Walking stick

46er

46er

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Took a Canadian made hockey stick and cut off the blade. I'm going to making a walking stick for my wood lot travels. This stick has ~20 laminations so it's good quality. Question is what to do with the end, was thinking of pinning and epoxying a 1/4" thick copper piece. The other thought was to cast an epoxy end. It's rectangular in shape so a crutch tip will not work.
Any thoughts?
 
How about get a quarter inch thick or so piece of rubber, screw a couple of screws through it and into the end of the stick to hold it, deep enough to protect the screw heads for a while, then trim to fit.

If you use metal on cement or concrete, metal will soon wear through. Rubber will, too, of course, but replacing it would be easier, I would think.
 
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I can still walk ok....

.... but it's difficult to bend over and if I get down I need something to help me back up. Most of the really good walking sticks (that double as 'tactical' gear, are expensive. I don't have any hockey sticks, but I could probably modify something. Thanks for the idea.
 
rwsmith said:
.... but it's difficult to bend over and if I get down I need something to help me back up. Most of the really good walking sticks (that double as 'tactical' gear, are expensive. I don't have any hockey sticks, but I could probably modify something. Thanks for the idea.
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Hardwood dowel, rubber crutch tip and some paracord to make a handle. Less than $25 at Home Depot. Cosmetics are up to you.
 
I use rubber furniture tips on my canes and walking sticks. I don't need a cane but I like having one in my hand. Those I know who need one say cane tips are better.
 
GOOGLE “brass furniture leg caps”, and buy a wood rasp. Remember to seal the tip of your stick after you fit it to the cap. You may wish to drill through the upper part and install a lanyard, possibly attach a whistle to it.
 
I’ve been messing around for a little while now making walking sticks. But I cut a Red Oak or Alder sampling. They are in abundance at home and on my hunting property. I use a copper pipe cap. Size depends on stick. Sometimes I put a domed rubber faucet washer on it for non skid set up. I think you could use a file or grinder with a flap disc to round the end of hockey stick. That’d probably take it down to about 1/2” .
 

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Leo is famous for his walking sticks around here. This is one of his early examples. That's a real functioning 32 SA with 5 rounds in the end cap.

The artist himself. He made all that stuff he's wearing, including the shirt The jeans and hat he did not make, but all the silver, leather, etc. is all Leo.
 

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Retired W4 said:
Leo is famous for his walking sticks around here. This is one of his early examples. That's a real functioning 32 SA with 5 rounds in the end cap.

The artist himself. He made all that stuff he's wearing, including the shirt The jeans and hat he did not make, but all the silver, leather, etc. is all Leo.
Click to expand...

I have a lot of that Indian jewelry I need to sort, value and sell.
 
I have a couple of these. I didn't do anything to the bottom but drilled a hole near the top for a para-cord loop. I was mostly off trail and used it for a lot of "bush-wacking" so didn't mind if it got beat up since have several more donor sticks available.
 
I have many sticks I use as the needs arise. Some are finished, some professionally built, some are sticks of the right size and length. All are functionally. On my outdoor sticks, I don’t use a tip unless it is a pipe cap. Either a copper plumbing cap or an iron gas cap, both work well.

Kevin
 
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The tip end is 1 3/16 x 1/2-5/8". I took a 3/4" copper cap and flattened it a bit, that will work. Won't have to take much off the corners to make it fit, add a dollop of Acraglass and done. The handle end will get a layer of paracord and a loop for retention.
A cheap build, son donated the stick, have the copper cap and epoxy, just need paint and some new paracord.
Thanks to all for the tips and stories.
 
Go to a yard sale and find the tallest hoe or shovel handle there. Pay the $2 and take it home. Drill out the rivet or cut off the blade end. Drive a nail in to the base and then cut it off and sharpen the point to a 1" length.

If you carry a handgun in the woods, drill a hole 2" down from the top and thread an old bootlace through it for a loop. You can plant your walking stick at an angle with the loop through the left hand and rest your shooting hands wrist on the junction of the stick and left hand.
 
I have been dependent on a cane to get around, I am thankful that I currently have myself into a type of condition where it is not needed, I get around just fine and can walk for miles. I did put out the money for a blackthorn walking stick years ago because I had inherited a proper Shillelagh many years ago and have been very impressed with its unbreakable strength when needed. It is however too short for my continued use as a walking stick.
On the matter of using hardwood dowels for a cane I will mention a word of caution. Being involved with black powder firearms I have needed to build a ram rod or two for many rifles and shotguns, it is the nature of the beast...we do after all load our rifles and shotguns from the wrong end and need something to cram everything down the barrel. The only readily available hardwood that is recommended for ram rods is hickory, oak has a nasty tendency to split into two very sharp pieces that the user has a very good chance of running one completely through his hand, I have seen it and it ain't pretty. If your dealing with oak over 3/4" thick it is pretty tough to get that to split but at the diameter of a loading rod of 3/8" or so it can happen. Hickory is the only wood recommended for a loading rod that is readily available and can be purchased from a variety of outlets.
That being said your laminated hockey stick is more resistance to splintering than any known wood, I would just be careful substituting oak unless it is thick enough. I have a boe that I got while practicing martial arts back in the 90's, my Sensei gave it to me upon reaching purple belt. It is probably red oak and has some of the tightest grain I've seen, it has zero flex as far as any human being's strength goes, I have done pull ups with it, I weighed around 230lbs at the time. I carry the boe when I am hiking off road or huckleberry picking, very dependable.
 
I picked this up at the PX. It is about 2 inches in diameter and 4 feet long. It came with the rubber stopper ond leather strap on it. I added some pins for some bling. The EGA is off a set of my Blues. Works well, usually just carry it, until I need some assistance after kneeling down. Carry this one on walks around the neighborhood. I have a cane made of the same wood that I carry when at some of the theme parks with family (if I can't get out of it). I see stuff like this at some Cracker Barrels. Mine cost $7.95 at the PX.
 

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Rustyt1953 said:
This was my mom's "Harry Lauder".
My sister is keeping it for me should I have need of it.
Click to expand...

Being somewhat of a rabologist, (although with a fairly minimal collection) I actually know who Harry Lauder was. At one time, some 85 of his walking sticks were auctioned off. And...there is actually a bush called Harry Lauder's Walking Stick.

Sorry for the slight detour.:D
 
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Nice stuff.........I think I'll just carry a pistol......I can crawl to something grab to stand back up

All this has got me re-interested in a REAL cane gun......Does anyone know if they are even still being made?
 
Mule Packer said:
Being somewhat of a rabologist, (although with a fairly minimal collection) I actually know who Harry Lauder was. At one time, some 85 of his walking sticks were auctioned off. And...there is actually a bush called Harry Lauder's Walking Stick.

Sorry for the slight detour.:D
Click to expand...
My gf has that bush in her garden. My mother's family were all Scots and we had a 78 of the grand man himself singing "Just a Wee Deoch an' Doris" and "Roamin' in the Gloamin'"

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3P_wolAmIs[/ame]

It's definitely NOT "a braw, bricht, moonlicht nicht" here tonight but I'm going to break out the single malt (Laphroaig) now after listening to that.

ps to the OP: Cutting down a Canadian-made hockey stick could be interpreted as defacing a cultural icon (eh!) but given that we just beat you lot at the recent game, we'll let it slide this time :)
 
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