What kind of Cane do I Need?

 What is the best cane for Me?


Most first time buyers have little to no information about what kind of cane they should use or would like to hold. There are a multitude of cane handles to choose from that are meant for weight bearing while others are strictly for balance, fun or collecting. We hope the following information is helpful as you make your selection. Remember, you can always give us a call if you would rather talk to someone in person by calling our toll free line 1-866-217-8091 or emailing us info@canescanada.com .


Cane Handle Styles

Hook/Crook/Tourist Handles

A Hook/Crook/Tourist handle is one of the first canes made. Many people love this cane handle because it is very convenient to hook onto arms, chair backs, door knobs etc. For others, the crook walking cane enables them to use it as a way to walk with an even gait. The rounded handle allows for a natural swing which helps the user to walk with a rhythmic pace. A crook handle is also one of the stronger canes as it is usually made from one piece of wood. The only challenge with this handle style is that there is nothing to stop your hand from slipping down the shaft should it start to slip. The Hook/Crook/Tourist handle can be used in either the right or left hand.

 Derby, J-handle and Anatomical Handles







The most common cane handle sold is one with a Derby Handle. This handle, as in the majority of handles, are made to encourage the user to place their weight directly over the shaft. The derby, J-handle and the anatomically correct handle have a curve on the end which acts very similarly to the crook handle allowing them to hook onto arms, chair backs, door knobs and more. The derby and J-handles are made to use in either the right or left hand.




Fritz, Shovel and T-Handle



Fritz, Shovel and T- handle canes are all very similar in that they all have flatter handles. The Fritz handle was invented hundreds of years ago by a German prince for those suffering from Arthritis and felt that this type of handle was more comfortable. As you can see, the shovel and T-handle provides a similarly flat handle. These three styles are made to use in either the right or left hand with the Fritz being used so that the longer piece is pointing behind the user. Wrist straps can be added to these walking canes to provide the user the ability to hook their cane to their arm when shopping or at any time they need two hands.

Ergonomic Handle/Over Mold/Contour Palm







An Ergonomic handle is one that is built to fulfill two goals - health and productivity. We offer a variety of walking cane styles built to support your palm in this fashion. The rubber overmold grip provides superior comfort slowing down hand fatigue and is made for either hand. The contour and palm grip canes have similar design and are left or right hand specific but they are both unique from the other. The contour grip has a smaller grip which some people prefer better and it also directs the user’s weight directly over the shaft. The palm grip or fisher handle offers a wider grip with a little lip to offer more form to the shape of the handle. A palm grip cane is created in a way that places the users’ weight off center, so if you put a lot of weight on a cane a contour grip may offer more piece of mind. Because these handles help to distribute weight over a wider area on top of providing ergonomic support, this handle style is well received by many people as a way to relieve hand fatigue.


Opera Handle or L-Shaped









An L-shaped or Opera handle can be found in all styles of walking canes from natural to dressy. It is not as popular as a weight bearing cane like the Derby handle mainly because the user can’t direct their weight over the shaft. Undue stress is placed on the joint of a two piece cane when the weight of a person is not directed properly over the shaft. Though, if it is a one piece cane, the L-shaped handle like the crook cane is strong. This style is made to use in either the right or left hand with the longer piece pointing behind the user. Wrist straps can be attached to the shaft to provide the ability to hook the cane to their arm when shopping or at any time they need two hands.

 

About CanesCanada.com



CanesCanada.com was founded in 2001 for those looking to buy a walking cane to match their personality. It is our belief that no one should be ashamed of or even hesitant to consider using a cane. Llano Gorman, the president of Canes Canada Inc, knows first hand what a difference using a cane with distinction makes to ones self image. It is our goal to help everyone Walk with a Smile and to Walk in Style ®. We invite you to look through our selection of walking canes on our online store www.canescanada.com call us with any questions at 1-866-217-8091 or send us an e-mail at info@canescanada.com

 

 

Walk with a Smile and Walk in Style with CanesCanada.com

CANES AND WALKING STICKS

THE FIRST FASHION ACCESSORY

A Brief History

www.canescanada.com

We're talking about walking sticks, that fashion essential of royals, Edwardians and Victorians, symbols of authority in the 17th century, and today a very hot collectible.

Homo Sapiens’ first cane was a tree branch, used to stabilize him while walking and climbing and also to for defence. Since then, walking sticks have been used for both decoration and practicality almost continually     through out history.

Through the ages, canes represented many different symbols of power, faith, and magic until their evolution into a fashion accessory in the 16th century. During the height of the 18th and 19th centuries, the style of canes was shaped by changing social and economic conditions. To study these talismans is to gain an insight into the cultures and societies that valued them.

The word ‘cane’ comes from ancient times when the shafts of most canes were constructed of bamboo and other rattans of the cane family. Cane became the mostly widely used material to make walking sticks, evolving later into the generic name for the product.

