[nabs-l] Telescopic cane question

Brice Smith brice.smith319 at gmail.com
Sat Mar 30 21:01:27 UTC 2013


Nope. I didn't even know he had his own site until this morning.
There's only an email address on his site as far as contact
information goes, but I see he makes other cane models besides the NFB
telescoping ones (including something called a mini telescoping cane
that goes up to 61 inches and a folding one). Interesting.

Anyway, I hope you get what you need by your conference next weekend.
I think the NFB ships materials free matter for the blind which can
sometimes delay things.
Brice

On 3/30/13, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> That is right, unless you clarify in the comment section the model you
> want.  If you tell them you specifically want the Chris Park model in
> the comments they won't ignore that and you'll get what you want for
> your $35.  The clarification might be there for people who don't know
> to do the comment thing, (which I'm assuming would be the majority of
> people), but they don't make it impossible for you to get what you
> want for your buck.  Actually, my ability to see the pictures probably
> further complicated the issue; had I just gone off the cane type and
> commented that I wanted the Chris Park model from the start I would
> have saved myself some confusion, although I'm not sure many other
> people would have known to do that either.
>
> Have you been able to purchase directly from Chris Park's site?  That
> was where I looked after the NFB store was confusing me and before I
> called, but I didn't see any links to the specific models or to
> checkout/purchase anything.
>
> On 3/30/13, Brice Smith <brice.smith319 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Right. So if you just order a type 7 cane from the NFB store, there's
>> no guarantee what you'll actually get when you spend your $35? You
>> might get Chris Park's model, but you might also get the old (pre
>> 2010) model that most people universally seem to dislike? The amusing
>> thing here is that while Kaiti can check out the pictures, other users
>> of the store ... can't. So the NFB's lack of clarification here makes
>> perfect sense! Got it.
>>
>> Anyway, Chris Park has his own website.
>>
>> http://www.chrisparkdesign.com/sub_01_new.html
>>
>> Brice
>>
>> On 3/30/13, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Brice, I guess what they do is they just classify the canes by type.
>>> E.G, all the 5 or 6 section telescopic canes are listed on the site as
>>> type 7.  This type includes all the models that fit into that
>>> category, so when you buy one you might get any model depending on
>>> what they have in stock unless you specifically tell them you want a
>>> specific type, E.G. the Chris Park.  That one is still the latest and
>>> greatest thing out there, so I guess we were both lucky to get it when
>>> we bought our canes.  What got me into trouble looking through the
>>> search results was that I didn't remember the exact type, so I assumed
>>> that the Chris Park would have it's own little category in the search
>>> results, (I didn't buy my last cane either, so I wasn't familiar with
>>> how to get to it from previous experience).  Looking at the picture
>>> for the type 7, it shows two different models of NFB canes, but
>>> neither of them were the Chris Park.  I was looking for that distinct
>>> grip which is much bigger than a lot of the NFB models and didn't see
>>> it.  Now we know.  :)
>>>
>>> I suppose every cane is different, Joshua, but I had significantly
>>> more collapses with my NFB telescopic cane I bought in 2009 than I
>>> have with the Chris Park model.  I don't think you had the newest one;
>>> the collapse-resistant model just came out in December of 2011, so
>>> anything before that would be more collapse-prone.  A lot of people,
>>> including myself, seem to really like this newer one.  Different
>>> strokes for different folks, but don't base an opinion of an entire
>>> company over one cane from several years ago which has since been
>>> improved upon.
>>>
>>> On 3/30/13, Joshua Lester <JLester8462 at pccua.edu> wrote:
>>>> Those Chris Parks canes are nothing but trouble!
>>>> Those were the ones that collapse too much!
>>>> His folding canes are awful too!
>>>> I got the telescoping cane in 2010, and I didn't like it.
>>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>>> ________________________________________
>>>> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Brice Smith
>>>> [brice.smith319 at gmail.com]
>>>> Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 10:45 PM
>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Telescopic cane question
>>>>
>>>> I'm still a bit confused. Which model is the one listed on the site
>>>> now? Is the Chris Parks model now "old" and is there a newer model out
>>>> now? You and I both must Have bought his model last year. Have they
>>>> replaced it with something different? Even better?
>>>>
>>>> On Mar 29, 2013, at 10:55 PM, Kaiti Shelton
>>>> <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> Yeah, they're well worth checking into, or at least I think so.
>>>>>
>>>>> I found out why I wasn't seeing it in the search results; The NFB site
>>>>> groups all types of canes together, but doesn't descriminate between
>>>>> the models.  So, I was seeing pictures of the older canes because
>>>>> that's the type the new one still fits under, (5 or 6 section
>>>>> telescopic). The particular cane I got last time was made by Chris
>>>>> Parks, and I just got it because it was what they had in stock.  They
>>>>> don't show it on the site, but if you know the particular model you
>>>>> want you can request it in the comments section when you check out.
>>>>>
>>>>> On 3/29/13, Joshua Lester <JLester8462 at pccua.edu> wrote:
>>>>>> I want to look at the new ones.
>>>>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>>>>> ________________________________________
>>>>>> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Kaiti Shelton
>>>>>> [crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com]
>>>>>> Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 11:21 AM
>>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Telescopic cane question
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Joshua, I didn't say that you said anything, I was merely sharing my
>>>>>> experiences. I've heard from several people that those canes are
