Which Cane Handle's For You?

If you ask some people as to where canes came from you might hear the story that by the time shepherds were old enough to retire, their crooks had worn down to cane size - not true!!

It depends on what part of the world you come from but a lot of them were indeed made from cane. It was easily shaped, vertically extremely strong, lightweight, and cheap. Hence the name came from the material that was used most to make it.

But the inexpensive cane had some drawbacks - the handle shape was just a crook. It didn't fit the hand well. It either had a small crook, which pushed up into the palm of the hand, or a large crook, which put pressure on the wrist.

Oh, yes, you can still buy the regular crooked handle, but today you have a far larger choice. Seven other major handle types are available and they are relatively inexpensive.

• The Devon(tm) Handle provides a broad weight-bearing surface with one raised end to prevent the hand from slipping.
• The Derby Handle has contours and indentations to allow a firmer grip.
• The York(tm) Handle has a unique design to keep the hand centred on the grip, and raised ends to prevent hand slippage.
• The Offset Handle is simple and easy on the wrist, provides additional balance, but does require a reasonably firm grip.
• The Orthopedic Handle is designed to fit the natural contour of the hand.
• The Handicane Handle provides a weight-bearing surface and conforms to the palm of the hand. This was my personal choice when I shattered my knee a number of years ago.
• The SelectaGrip(tm) Handle has variable positions for comfort.

Ross Bryan is the owner/manager of Tranquil Lane Products Inc. Articles