In ancient Egypt everyone from royalty to peasants used a cane. These ancient sticks and staffs, now displayed in museums worldwide, were often carved and decorated elaborately. Their shape and form dictated whether the owner was a shepherd, soldier, dignitary, priest, Pharaoh, or even a god. It was thought that a walking stick placed next to the mummy in a coffin would help the deceased on his travels after death and resurrection. These walking sticks were also used to identify the status of the deceased within their society for afterlife identification. King Tutankhamen had no less than 132 sticks buried with him.

It was during the 16th century that the walking stick was widely accepted an accessory of elegance and social prominence among the aristocracy. Special etiquette dictated the use of the cane during this period and walking sticks were not allowed in the presence of the king.

During that time in Europe, a king's power came to be symbolized by the sceptre carried in the right hand, while a second staff known as the "Hand of Justice" was carried in the left. These were shown in public to demonstrate their readiness to punish and their power to reward.

King Henry VII of England carried a multi-purpose cane finished in gold which contained a perfume dispenser in the top, a pair of tweezers, two compasses of gold, a foot rule of gold, a knife and a file, and a "haft" of gold.

In the 18th century, when France dominated the decorative arts, the walking stick was a requisite of the fashionable dress. Louis XIV was never seen in public without his cane, and his court jeweller actually fashioned one stick for him with twenty-four diamonds.

When King Louis XIV died in 1715, a new style began to emerge as the grandeur of the Baroque softened into a more feminine style, called Rococo. Rococo showed a true spirit of independence, including a new found willingness to mix curvilinear and asymmetrical forms. The canes typical of this era depicted nature, replete with flora and fauna.

By the middle of the 18th century, the Rococo style was beginning to cause a strong reaction by critics who thought this style too extravagant. The critics demanded a return to a noble, more sober Classicism. The classical notions of order, restraint, and balance gradually took the place of the carefree flamboyancy of the Rococo style. Walking sticks became more stable and simple with emphasis on the calm, steady line.

In America, the pure and modest appearance of canes reflected the conservatism that Americans embraced following the outbreak of the American Revolution. National pride caused the eagle to remain extremely popular on the walking stick through the mid-19th century. The custom of presenting sticks was a mark of individual esteem and admiration. 

General Washington received one of Benjamin Franklin's canes constructed of crab-tree wood with a gold head in the form of a cap of liberty. The bust cane became a popular item among the elite and sticks proliferated topped with heads of presidents and rulers.

Victorian walking sticks were a part of the "correct" attire of the elegantly dressed gentleman, who would change a cane as often as they changed their clothes. By the late 19th century, the Victorian influence had spread to the United States, finding the fashionable American gentleman in possession of several canes for different occasions and social events. These walking sticks typically had simple gold or silver mushroom handles and were rather mundane in appearance.

Time was you were undressed without a cane.

Canes were the first fashion accessory.

Shops specializing in walking sticks began to flourish as canes were designed by such world renowned artists as Tiffany in America, Faberge in Russia, Thomas Brigg & Sons of England, Magasin Antoine of Paris, and the Meyers family in Hamburg and Berlin.

In Victorian England, there were some 60 shops devoted to canes in London; today there is but one. 

 

During the 20th century the cane lost its popularity among the well-dressed, and came to be used by those whose age and health required them or by hikers and climbers.

The walking stick is today enjoying resurgence among collectors who cherish their unique design and history. The modern collector will find several different types of canes to choose from. Canes fall into four different categories: ethnic, folk art, decorative, and gadget, or system, sticks.

Ethnic sticks are canes that reflect, through their design or ornamentation, the culture of a group or a particular race or religion.

Folk art sticks came out of a desire for self-expression. These canes were made mostly from the materials which could be easily obtained in an artist's natural environment. Woodworkers decorated their wooden sticks with intricate hand carvings. During the great age of whaling in the 19th century, scrimshaw canes were fashioned by American sailors who spent their long hours at sea constructing sticks made of baleen, whalebone vertebrae, and ivory from the teeth of marine mammals. If a glass blower had left-over raw materials at the end of his work day, he would challenge himself by making a cane made entirely of glass. Though beautiful and decorative ornaments, these glass canes were rarely used due to their fragility.

 

Decorative sticks were frequently made from Malacca, the flexible, lightweight stem of the East Indian rattan plant. Topping these artistic staffs were an assortment of different handles including examples made of gold, silver, porcelain, cloisonné', wood and ivory.

 

A Gadget Stick is called a "secret stick" when it has a place in which to hide or store something. System sticks serve a dual purpose, for example, they hold a weapon, or provide a device such as a rule, telescope or a seat, even a violin! Sometimes they represent the rank, function, or profession of the owner. Napoleonic France introduced the vogue of the short, blunt-headed stick which was used as a receptacle for documents, letters, secret dispatches, and favours.

 


Canes Canada Inc. carries a wide selection of canes and walking sticks.  Whether you are looking for a walking aid, unique accessory, decorative or collectors item, take the time to check out our entire product line at www.canescanada.com and find out how you will,

 Walk with a Smile and Walk In Style ®.