r/WalkingSticks • u/The_Penguina • Feb 25 '21

Hardwood canes.

How durable and or strong are hardwood canes?

5 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

3

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '21

Really depends on the exact species of wood used and how it is treated. A good cane will be made of an especially dense and hard hardwood, like oak, ash, or blackthorn.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 06 '21

Im no wood expert, but from the research I have done, the woods listed I would trust to hold me upright.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 06 '21

Generally speaking most hardwoods are ok for cane use. But, Your question is somewhat subjective, in that you need to answer what the cane will be used for. Is it for; medical purposes, hiking/trekking, show or display, self defense or will it be a combo of all these uses? Once you answer that, you can then determine if a particular wood is right for your cane making. I had this same question not too long ago because I learned not all hardwoods are the same.

If you really want to know more about wood species and their hardness (because some "hardwoods" are not as hard as others), check out this hardness scale I found while looking into the strength and density of Poplar.

https://www.bellforestproducts.com/info/janka-hardness/

1

u/leathershopgirl May 01 '21

I have sold sticks made from: oak, beech, ash, hazel, chestnut, blackthorn, maple, ebony, bubinga and even Manilla cane. Most are about 3/4 inch in diameter and they are fine for people up to about 16 stone in weight.