Tip for Walking Stick

[gadgetgeek]

High Brass shotgun shells, just the brass part. looks kinda cool, and you could drill and tap the flash hole for a stud if you felt the desire.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

There are a lot of good tips (no pun intended ) in this thread and good article Tim. This has inspired me to fashion my own version of a stick end. I popped down to Home Depot tonight to check on the size of the copper caps. They had 1" and 1-1/2", but no 1-1/4", although, apparently they are available.

1-1/4" is probably what I need because I use 6 foot sections of bamboo for walking sticks - they're nice and long, strong, and light weight. I have been fooling around with different ideas about bamboo walking sticks as seen here.

Anyway, what I have in mind is a copper pipe end with a 1/4-20 coupling for 1/4-20 threaded stock, silver soldered on the inside. This would fit inside the hollow bamboo. I would attach this with epoxy and perhaps a pin through the cap and the bamboo. Spike and rubber ends could then be fashioned to screw into the 1/4-20 coupling.

I'm going to work on this and will post results down the road.

Doc

 

[Kismet]

High Brass shotgun shells, just the brass part. looks kinda cool, and you could drill and tap the flash hole for a stud if you felt the desire.

yup. had to burn out the plastic/wad remainder, but works a charm.:thumbup:

 

[DRider]

You know how you get a cheap rake and there's a sort of metal collar on the shaft end where the rake part comes out? Those collars make great walking stick caps.

 

[raindog101]

You know how you get a cheap rake and there's a sort of metal collar on the shaft end where the rake part comes out? Those collars make great walking stick caps.

Heck, the handle itself makes a great stick, provided you get a hickory one with good grain, and are willing to do a bit of sanding and finishing to get a nice look. I've used those before, and my only gripe is I wish they were a bit longer.

 

[jyearly]

Piece of truck tire blowout found on road. Cut to roughly fit bottom end of stick. Drill hole in center of the piece of tire tread and into the walking stick. Counter-sink a larger hole in the tread about half-way through the tread. Use "Barge Cement" (Home Depot or shoe shop) on the stick and tire tread. Screw in a small brass screw into the tread and stick. The screw will go about half-way into the rubber tread and will not be exposed. Finish round edges on a belt sander. Got um on all my sticks.

 

[k_estela]

Copper cap here. Epoxy and pin in place.

 

[breakthru62]

I have a bamboo stick I got from the dollar store. I put a two in one stain/polyurathane coat on it. I was just looking at the bottom of some crutches I have, and the rubber feet on the end look like they will be perfect, for mine at least. Give it a shot.

 

[udtjim]

Here is my reversible winter/summer walking stick. The white tip in the summer end is a couple years old and I have to use this stick to walk everywhere I go because of a balance issue from a broken lower leg. The black tip slips over the winter Ice stud which I need badly in ND. I hope the picture show it.

 

[Mikel_24]

Just forget about a Walking stick and get a telescopic trekking pole. Ligther, comfier and allows to use baskets of various sizes (snow).

Nah... just kidding. That's just my way but I know some of you think about walking sticks also as means of defense, and a trekking pole will never be up to the task (to light to hit in a efficient manner).

I recall seens some cooper or even steel caps here in Spain somewhere... Metal is the way to go, that's for sure. Rubber will wear out quickly and you will end up loosing broken rubber caps on the trails.

Mikel

 

[DOC-CANADA]

This is kind of what I had in mind:

A copper cap for the end with a 1/4-20 coupler silver soldered into the copper cap. It could then receive anything you can conceive made out of a 1/4-20 bolt - a spike, a hook, a rubber, whatever.

Doc

 

[2jka]

It's too bad all of my copper and brass fittings fit for being beaten up on the end of my stick was recently stolen out of my garage. I guess i will have to use a new one.

 

[Hammer67]

I put a rubber cane tip on mine. They're inexpensive and easy to find, they're quiet on all surfaces (unlike metal tips) and offer good grip.

 

[KDucky's brother]

Regarding using a trekking pole for animal protection.. I know what your saying.. but a sharp carbide tip to the eye would do wonders in convincing a dog or whoever to leave you alone.

I used a prized wooden staff for years while scoffing at those hi techy alum poles. ..until I tried a set. Now I HAVE to have them to backpack. So so so sooooooooooo much more superior. Lighter to carry and wield. More grip at the tip. Infinitely more stable during slick moss covered mtn river crossings, descending, climbing, ice and snow, etc. Also saves a measurable amt of energy, since if one uses the straps CORRECTLY, you don't even have to grip the pole each time they plant it. The strap is always there preloaded and ready to take up the slack, so to speak.

WRONG! The strap is useless in this fashion.

Correct way. Makes all the diff in the world. The only thing the hand(fingers actually) does is direct the pole. To easily throw the tip outward(hold the poles out in front of you..not out on sides of you like a staff), just put pressure on that middle finger riser and the pole shoots out forward. You don't even move the wrist/arm.

http://www.trailspace.com/articles/trekking-poles-fit-maintain.html

If you've got bad knees(like I do), then a set of poles are for you. Especially while going down. Makes the diff between being able to backpack..or not. Just hang out at Neels Gap on the AT(aprox 40 miles from the start) during the Spring. Besides mailing a chitload of crap hikers don't need or use..they sell a ton of trekking poles. Otherwise, many would be going home at that moment because by then its clear if they can continue or not, regarding their knees.

I personally like the spring loaded style, but that's a personal choice. They take out most of the shock to ones elbows/etc on the descents.