I'm kinda old(81) and use a cane. Somewhere I read of canes that were designed with the idea that they would be suitable for use defensibly. Can anyone fill me in?

I am not looking for sword canes or anything that would land me in jail.

Thanks
Paul

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Paul
Salome, AZ

There are many canes made that can be used as defensive weapons.
SEDROC SPORTS
COLD STEEL WALKABOUT STICK
How to use your cane: Just do a search on "defensive canes" and you will find many useful sites.
Good Luck

You might want to call around the judo or karate dojos in your area and see if any have classes on self-defense with canes for the "chronologically advantaged".

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de minimus non curat lex

I imagine a cane made from oak would be hard enough that it wouldn't break when used on some bad guys skull. Also some defensive canes have a really hard/heavy knob on top to break bones with. On the other hand if it gets taken away from you it might not break if used up against your head either. I would wonder in a close up situation at 81 years old if you could swing it hard enough to incapacitate someone. If not then the bad guy might just be able to grab hold and take it away from you and use it on you. These are just my armchair with no experience wonders.
The link has a lot of information for an interest in a cane for defense. The Ka-Bar has great reviews. I saw one priced at $134 and one for $88.99.
6 Best Self Defense Canes (Combat Canes) To PARALYZE Your Attacker

After the "Papist Revolt" (Stewart Uprising) in which many Irish (Protestant and Catholic) participated, Irish Catholics were prohibited from carrying weapons, so they further developed the shillelagh.

From Wikipedia:

Originally known in Irish as the bata, or stick, the name shillelagh is an Anglophone corruption (phonological adaptation) of the Irish sail éille and appears to have been associated with the name of the village and barony of Shillelagh, County Wicklow The shillelagh was originally used for settling disputes in a gentlemanly manner — like a duel with pistols or swords. Modern practitioners of bataireacht study the use of the shillelagh for self-defense and as a martial art. Of the practice, researcher J. W. Hurley writes:


Methods of shillelagh fighting have evolved over a period of thousands of years, from the spear, staff, axe and sword fighting of the Irish. There is some evidence which suggests that the use of Irish stick weapons may have evolved in a progression from a reliance on long spears and wattles, to shorter spears and wattles, to the shillelagh, alpeen, blackthorn (walking-stick) and short cudgel. By the 19th century Irish shillelagh-fighting had evolved into a practice which involved the use of three basic types of weapons, sticks which were long, medium or short in length.[5]

KA-BAR: TDI Self-Defense Cane

This is what I use.

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Smith, and Wesson, and Me.

Both great suggestions.

The one thing I can suggest, is what I did after seeing the $$$ asked for "fighting" canes and sticks, is a "Hickory Livestock Cane" from Lehmans Hardware in Kidron,Oh. Handmade by the Amish in Ohio. The cattle cane is 36" long and I had to trim a few inches off for the perfect height, but it is tough as a cob. Found one in a local Tractor Supply, but it was so flimsy I woulden't even trust it to support my weight much less trust it for defense. Nothing like Hickory!

They also offer a Shepards cane, but @60" tall I'll take my chances on not being attacked by a herd of sheep.

Wet

For some comparison, the livestock cane is $29.99
Wet

I'm an old giant fat man, my cane is solid steel. Look into getting a steel cane.

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USAF, Ret.

While you say you are “not looking for a sword cane or anything that would land me in jail,” a quick peruse of the internet shows that a lot of people believe sword canes are legal in Arizona.

If your objection is to the legality, you might want to look into it further, and ascertain the validity of the belief in their legality in Arizona.

He's 81, he doesn't need crippled in a class. Save the money and just buy the cane.

Ka-Bar TDI self defense cane. Standard is 39". They will cut it down for you. At 6'2" 39" is a little too long, but it works for me.

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Smith, and Wesson, and Me.

If you are using a cane anyways, carrying the sturdiest one available is certainly a good idea. It can come in handy in various ways.

But as has been mentioned, actual defense and fighting with a cane against a human attacker is a true martial art and requires practice and skill. (I’m spending much time at karate dojos and watching a lot of karate competitions lately since the kids of close friends are heavily into the sport)

Those occasional stories about old ladies beating a purse snatcher into flight with their walking cane make for cute vignettes, but aren’t at all typical. More likely, you’re providing the stick someone will use to beat you up.

So be realistic about the protection a cane can provide, no matter as how fancy of a “fighting cane” it was sold

I have had arthritis in my hip since a bad car accident when I was 16. About twenty years ago, there was a really bad flare-up that led me to buy a cane to keep around. I remembered my Hapkido instructor in college was big into using the cane as a weapon, and shopped around.

I bought a Gentleman's Cane (in hickory heart) from Canemasters.



Cane Masters Custom Canes for Self Defense and Fitness, Best Custom Canes and Self Defense Systems

My arthritis is infrequent, but I often use canes for the hiking I do here in the mountains. And I've taken them on trips to NPEs (pinko cities and countries, on airplanes, into prisons, court houses) when I've had arthritis issues. Canemasters also do trainings and have many DVDs and such, but I've found that most folks would do fine after taking a look at any number of the books that I've bought since then - a favorite is Bruce Tegner's Stick Fighting: Self Defense which is sometimes hard to find cheap but presently is listed used on Amazon for under $14 delivered.

