Which Super Traction SafeTipTM Model Should I Purchase?
The Super Traction SafeTipTM Model 1 is a one-piece design that slips onto a walking cane or crutch lower end after the soft rubber tip has been temporarily pulled off.
The Super Traction SafeTipTM Model 1 is slightly less bulky and a teensy bit lighter than the Model 2. Because the Model 1 is a one-piece design, it is also a little less expensive than the Model 2, which uses two connector body parts.
The Super Traction SafeTipTM Model 1 (using two clamping screws) will sometimes fit onto a “knobby” cane or a cane with a tapered bottom end ... but this is not ideal. The knobs and taper allow higher stress to build up inside the plastic/polymer connector body than is the case when the Model 2 (using four clamping screws) is installed.
If you have a knobby walking cane or crutch ... or ... one with a tapered lower end, the Super Traction SafeTipTM Model 2 is the best choice.
If I Use Two Crutches, Do I Need Two High Traction Attachments?
For long-term walking cane and crutch use, using two Super Traction SafeTipTM attachments makes good sense. For short-term use, perhaps while an injury heals, one attachment is way better than having none at all.
When only one crutch has a Super Traction SafeTipTM attachment installed, the user will naturally place more weight and trust in the crutch with the attachment. This is not very different from what people do when using a walking cane.
When Is a Rubber Compression Strip Needed?
When a Super Traction SafeTipTM is installed on a smooth and non-tapered metal or plastic/polymer walking aid shaft, a compression strip is probably not needed. It is good practice to use one anyway.
However, tapered metal or plastic/polymer cane shafts do require a hard rubber compression strip to lower localized stress within the Super Traction SafeTipTM connector body. We recommend that hard rubber compression strips be used on all walking canes and crutches.
The compression strips are quick and easy to install, and are included with both Model 1 and Model 2 attachments.
Hint: Often just a thin layer of household tape (masking, shipping, scotch) can act as a very thin shim.
Can I Install a Super Traction on a Pair of Trekking Poles?
The answer is yes and no. The Super Traction SafeTipTM Models 1 and 2 are designed to install on walking canes and crutches with lower end diameters between ¾ to 1 inches.
Trekking poles typically have smaller end diameters ... something like around ½ inch. Super Traction SafeTipTM Models 1 and 2 are not well suited for attachment to shafts that small in diameter.
Can I Install a Super Traction on a Pair of Crutches?
In almost all cases ... YES! Just make sure that the space available between the top of the rubber crutch tip and the rest of the crutch structure is long enough (more than 2 1/2 inches) for the Super Traction SafeTipTM connector block to be fitted in place.
Where Can I Get Replacement Nuts and Bolts?
All the nuts and bolts on the Super Traction SafeTipTM Models 1 and 2 have metric nuts and are available at most full-service hardware stores.
The screws we use have a slightly smaller than usual head diameter so that they can be located down inside the hex-shaped pockets on the connector bodies.
Normal diameter 6x1 mm threaded screw heads will still work … but … then a flat washer should be installed under the screw heads. In any case, if requested, Canetankerous LLC will send replacement nuts, bolts and shim strips for a nominal charge.
How Can I Protect My Varnished Wood Cane from Being Scratched When Installing a Model 1 or Model 2 Super Traction SafeTip Attachment On My Walking Cane Or Crutch?
Varnished wood walking canes are beautiful and their finish can sometimes be somewhat delicate. We recommend that the user always use a hard rubber shim strip. A thin layer of household tape over the region where the Model 1 or 2 will be installed will also work quite well.
Super Traction SafeTipTM installation without a shim strip or protective tape will probably cause the clamping screws to deform the connector body quite a bit when the screws are tightened. This is not good.
Instead, use hard rubber shim strips so that good clamping occurs without having to force large deformation of the connector body.
Why Is the Connector Body Surface So Rough?
Super Traction SafeTipTM connector bodies have a very sophisticated design and complex shape. Therefore, they are fabricated using a relatively new manufacturing method called "3D Printing."
Parts made using the 3D printing process are built up, layer upon layer, from melted plastic polymer. When you look at the rough surface of the connector body, you see edge traces from all the many layers that the part was built up from. It is a bit like looking at a topographic map of the object.
Are the Super Traction Walking Cane and Crutch Attachments Legal to Carry and Use In Public Places?
Laws affecting sharp and pointy things are complicated and vary wildly from location to location. State law is often more permissive than local municipal law. Almost everywhere, concealed blades and spears longer than 4" are illegal. This makes essentially all "sword-canes" totally illegal outside the home.
Being caught carrying a typical sword-cane in a public place can get you arrested!
The Super Traction SafeTipTM models offered by Canetankerous LLC avoid essentially all restrictions on sharp and pointy objects by:
a) not having the tactical traction spike concealed in any way
b) allowing the tactical traction spike tip a maximum extension less than 4" past the rubber tip ... and ...
c) when retracted, not presenting a threatening appearance to nearby people.
An extremely valuable feature of the Super Traction SafeTipTM system is that the tactical traction spike can be very quickly (typically less than four seconds) extended from an unassuming retracted position, to a very-effective-for-practical-self-defense, 4 inch extension.
The above characteristics are totally valuable ... and ... absolutely unique to Super Traction SafeTipTM devices, for which patents are currently pending.
In Conclusion: To our knowledge, no other walking cane or crutch tip attachment is "street legal", under all state and local laws (that we know of), while still providing substantial real-world self-defense capability.