The Complete Handbook of Canes & Walking Sticks

I'm an occupational therapist, and I ordered this to have a single desktop reference for patient fittings. It does hit that mark—the sizing and weight-shift details in Chapter 1 are correct and clear, and I've used the troubleshooting chart in Chapter 5 already. I'm giving it a 3 mostly because it occasionally reads more like a field guide for a retailer than a clinical manual, and I found myself wanting more detail on clinical outcome measures than it provides. It's good, just not the full clinical text I had in my head.

This is a solid, no-nonsense reference. I run a home medical equipment store and I appreciate the fact that it doesn't feel like marketing material. Chapter 6 on suppliers was useful for benchmarking my pricing. The reason for the three stars is that a couple of sections, especially the part on materials, felt a little basic for someone who's been in the business for a decade, and I was hoping for more depth on the composite shaft manufacturing specs. Still, a good addition to the back office shelf.

As a woodworker just getting into making custom walking sticks, the first two chapters were exactly what I needed. The explanation of how the grain direction and shaft taper affect the actual load capacity is the kind of info you don't find on YouTube. I read the whole Chapter 1 without skimming, which is rare for me. The 3 stars is a personal thing—I wish there were more photos and detailed diagrams, but for a text-based reference that's just the PDF format I downloaded.

I bought the hardcover because I'm a collector and I wanted the complete guide on the shelf. The objective tone is exactly right, and I really appreciated that they didn't include any of the usual 'my walking stick is better than yours' nonsense you see on the collector forums. The glossary in the back is the best part—it cleared up the difference between a 'bent shaft' and a 'swan neck' which is something that even the online communities argue about. I'm giving it 3/5 because it spends a large part of the book on the medical/mobility side, which I don't really need, but it's still worth the shelf space.

Honestly, a tough read in parts due to the density of the scientific language in the beginning, but it's the real deal. I'm involved in a non-profit that sources canes for low-income seniors, and the chapter on choosing the right cane and the specific specs on tip durometer and base sizes have genuinely helped us order a better product than we used to. I docked two stars because the business opportunity chapter is focused on for-profit models and pretty much ignores the non-profit procurement model, which is where the real bulk buying happens.

This is the handbook we've been looking for. After 20 years as a certified orthotist, I thought I had seen it all, but this book surprised me with its comprehensive organization. Chapter 1's explanation of the physics of weight offloading is clear enough to teach our new fitting staff with it. The chapters on maintenance are utterly practical—we've already used the ferrule replacement guide to fix a lot of our retail stock. I bought copies for all my senior fitters. If you are a serious professional in mobility aids, this is a required resource, not a suggestion.

I was hoping for a bit more history and a bit less engineering, but word of a serious reference book was accurate. It is well-written, thorough, and I learned a lot about why a proper fit is so important. It is clearly the definitive modern reference. My only gripes are minor—the lack of photographic plates and the occasional dry editorial tone—but for what it costs, it's a fantastic value for the specific technical knowledge it contains. I'll keep it in my workshop as the main manual.

Good reference, but it let me down in a few areas. I've been cleaning up and selling old canes on eBay for a while now, and I was particularly interested in Chapter 6 on Suppliers and Business Opportunities. There's a lot of great info on the manufacturers, but not nearly enough on the secondary market appraisal aspect or detailed grading of antique canes. It is written squarely at the new retailer and medical fitter, not the vintage reseller. It is still a smart purchase for the core info on materials and mechanics, but vintage dealers will need to supplement this with more specialist history books.