One reason to read these books is to figure out retention - there are some reasonably easy things to do that will make it very difficult for an assailant to get your cane from you (to use against you). They show reasonably simple strikes as well as more complex ones (that I think are pretty silly for an older fellow). The basic benefit of the cane is that it allows you to get mobile, which gets you in better shape and improves your balance out in the world so that you look less like a victim. Additionally, you are holding a yard-long piece of hickory, which encourages them to find another target. (I like dogs fine but I'm always amused at how other hikers get serious about calling their misbehaving dogs to them when they spot my cane - it's not anything I'm doing, it's that they know I can beat down their dog if it jumps on me. Which I almost certainly would not, but their sudden realization that their dog's behavior might be an issue is always amusing.)

Anyhow, I agree, be realistic. But if you're fit, this could be a useful tool.

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Now go make God proud...

I'd like to add something to my long blather after reviewing some of the other recommendations. Be realistic about how strong you are. I'm pretty strong for a guy of my size, and my Canemaster cane is heavy enough that it requires some forearm workouts to keep me in shape to be able to use it properly. The Ka-Bar cane that zzclancy recommends is pretty neat, but the sucker is almost certainly too heavy for any eighty-year-old of my acquaintance (and I know many fit men in their eighties) to be able to use effectively in their defense. If I'm honest, I think the cane I pictured above probably is, too.


KA-BAR 9406 TDI Self-Defense Walking Cane 39" Overall - KnifeCenter


Be realistic about what you can use. While most strikes you'll learn are two-handed, you'll want to be able to maneuver the thing pretty easily with one hand.


Oh, and wetdog1911's livestock cane is not any less effective than the prettier cane that I bought - and it's a lot cheaper!

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Now go make God proud...

I personally have used a cane off and on for about ten years for walking assistance. I just counted and I have broken a total of about 10 bones in 10 years (except my arm), all below the waist=(Left kneecap 2x, shin bone, both ankles, triple fracture of the humerus and the rest were toes=a couple multiple times)=Just diagnosed with brittle bones==over 4 months in rehab this year

I am currently using a cedar cane I found while at a meeting at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge Gift Shop--looking to upgrade to a shillelagh (Mom's Irish and Cornish). The cedar is strong and looks good although needs varnishing.

I was told that golf was invented by shepherds who used their canes to knock sheep droppings into gopher holes.

I use an extremely light, carbon fiber, adjustable trekking pole as walking stick, a cane, when out on walks. While comfortable to carry and very sturdy, it is no cudgel. I suppose by slipping off the rubber ferule, one could deliver a pretty good poke, especially two handed, with the steel tip for ice and rock beneath.

For older guys wanting the option of a non lethal defensive tool, how about a small canister of tear gas in the pocket? Much simpler than mastering self defense with a cane, I should think. Tasers, while bulkier and requiring physical contact, are also pretty cheap. (Neither is legal everywhere in the US though.)

About 5 years ago Smith357 made this from a discarded hatchet.

Legal or not, I want one:

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Seems to me that the first question to ask is “Can I move and remain upright without the cane while I’m swinging it about?”

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

My wife had one made about 20 years ago. It will support over 300 lbs leaning on it. Cane is Ebony wood, handle is water buffalo horn and the Eagle head is solid brass. It weighs in at 27 ounces. I'm betting she would NOT be allowed on an airplane. LOL

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I bought a Bubba Stik at a flea mkt a few years ago. It's pretty much a cane with a brass hame of a horse collar on top. Thing provides a the ability of a firm grip on the large top and weighs plenty. If you grab it about 16" down you've got a good club/mace. Ebay and Amazon sell them.
Custom Built Walking Sticks! - StepinStik.com

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SOS USA

"The Cane as a Weapon" is a book by Andrew Chase Cunningham presenting a concise system of self defense making use of a walking stick or umbrella. It was first published in 1912 in the United States. Cunningham was a civil engineer attached to the United States Navy.



I like the classy look of cold Steel's "City Stick"

A crook top cane is excellent for sweeping an opponent off his feet. One video I have, the instructor emphasizes, strike low !

Many years ago, during riot control training, the sergeant pointy to a grainy image saying, 'Men these are the five fatal impact points. Memorize these points. Under no circumstances, should you encounter %^##!! hippy ((*6%&& strike the no good*9^^&%$* in these places with your riot baton.'

Raising the baton overhead to strike looked bad on camera. It was much more effective to use the baton like a sword. Poking the soft spots with the end of the baton looks almost benign, by comparison, but applied vigorously can cause dire internal injuries.

This is what I use.

Night Watchman Adjustable Self Defense Cane - Virtually Indestructible | BUDK.com - Knives & Swords At The Lowest Prices!

I am quite happy with it.

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Let's be careful out there

Sadly the old Remington 410ga cane is/would be highly illegal-

I too use my cane for defense - also carry a Kimber Pepper Blaster II for distance (13ft)

Didn't John Steed use a cane effectively on the old TV series, the Avengers? Or was that his umbrella?

