What Happend To Canes? (Waking Sticks)

Mr French (“Family Affair”) used to have a walking stick. I could use a vest, fedora and a walking stick :slight_smile:

I gave away a cane to a homeless guy I used to see all the time. I actually bought it for him intentionally. He was very grateful.

I decided to get it for him when I saw him walking out in traffic begging, and hopped on one foot back to the curb when the light changed.

FallenAngel, that is so COOL!

Dave Nelson keeps breaking them.

Wikipedia’s aricle sums it up nicely:

I’ve studied his techniques (in an amaturish way) and I find them quite effective.

As mentioned, canes are still in use, though a lot of their function has been taken over by crutches, walkers, ski-pole style hiking sticks, and four-legged canes.

As for their fashion use, I would guess that like most upper-class fashion until the last couple decades, it’s based on demonstrating that the owner doesn’t do manual labor. You can’t walk around with a fancy cane if you’re shoveling or carrying or driving a team of horses or stocking shelves or whatever all day. (Just like you can’t walk around with a Field Marshall’s baton if you’re digging trenches or firing machine guns or doing other grunt stuff all day).

Likewise. I’ve managed to find a couple books to supplement the online stuff. I believe my neighbors find it disturbing when I practice cane techniques by knocking seed pods off my magnolia tree. If I didn’t wear the top hat, it might be easier for them to accept.

And the frock coat, don’r forget the frock coat!

If you’re ever in Cleveland we can go a couple rounds in my backyard.

I see that some of the posters also had broke ankles. I broke my ankle, actually my tibia in two places, a few years ago. When I had graduated to a walking cast, I bought a hiking stick instead of a cane. I figured that it would make me look adventurous and hip with an aluminum walking stick as opposed to cane which would imply being old and decrepid.

My two cents is that the reason walking sticks have fallen out of fashion is that a) the advancement of medicine has greatly inproved since the early 20th century. Knee and back surgeries, physical therepy, and the polio vaccine have greatly reduced the need for canes. b) footwear has greatly improved too. Better footwear has become more availble in the past twenty years or so, even for familes that are poor.

I have a few friends that thier toes are all deformed because thier parents had to make do with shoes that didn’t fit their kids feet properly or wear shoes long after they outgrew them. Having to wear shoes that don’t fit, out of economic neccesity, will cause problems with walking.

There are two things in life you should never skimp on; Your shoes and your bed. You spend a 1/3 of your life in a bed and the other 2/3 in shoes.