I had a close call a couple of years ago when I was
crossing a street while leaving work. It was noisy from
construction work near by and somebody was revving a motorcycle
up the street a bit so I didn't hear the lady rolling slowly
through the crosswalk until I felt my cane suddenly pull
downward under her right front tire. This is one of the aluminum
rigid canes with the reflective tape coating around the hollow
shaft and the golf club grip for a handle. Had it been made of
anything else such as carbon fiber or fiberglass, I think I
would have been left with nothing at all.

	As it was, the wheel put a rather gentle bend of about
60 degrees in to the last foot or so of the cane and one of the
construction workers near by had something round to bend it
against and was able to almost straighten it back out so I was
able to walk the rest of the mile or so I am from home to work.

	When I got home, I put it in a bench vice and
straightened it out more, but we went ahead and bought another new
cane since that sort of bending weakens the tubing and it is
better to be safe than sorry.

	I go through a cane tip about every couple of months so
these canes get about two miles of travel most days.

	If I save enough of these, I can cut them to length with
some sort of base and make a 6-meter ground plain which will be
quite reflective.

Martin WB5AGZ

Lloyd Rasmussen writes:
> I bought a "coated cane" from the NFB 3 or 4 years ago, and I think it is
> the same one Harvey mentions.  NFB tips work with it, although they are a
> rather loose fit.  My wife Judy calls this cane a war club, but I like it;
> it's a good compromise between weight and durability/flexibility.  I don't
> like the hollow fiberglass or carbon-fiber canes, because it is too easy 
> to
> crush or splinter them, and they are too rigid.  I have had enough people
> step on this cane while running to the subway, and have also partially
> closed a car door onit.  I think that the art of making a metal tip,
> isolated from the cane by rubber, that makes a nice damped click has
> suffered over the last 50 years, but this sort of cane is not bad and 
> should
> last a lot longer than a few months.  I bet it would make a good spreader
> for a small quad, as well.
> 
> Here's some history, as I understand it.  The Rainshine canes came about
> because Augie Mccullom, W0HS, the head of the rehab agency in Topeka,
> Kansas, was looking for a more effective long cane during the 1950s.  He
> worked on the design, probably with others, and got the Rainshine Umbrella
> Company to manufacture his design.  This type of cane was adopted by the
> California Orientation Center, then the Iowa Commission for the Blind, 
> going
> through the 1960s to about 1975.  By 1975 they were being called an Iowa
> cane by many people.  But by this time, several people associated with the
> Iowa rehabilitation program wanted a lighter version, and the first hollow
> fiberglass canes were produced.  W0HS has been a silent key for a long 
> time,
> but I worked him while I was K0DDA a couple of times when I used to live 
> in
> Iowa.
> 73,
> Lloyd Rasmussen, W3IUU, Wheaton, Maryland
> Home:  http://lras.home.sprynet.com
> Work:  http://www.loc.gov/nls
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: For blind ham radio operators 
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > On Behalf Of Harvey Heagy
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 11:55 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: off topic
> >
> > Try the Iowa Department for the Blind, 1-800-362-2587.  They have a cane
> > very similar to the original NFB cane.  It's not free, but it's pretty
> > good.
> > Harvey
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Gary Ketler" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 5:02 PM
> > Subject: Re: off topic
> >
> >
> > >I used those kind of canes for around 40 years.  I tried to buy a new
> > cane
> > > about five years ago and they would never return my calls.  I'd love 
> to
> > > find
> > > a good fiber glass cane.
> 
>