Walking Cane (Steampunk Fashion)

A fashionable walking cane to complete your Victorian/Steampunk/Goth get-up.
Bring out the DIY dandy in you!

I used ready-made parts, which make it a bit more expensive - especially the ornament, which counts for 2/3 of the cost. However, if you can find an old ornament or door-knob, this project is dirt-cheap.

You can whittle your own cane, if you want to:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Whittle-a-Staff--Walking-Stick

Step 1: Shoppy time!

Shop around for:
1. Glide-pins (big "tacks"), prefrably with rubber soles (you will only need one per walking cane).
2. Curtain-rod (or whittle a staff); length: +/- 1 meter
3. Curtain-rod ornament / doorknob, or salvage or cannibalize one instead.
4. (Outdoor) woodstain, paint and/or varnish. Pick your own color.
5. A flat paintbrush
6. Some string

I found all this stuff at my local hardware-store, but (thrift)shopping for a nice ornament / (door)knob pays off double, since it is the heart and soul of your cane and by far the most expensive part.

Comments

[denkeeper]

I don't know if my comment went through but here it is: what about taking a thin piece of bar stock or small copper tubing and drill a hole in top of the wooden rod and solider or bend the end of the wire to it?

[pfred2]

So where's the hidden Tesla coil? Now that'd be awesome!

[galadriel]

Where do you find glide pins?  Hardware store?

[A a r t]

In the screws & nails section of my friendly local hardware store.

[doomsdayltd]

i walk with a cane and im giving it great consideration to make this. i have one question about it though, how does it feel to walk with it in you hand after leaning on it?

[A a r t]

It compresses about half-way in, so it supports you when leaning on it, though an inch or so lower than it looks. The drawback is in placing the cane when walking:
it wobbles in all directions, so you are swinging it into position rather than pointing it into position. So I won't recomment this design if you really *need* a cane. It's just too uncomfortable.
If you make it a "fashionable" length you can grip it under the knob and use it like a staff. However, this isn't enough support for someone who *needs* to lean on it.

I did find a couple of useable spriralling curtain ornaments which are sturdy enough to support without compressing and wobbling, so I hope you can find such as well. I haven't found these in copper though, but they could be painted.

[mmh]

I like the visual effect the spiral fob gives, although putting one's full weight on a wire handle may not be the most ergonomic surface. Nice design for a found object piece.

However, should you be interested in a wooden handled cane, please visit: www.bigstickcanes.com

[codongolev]

is that little knobby thing bouncy.... because I bet it's bouncy... boing boing!

[A a r t]

Boing Boing indeed ;-)
It's a bit... flexible. So I'm glad the length is "fashionable" (1 inch longer), so it can be gripped below the knob. Though even when leaning on it the spring is strong enough to sagg in for only half it's hight.