Wood or Metal, Which Cane Is Better for Self Defense?
As a follow up to the cane debate of heavy vs light, let’s discuss wood vs metal and which Cane is better for cane self defense. Let’s start off with woods which is what the majority of self defense canes are made of. For starters, there’s a wide variety of woods, the two main hard woods for self defense are oak and you have so many species of aak and you have hickory and hickory heart which is even harder. In general, the advantages of wood and by the way what I’m holding in the video is a crimson spinner XL https://americancaneselfdefense.com/product/the-new-crimson-spinner-xl-meet-your-new-favorite-cane/ very nice looking with the red crimson color and a set of green eyes. The main advantage with wood is the versatility to get creative with the designs. You have so many more models with wood than you do with metal and as far as the ACSD line goes, you know we introduced the concept of hybrids. wooden hybrids are a combination of a cane designed for ease of use, easy handling, it’s not heavy on the wrist, yet it has all the self- protection features that you might want in a self defense Cane.
As far as which wood to go with, that’s personal and you reaearch your options. One important factor you should know is that no two wooden canes even though they are of the same model and wood type, are not going to look identical most of the time. This has to do with the the wood that is available and the particular stoc. Colors are going to be similar, not identical. The features of the Cane model should be included. Wood also lends itself well to staining and you have a vast variety of colors you can have them which you can also do with metal, but you’re going to get a lot more versatility with wood. There’s also a very natural feel to wood which comes from a tree and many Caners connect easily with that fact. It’s also easier to put many of the self defense features (palm rests, rumble strips etc) on wood. The black Cane I show in the video with palm rest and the green eyes is Silent Night XL https://americancaneselfdefense.com/product/the-new-silent-knight-xl-hybrid-cane-stopping-power-smooth-handling-most-elegant/ a hybrid and one of the nicest looking Canes of the ACSD models. Hybrids are beautiful, very easy to handle, so you get the ease of use and still have something that can withstand impact. These wooden models are made by hand, one at a time, by our friends at http://www.canemasters.com exclusively for ACSD. So those are the advantages of wooden canes.
When it comes to metal, there are several adavantages over wood. The model I’m hloding in the video is the Robaina Raven https://americancaneselfdefense.com/product/robaina-raven-self-defense-cane/ air craft grade aluminum manufactured in-house and obviously I’m going to be biased and tell you it’s the premiere and best metal Cane on the market…because it is. Why? Peopl always aks what’s the difference or the main advantage of the Raven over other metal models. For starters we took a look at what was out there as matter of fact the Raven is the result of picking up the shortcomings of other metal canes which were designed by non-Caners and that alone is a huge difference. One thing is what looks good on paper as a concept, another is the invaluable feedback fro a world class Caner who has been training/teaching for decades.
Metal Canes have two main advantages over wood: 1) The Raven it will not crack under duress. The most that will happen is it will bend, but you can still be effective with a bent tool, especially if you’re using the ACSD Powershot template, you’re still going to be effective witha bent Cane. Wooden canes on the other hand, once they crack it weakens the the wood and we’ve tested it anywhere between two to four power shots before you render a wooden cane useless. The second advantage of the Raven (metal Cane) is that you’re never going to have to oil it. Oiling is the lifeblood of wooden canes. At some point depending on usage and care, where you keep it, for example the extreme temperatures of a vehicle (which we don’t recommend) will have you oiling the Cane more often to maintain the integrity of the wood. Oiling is the nutrition of the cane. You’ll never have that issue with a metal Raven.
I also want to dispel two myths regarding metal canes: Myth #1: you won’t get them past security because it raises an eyebrow. This is simply FALSE. We’ve tested this over and over we’ve gotten through airport security even with two Ravens because they’re a medical device just like wooden Canes. The the fact it’s metal is irrelevant and we know this from the trenches, not theory. The number one factor that attracts unwanted security attention to a cane is the way you carry the cane. or the individual The Cane tip should be touching the floor at all times and any deviation could raise eyebrows. I will also mention that even with all the innovations in wood, The Raven is still our top seller across all boards.
Bottom Line: When it comes right down to it, my answer to the question of which Cane is better wood or metal, my answer is…. TRAINING (shouldn’t be a shocker to those that follow me and ACSD). Matters little whether you have an extensive collection of super nice canes or you own a Raven… you’re always going to be limited to what you can do with your Cane(s) based on what your training allows you to do. Doen’t matter whether it’s heavier, lighter. metal or wood….It’s the training that makes it all good.
Here’s another little secret some of you have already figured out: Much like firearm enthusiasts with guns and golfer with golf clubs, if and when you get bit by the Cane bug, you’re never going to own just one. That’s a big, fat lie! Canes are just part of the Cane culture and like a tasty bag of chips, you can’t just have one.
Cane Perspective: At the end of the day, Canes are cool and fun but the Caner makes that cane and not the other way around. Choosing a Cane should be based on where you are on the Cane training path, purpose (self defense, training, flowing, contact training etc) and personal preference. Choosing a Cane should never take priority over choosing who to trust with your Cane training. Best way to have all your questions answered, including choosing the best cane for you is to speak to a professional at ACSD HQ 800-289-8188.