Octagonal Hiking Staff

Don Rearic

Don Rearic

Joined
Oct 8, 1998
Messages
8,917
First of all, thanks to all of you that chip in and answer my questions from time to time. From Jute Twine to flasks, you guys always seem to have stuff in your favorite places bookmarks that keep me busy for hours on end.

This morning I am on a slightly different hunt and I can find a few things on my own but I am actually looking for a few folks who have actually ordered from certain places this time. I have found one octagonal (6') staff for a somewhat reasonable price. When I clicked on the shipping option, however, that was $20.00 for UPS Ground. While it might very well be...that I cannot find a deal better than that, I would like to try.

So, anyone in here ever pruchased from a place that sells octagonal or hexagonal hiking staffs?

Before anyone says, "why" or "you don't" need that type of staff, just remember...everyone has an opinion. :D
 
Don,

Not in a place to search now - but do a search for a company that sells tobbaco drying sticks that are old school (the used them to dry leaves of tobacco back in the day) and then made sticks out of them.

Not sure if they are the design you want - but may be.


TF
 
Check out some Martial Art supply. Im sure you got some local places where you can get your hands on one to get a feel for it, Before you buy it. I know some of the places out here used to carry them ( Didnt check them for a few years now) As tall as 7'.

Sasha
 
Thanks guys!

I found a real nice one, but like I said, $20.00 smackers for UPS Ground, even overlength stuff, is a bit pricey.
 
I bought one on Mt. Fuli about 11 years ago, made out of a close grained pine of some persuasion. I recon flying there and back to buy one would be out of the question ;~)!!!!!
 
Esav Benyamin said:
http://www.woodenswords.com/AMA/staves_ama.htm

Is this the one you found?
The shipping seems about the same.
Click to expand...

Yep! I'm not a shipper so I don't really know if that is a decent charge for shipping something via UPS Ground but $20.00 seems damned pricey for Ground even if the item in question is 6 feet long. I might be wrong but I'm just tired of really getting shanked on shipping charges. There have been so many times in the past where I have paid what I thought was a high amount of shipping and when the item arrived it was sent for about a quarter or a third of what it cost me. When you ask people they always claim "packing materials" or "traveling to and from the Post Office/UPS/FedEx" and it's like...I have to pay you for the item, I have to pay you for used packing peanuts (I re-use them myself!) and not only do I have to pay you for the item, I have to pay you travel time to get it shipped plus shipping?

I admit, most of that is E-bay Sellers, but I'm just tired of paying a lot of money for used packing peanuts and stuff. And...I'm not really in agreement with dealers and "makers" who think they should charge a premium for the service provided by UPS or FedEx, etc. I have been charged twice as much as the shipping actually was so some dealer or maker could get even more money. :)
 
Don, you can use UPS.com to calculate approximate time and shipping charges. $20 sounds just about right to me for a UPS Ground package that's 5'+ (I checked with some made up addresses and dimensions that seemed reasonable and it came back with 19 and change). You'll notice on the web site Benyamin linked that the guy can ship up to four staves for the same cost.
 
Well then, I reckon they're gonna have to keep it. :D

I just can't stomach paying a third of the total cost of the item in shipping. I can see it for other things but not a damned stick. Hahaha!
 
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Okay just a question for you...have you considered getting a plane?
No not a flying one but a wood working one, or even a rasp file and saw paper - seems to me that one could be made either from a big piece of dowling wood - like a broom handle or from a branch off of a tree with a little work.
Or a draw knife...
 
Don Rearic said:
I just can't stomach paying a third of the total cost of the item in shipping. I can see it for other things but not a damned stick. Hahaha!
Click to expand...

I usually see shipping & handling charges coming to something like 15% of the product price. It bothered me years ago when they all started going up over 10%.
 
I can understand an overlength charge for a substantial box because, well, it's a big rectangle and takes up a lot of space. This could be in a tube or they could slap a bar code shipping label sticker on it. $20.00 shipping for Ground is just outrageous. I mean, the thing is going in a truck, they're not making deliveries in Chevy Chevettes or Ford Pintos where this would be a real issue. :D
 
Contact the manufacturer and find out who sells his product locally. Chances are the local guy buys from a vender and receives large weekly orders and doesn't get hit with the high single unit shipping fees. This may not work in rural areas but if you are in a large urban area you might luck out.
 
Don Rearic said:
I just can't stomach paying a third of the total cost of the item in shipping.
Click to expand...

Be thankful. I just made a small order to knifekits and the shipping was nearly equal to the total ($9-10 merch, $8-9 shipping, by USPS). Good luck on the hunt, assuming you don't get Canemasters involved.
 
Don Rearic said:
I can understand an overlength charge for a substantial box because, well, it's a big rectangle and takes up a lot of space. This could be in a tube or they could slap a bar code shipping label sticker on it. $20.00 shipping for Ground is just outrageous. I mean, the thing is going in a truck, they're not making deliveries in Chevy Chevettes or Ford Pintos where this would be a real issue. :D
Click to expand...

Long tubes, sticks or any long parcel require special handling as they are not put on their automated sorting center conveyors. Slim/long parcels tend to get jammed or roll off into the catch nets on upper teirs of the conveyors where they could sit for weeks until noticed. They set them aside and they are usually handled by humans.
 
PorcupineMtns66 said:
Long tubes, sticks or any long parcel require special handling as they are not put on their automated sorting center conveyors. Slim/long parcels tend to get jammed or roll off into the catch nets on upper teirs of the conveyors where they could sit for weeks until noticed. They set them aside and they are usually handled by humans.
Click to expand...

That reminds me of an old Andrew Dice Clay skit...goes something like this...

ADC: "Dat sweater is a lot of money!"

Salesferret: "Well, it's a handmade item."

ADC: "Well, yeah, I didn't think some guy knitted it with his dick."

:D

I'm sorry, the fact that someone has to put the HANDLING in HANDLING doesn't warrant such an extreme charge...that's why it is called Shipping and HANDLING!
 
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