wood makes most sense.

I'm not sure how much I would get out of these compared to the AmbuTech plus ceramic as I guess the tiny tips are going to have the same issues.

I like the sound of the Urban Explorer. They claim to be really light but I've asked them to clarify what that actually means in comparison to the others. I believe they have their own tip which sounded a bit like a variation of the marshmallow when they described it on Double Tap a while back. (Bearing in mind my dodgy old man memory)

In an ideal world I'd like one with a tip that's big enough to glide over some of the cracks and bumps the ceramic struggles with, but light enough not to strain my wrist and to allow me to go 2 point if I need to.

I've Devolved

I found myself often grabbing a stick, as in part of a branch, that's been leaning against a storage shed full of electric motors and things like that for a long time, then using it to probe around in there and flick the spiderwebs out of the way. It's not even a strait stick, and I think it came off an almond tree, or perhaps a plumb.
So a couple of days ago, I took it to the bench and removed all the nubs in the handle area, it still has bark on it, then rounded off the ends with one of those Japanese saw rasps. Now it's the motor shed cane. I don't want to be feeling around in there with my regular cane, and it can just be left there at the door.

This is what it sounds like…

When zombies cry.
OldBear, when the zombie apocalypse happens, I'm hanging out with you bud! 😉👍

First Custom Cane Ever!

So after using the standard graphite white canes from Ambutech for years, I decided to get a custom one for the first time.

Now I've known friends who have ordered custom coloured canes, and to each their own. for me, if I'm out and about in public, I personally prefer using the standard colour scheme as that's the colour that is the standard and let's other's know I'm blind. Not to say that some individuals might make the connection between my coloured cane and that I'm blind, but here in Canada, I'd rather not take any chance and protect myself in case of an incident. I'd rather make it clear to others that I'm blind and can't see them.

Now some might not want to broadcast to the world, and to each their own. That's why I love variety, we can customize how we want, but being older in age, I'm a stickler for being plain,

Anyways, after so many years of using the standard cane, I decided to splurge a bit and, although I stuck with graphite and the standard colour, I did swap the grip for a cork handle and got a ceramic tip this time, instead of getting the old faithful golf handle grip and marshmallow roller tip. I may get another coloured one, for when I'm at the office. A friend of mine had gotten a full on black cane for black tie events, and that seemed interesting.

As for the All Terrain Cane, I got one when it came out and do like it a lot, but for everyday use, it is rather heavy, so might not be the best option if you're looking for a light cane. I am planning on visiting a friend of mine in Halifax and they do a lot of hiking, so the All Terrain Cane will definitely be useful in that situation.

Now AwareWolf Gear has come out with the Urban Explorer, which I believe is a lighter version of the All Terrain Cane, but more for use as a daily driver. This one has intrigued me a bit and if I can ever get my hands on one, I might get it.

Also, if anyone is interested, The Blind Life YouTube channel has made a video covering most, if not all, Ambutech has to offer and you can check out the video here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbSkjdZR13o