[Blindtlk] AmbuTech graphite folding canes with roller tips

Thu Dec 10 13:54:28 UTC 2015

Hi All,
  I have two questions about the telescoping canes from Ambutech:

1)  Are they lighter in weight than the folding canes from Ambutech that are made from the same material (e.g., graphite)?

2)  How easy are they to get to the desired height for you and how easy would they be to change heights if say in a more crowded area and thus wanting to change the length to deal with the crowds?
Merry Christmas!
Chris
Dr. Christine M. Szostak
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Department of Social Sciences
Shorter University
Rome, Georgia
szostak.1 at osu.edu
cszostak at shorter.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Carly Michalski's via Blindtlk
Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2015 8:04 AM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>; Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Carly Michalski's <carlymih at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] AmbuTech graphite folding canes with roller tips

Good morning, List,

         As long as we're airing our cane thoughts, I have come to prefer the FREE NFB stick despite its straightness. After trying all the different kinds of sticks, I have found that, the collapsible Revolutions have sort of an annoying feedback upon its being tapped which I find distracting. 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.
Car 23 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 annoying. 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 arena€™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 arena€™t perfect and will get stuck 
>occasionally, but done€™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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