Defensive canes ??

[pmanton]

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

 

[Road Rat]

There are many canes made that can be used as defensive weapons.
SEDROC SPORTS
COLD STEEL WALKABOUT STICK
How to use your cane: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egGhM0OePss[/ame]
Just do a search on "defensive canes" and you will find many useful sites.
Good Luck

 

[rustythread]

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".

 

[gman51]

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

 

[BearBio]

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]

 

[zzclancy]

KA-BAR: TDI Self-Defense Cane

This is what I use.

 

[wetdog1911]

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

 

[JimBianchi]

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

 

[Onomea]

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.

 

[zzclancy]

Serious

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".

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.

 

[Absalom]

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

 

[Erich]

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.

 

[Erich]

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!

 

[BearBio]

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.

 

[Golddollar]

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

 

[Onomea]

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.)

 

[Rustyt1953]

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

Legal or not, I want one:

 

[Muss Muggins]

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?”

 

[Road Rat]

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

 

[JcMack]

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