>>>>>> thought
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> be indestructible, so it seemed like it might have been a common
>>>>>> misconception.
>>>>>> That is what is so improved about this model of the telescopic cane,
>>>>>> it
>>>>>> doesn't collapse near as much as the old oones. I rarely had to stop
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> fix mine.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Friday, March 29, 2013, Joshua Lester wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi Kaiti!
>>>>>>> I never said that the Ambutech canes were indestructable.
>>>>>>> I just wish that they'd make the telescopic canes more stirdy, so
>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>> they'll collapse, only when I want them to.
>>>>>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>>>>>> ________________________________________
>>>>>>> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org <javascript:;>] on behalf of
>>>>>>> Kaiti Shelton [crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com <javascript:;>]
>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 3:02 AM
>>>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Telescopic cane question
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *the beginning of that was supposed to say that I'm the opposite.
>>>>>>> Sorry for the weird cut off.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 3/29/13, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>> posite; telescopic canes last much longer for me than the folding
>>>>>>>> ones, I think because of the weight and because of my pace.  That
>>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>>> why I prefer the NFB canes and will most likely avoid the bulky
>>>>>>>> folding ones.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The next time someone tells you an Ambutech cane, or an aluminum
>>>>>>>> one,
>>>>>>>> is indestructable, don't necessarily buy it.  In the first week of
>>>>>>>> school this year I was going out to a campus event with some
>>>>>>>> friends
>>>>>>>> and because I had issues with people stepping on and breaking my
>>>>>>>> telescopic canes in high school I chose to take my folding one from
>>>>>>>> ambutech.  It was so heavy for me that when I stepped off the curb
>>>>>>>> it
>>>>>>>> went down into a drainage grate.  It must have gone right between
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> bars because I didn't feel it hit anything or realize it wasn't on
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> ground, but I kept walking and tripped when I felt that my cane
>>>>>>>> wasn't
>>>>>>>> coming with me.  I dropped it and when a friend of mine grabbed it
>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> pulled it out of the grate the bottom shaft was sliced open where
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> grate had dug into it and it was bent at a 45 degree angle from
>>>>>>>> where
>>>>>>>> it should have been.  For a while I used a straight cane that was
>>>>>>>> kind
>>>>>>>> of my old-faithful cane, (My O&M instructor and I made it when I
>>>>>>>> was
>>>>>>>> in the 4th grade and I still had it as a college freshman).  It was
>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>> little short for me, but I didn't grow much after making it so it
>>>>>>>> would have worked all right till I could order a new one over
>>>>>>>> Christmas break.  Then again, I was walking with friends, and the
>>>>>>>> cane
>>>>>>>> got stuck in a really big crack in the sidewalk.  When we pulled it
>>>>>>>> out the tip was still wedged into the crack, but the bottom of the
>>>>>>>> shaft was dented all over to the point where I doubt another tip
>>>>>>>> would
>>>>>>>> be able to stay on it.  (The kicker was that this all happened
>>>>>>>> within
>>>>>>>> a month).  Then I started using the telescopic cane because I had
>>>>>>>> no
>>>>>>>> other choice, and not only were people more conscious about
>>>>>>>> avoiding
>>>>>>>> stepping on a white stick, but all my problems with grates and
>>>>>>>> sidewalk cracks magically went away.  (and my wrist liked it better
>>>>>>>> too).
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 3/29/13, Joshua Lester <JLester8462 at pccua.edu> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Another thing I should mention, is that I found out that cane tips
>>>>>>>>> cost
>>>>>>>>> over
>>>>>>>>> $1.50, per tip!
>>>>>>>>> Good grief!
>>>>>>>>> Those tips are small, unlike the tips you find on VR canes!
>>>>>>>>> Why not just charge 50 cents a tip?
>>>>>>>>> Thanks, Joshua
>>>>>>>>> ________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Joshua
>>>>>>>>> Lester
>>>>>>>>> [JLester8462 at pccua.edu]
>>>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 2:21 AM
>>>>>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Telescopic cane question
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I bought an NFB folding cane, and a straight cane from them!
>>>>>>>>> I had issues with the tip coming off of the straight cane, and the
>>>>>>>>> folding
>>>>>>>>> cane broke after the first day, because they aren't stirdy enough!
>>>>>>>>> I had a telescoping cane as well, and it would collapse when I
>>>>>>>>> didn't
>>>>>>>>> want
>>>>>>>>> it to, and it wouldn't collapse when I did!
>>>>>>>>> Ambutech, (on the other hand,) is awesome!
>>>>>>>>> Their canes are stirdyer, and they may be bulky, but they get the
>>>>>>>>> job
>>>>>>>>> done!
>>>>>>>>> I can't imagine myself with a thinner cane, no matter what it is!
>>>>>>>>> My Ambutech cane has lasted longer than my VR canes, and those NFB
>>>>>>>>> canes
>>>>>>>>> combined!
>>>>>>>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>>>>>>>> ________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Kaiti
>>>>>>>>> Shelton
>>>>>>>>> [crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com]
>>>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 2:10 AM
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/crazy4clarinet104%40gmail.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Kaiti
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Kaiti
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Kaiti
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
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>
>
> --
> Kaiti
>
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