Maybe both?

When I was a kid I would go to the stock sale with my grandpa and his brother and I was fascinated with the pen hookers and their canes. Those Hickory canes were indestructible and they could be be bought there. About 50 yrs. ago I injured a leg and needed a cane so I went to the stock sale and bought one. I still have it and I still use it if I have to go somewhere that has metal detectors. Larry

There are many canes that are out there and can be use effectively, but the learning how to use them.. There are schools/dojos where you can learn the techniques and many are not ones where you have to become proficient at hand to hand, it is more a matter of the instructors and owners who can tailor classes for yourself.

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KM
S&WCA 3110 S&WHF 625

Notice here grandma is on a cane before her acrobatics. I bet all our members blessed with years of experience are equally feisty!


Cheetos Puffs TV Commercial, 'Acrobat' - iSpot.tv

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Possum—The other white meat!

If I was going to carry a cane it might as well have a sword in it since they are legal in Oklahoma. I read that there are a lot of cheezy sword canes out there and you really need to spend at least a couple of hundred to get a decent one and you would think most thugs would steer clear of a crazy old man after he whips out his sword!

John Steed had writers and probably the most structurally robust umbrella in history. I'd settle for the writers.

Cold Steel used to peddle a wax wood cane for a most modest price. I bought one since I thought I was facing knee surgery. Most robust.

I was looking at the City Stick, they advise that they get a lot of requests for the pistol grip as a separate item from those who think the scent stopper top looks neat but find it doesn't work well to support them.

Good point about the weight. Some really quick searching shows your cane @~3lbs and the livestock cane @~2lbs. That extra lb is nice in a fighting cane where you want maximum strength & heft, but could really get tiresome if you're using it all day walking, lifting it with each step. My 2# cane can get heavy after a long day using it.

Where I live dogs would be more of an issue than any 2 legged threat and having a yard long hickory stick made tons more sense than a few ounces of hollow aluminum like the majority of canes you see.

You do have to be aware of your strength and mobility limits and work within those parameters.

Wet

Didn't Hiram Holiday or Mr. Peepers use his umbrella

Go find a Marine Supply store like West Marine which is in the San Diego area.
They carry a "bang stick" which is a 38 caliber or a 223/5.56 on a pole. This is used to kill sharks before you bring them on board your boat.
The "head" un-screws and you mount it on your walking stick you use daily.
Now you are armed and you just punch it against something and the cartridge ignites.
Here in Texas, I have a Concealed Carry Permit, so I carry a hand gun whenever I am outside.
I am a 80 year old male and have a birthday coming up in August.
I will not take a beating. My walking stick goes with me for dogs that leave their property and try to bite me.

Re bangstick incorporated into walking stick, what keeps it from firing whenever it is struck firmly on, say, concrete or a rock while being used normally as a walking stick?

Very durable umbrellas are expensive, but available. There is also a French manufacturer which produces an umbrella sword cane.

For top end sword canes, see Burger Canes of South Africa. Welcome to the Official Web Site of Burger Sword Canes-Walking Sticks -
Home Page

Re cane handle shapes, quite true that the “scent bottle topper” does not support as well as the pistol grip style, as WR Moore notes above. Historically, canes were a male fashion item as much as a walking aid. A large enough “scent bottle topper” offers good support, though.

I like the top of my Black Diamond trekking pole, adjusted to use as a cane. Sort of elongated, shaped to fit one’s hand for maximum support. Very ergonomic.

Canes were originally made of Rattan-which is very durable. Walmart, of all places, sells a combat walking cane for 24.99-and there are other selections as low as 13 bucks. Suffice it to say that a good poke in the throat or the Coggs should cause any trouble maker to reconsider-or at least take a break.

Thanks for all the info. I have a Kabar cane on the way.

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Paul
Salome, AZ

Don't forget those old Bat Masterson re-runs on the Western Channel.

...I have one of these...medieval war hammer...could double as a cane...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

Wouldn't happen to have the stock number would you? Couldn't find anything remotely similar.

There is an interesting "Bubba Stick" with a substantial brass knob for the hand, not exactly what I had in mind.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Combat-Wa...ttan/737797511

Just so no one misses this:

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Now go make God proud...

I have some rattan canes and walking sticks I purchased from Cold Steel years ago, I use rubber furniture tips on the bottoms for street use. Rattan packs quite a wallop, it's what they use in Singapore to punish miscreants.

Or this . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

When I travel I fly with a basic hickory cane. My theory is that it is better than anything else for self defense that I can easily get on an airplane or into government building.

Put in "rattan walking cane" as a search and there will be several options-the 24.99 Walmart cane among them.

A man never knows when he might need to do some cedar shake roof repairs.

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If you could find a brass hame from a draft horse
harness then have a hickory cane fitted then you
have a heavy piece of brass plus hickory to use
for defensive purposes and balance.
Then if someone messed with you, you could give
them a taste of the old Tijuana Brass.

Thanks to all who replied. Obviously, my computer skills aren't the sharpest. I searched "mens wood canes" and the item in question didn't show up.

Remember it is the willingness and ability to use it that counts, not the materials.