“I have to thank Peter Jarvis for his previous review regarding this walking stick. His explanation and personal experiences with this product are very pertinent for someone who is more mature or may not depend on a walking stick at all times.
I'm in my late 30s and need to use a walking stick at all times and occasionally a wheelchair.
I'll start off with what I do love about this walking stick. I personally love the asthetics of the stick, but it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea. It is indeed an "in your face" design. I personally love the design as I grew up in Asia. As with all Cold Steel sticks I own (3 in total), I love having the peace of mind that my disability doesn't affect my ability to fend off attackers. These sticks have saved my life on 2 occasions. However, I do have a high degree of training in the use of weaponry. In NO WAY do I suggest you use this in a dangerous situation unless you know how to use it and I DEFINITELY do not condone the use of this for any other purposes other than a last resort defensive tool. This is not a weapon and needs to be treated as such!
Now for the downsides. The stick is extremely heavy compared to your average walking stick (at least twice the weight) and all other fiberglass cold steel sticks. It is also far too long. I'm almost 6 feet tall and find it way too high for functional everyday use. It also has a very slippery tip, just as Peter has stated previously. I, too, did what Peter did. I had someone saw off a good 4 inches from the bottom and glued on a very sturdy rubber tip. It made the stick fully functional after doing so. Lastly, the grip can be somewhat hard to get used to. I have large hands and initially had trouble getting used to holding it in a comfortable way. It feels like it was designed for rather small hands as the best way to grip it if you do have smaller hands is to hold the tip of the nose. As for me, I've found that putting my thumb over the built-in grooves on the back of its head works for larger hands or griping it around its sides. There is definitely a steep learning curve to get a comfortable grip without having its teeth digging into your fingers. All in all, I really do love this srick. It's sturdy and durable. While the weight can definitely be a game breaker for many, I found that once I cut off the 4 inches, the weight dropped enough to be usable for everyday uses and gave it good balance. I hope my review helps others so there is no buyer's remorse. 5 stars for me.”
“I bought this stick partly to assist my injured leg but also to act as a 'body extension' for other uses.
I live in a rural area, so walking in paddocks, up hills through bush etc can present difficulties.
The dragon stick looked to be a good choice for my needs. In particular, being plastic it is good for
negotiating hot electric fences.
On field testing, I found that the stick was too long for my height (1.8 metres)so I cut about 3 cm
from the end. This was easy to do as the stick is solid plastic.
In the field, the stick worked well in providing support and help with rough terrain, brambles as well as electric fences.
In the city it wasn't quite so good. The appearance (which I still like) is a bit 'in your face' due to the 'blackness' and the striking head design.
Care is needed on hard smooth surfaces as it tends to skid (although a softer tip could probably be fitted).
As for other uses in the city, only self defence comes to mind. For this purpose I don't think the stick is that suitable.
The stick is heavy (and strong as a result) but does not allow easy manipulation. The balance while the hand is still on the handle
doesn't allow easy, swift movement. Sliding the hand down the shaft about 30 cm provides better balance but the stick is still too heavy
for fast movement for my 70+ year old muscle abilities.
Overall, the stick is useful in rough going but maybe not that good or fashionable in town.
Its self defence usefulness relies on the user being strong enough to wield it.”
