[Blindtlk] AmbuTech graphite folding canes with roller tips

[Carly Mihalakis]

Good morning, List,

         As long as we're airing our cane 
thoughts, I jhave come to prefer the FREE NFB 
stick despite its streightness. After trying all 
the different kinds of sticks, I have found that, 
the collapsable Revolutions have sort of an 
annoying feedback upon its being tapped which I 
find destracting. I use a 61-inch despite the 
fact that i am 4-11. I dig a metal, NFB-style 
tip, too, find that the auditory feedback 
associated with such tips really is, second to none.
Car23 AM 6/14/2015, Brice Smith via blindtlk wrote:
>I'm a cane snob. Why? I have a love/hate 
>relationship with them ­ they're absolutely 
>necessary but incredibly annnoying. Let's not 
>kid ourselves: walking around with a five-foot 
>stick can be an inconvenience. If I'm going to 
>use one daily, then, I'm going to choose the 
>best. I recommend the NFB collapsible or 
>Ambutech two-piece telescopic. I've tried plenty 
>of canes and here's my experience: Despite the 
>name, Ambutech's "lightweight" graphite canes 
>are heavier than NFB's telescoping or folding 
>canes. Please don't let the marketing materials 
>fool you ­ if you aare used to a carbon fiber 
>cane with a metal or ceramic tip, the switch to 
>an "ultralight" Ambutech graphite with a roller 
>tip will be difficult, especially when you add 
>the heavier [rolling] tip. The weight of the tip 
>makes all the difference. Graphite folding canes 
>with a ceramic or metal tip aren’t bad. The 
>Ambutech roller tip gives excellent physical 
>auditory feedback, much more than a roller on a 
>Revolution Advantage cane. However, I find the 
>roller's ability to handle rough terrain 
>somewhat overstated. There's a patch of rough 
>cobblestone outside my office, and the roller 
>gets stuck and jabs me in the gut more often 
>than a metal or ceramic tip. Perhaps because of 
>its weight, the NFB/Chris Park cane almost seems 
>to ... "skip" or "dance" over rough surfaces 
>more than a heavy, rolling tip. Metal glide and 
>ceramic tips aren’t perfect and will get stuck 
>occasionally, but don’t fall into the trap of 
>believing that something that rolls will solve 
>all your sticking problems. The Ambutech slim 
>line cane is awful. It feels unbelievably 
>flimsy, and I would never use it. Even the 
>company tells you on the website that it's meant 
>as an identification or light-duty cane, and the 
>packaging clearly reiterates this. Avoid. 
>Ambutech's telescopic two-piece cane is 
>excellent. It's incredibly lightweight, sturdy 
>and available with all Ambutech’s standard 
>tips, which means that you can switch between a 
>roller and a metal tip at your will. Personally, 
>I find it impossible to switch back to a heavier 
>cane after using a lightweight model. No matter 
>how much I try and use a sturdy, solid, heavier 
>cane, I always end up resorting back to 
>something lighter in the end. The carbon fiber 
>canes have irrevocably spoiled me. That's 
>disappointing, because I really like the build 
>and construction of Ambutech's folding canes. I 
>just wish they were a little bit lighter. On 
>6/13/15, Arielle Silverman via blindtlk 
><blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote: > Hi all. > The 
>cane tip discussion reminded me that I have been 
>thinking about > trying one of the AmbuTech 
>folding canes but want to get some > feedback. I 
>love my lightweight NFB straight cane and could 
>never use > an aluminum cane again, but I've 
>been repeatedly disappointed by NFB's > 
>telescoping and folding cane options, and 
>sometimes it's just way more > convenient to use 
>a folding cane. I'm also thinking about trying 
>a > rolling tip because I think NFB tips 
>sometimes get stuck in sidewalk > cracks and 
>such. I also hate having to change my NFB tip 
>monthly and I > was intrigued to read that 
>roller tips only have to be changed once a > 
>year. > So here are my questions. (1) Does 
>AmbuTech have a lightweight cane > option 
>similar to the NFB's fiberglass or carbon fiber 
>canes? Would > graphite be the best choice if I 
>want something light? And (2) are you > happy 
>with the roller tips and as a longtime NFB cane 
>user, do you > think I would have any trouble 
>adjusting to a roller tip? Or is there > a 
>better tip option? > Thanks, Arielle > > 
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