by WhypDancer

Care & Feeding of your canes:

Hello! Thank you for caring enough about your new purchase to read this. I put a lot of love & energy in making these canes to ensure that they are of the very highest quality when they arrive in your hands. I hope you continue to care properly for them, so they lay down zillions of pretty red stripes for you :) Here are some "care & feeding" guidelines...

Don't whoosh them without hitting something on the downswing!  Canes4pain canes make a great whooshing sound as they fly through the air. Please make sure you always have something to stop the cane on the downward part of the swing... a butt, pillow, couch, etc. Because of the flexibility of the rattan, whooshing can stress the rattan by making it bend in an almost U-shape. It will hold up to quite a bit of bending, but making it bend in an extreme angle will cause damage. If you MUST whoosh it, please purchase a 1/4" diameter cane. They are extremely flexible & nearly unbreakable. Remember... always have something to stop it on the downswing!!

All Canes4pain canes are saturated with pure, raw linseed oil to ensure the oil soaks through the entire cane.  You should not need to oil them unless you live in a very dry climate, and even then, not for a year or so.  Canes love a little drink of water occasionally. You can soak them in the bathtub overnight, or leave them outside overnight in a humid climate. Allow them to dry out in the open air. Keeping a damp cane covered will make it get moldy.

Some say you should put them in the bathroom as you take a shower. No please don't!  This will hydrate the outter layer of the cane, and will do nothing for the core. 

Please do not completely immerse a crook handled British School Cane, because immersing may affect the curved handle's beautiful shape. Simply rub water onto the shaft and it'll soak it up.  All of the other rattan canes are fine to soak.

Rattan canes are more prone to being damaged when they're allowed to dry out. If you haven't hydrated or used your cane for an extended period, please soak it before it's next use. They should last many years with proper care.  A nice soak makes the cane more flexible, whippier, and heavier, so if you want to the feel of one, try it. I don't recommend it for the 1/4" canes tchangehough- they are whippy enough as they are.  They won't get damaged from soaking though.

Sanibel Beach Canes:
The Shelly Canes can be rinsed in the bathtub faucet to get the "burgundy paint" off. If you're worried about sterilizing them, spray them down with a generous amount of your favorite hospital grade germicial spray. A molecular biologist reminded me that things are no longer sterile as soon as they hit the air.

To keep your seashell shards sharp, don't place them on anything hard, like a table, floor, etc.  Hard things will damage their points. Soft skin and flesh will  not damage them. I keep mine wrapped in a soft towel. If I want to lay them on something hard, the towel unwrapped and placed under them, will protect the sweet little cane babies.

Burned Canes- Whangees, Tigers, leopards, etc:
They don't need ANY care. They are burned and coated with a clear protective coating. They don't need to be re-hydrated or anything.

The Rattan Birch Rods that I create need to be soaked in lukewarm water for 20-30 minutes before each use, if you're using them hard. It is fine to get the handle wet too.  You won't hurt it with water.  I use a hard plastic mailing tube, fill it with water a little while before play, and soak the birch in it. (The thicker canes like this too) Then it is ready to play when the time comes.  These tubes are available in office supply stores and art supply stores, for less than $10. Soaking makes them VERY flexible and whippy and protects the tips. The Birch Rods have a VERY unique, very intense feel, and frequently become people's favorites during their first use. The thin rattan Birch Rod strands usually get little "hairs" sticking up from the main lashes. Ignore them, or clip them with a nail clipper. Please don't burn or pull them.  Rattan is a very fibrous vine, and they will always be present.

Removing blood stains: I found that using hydrogen peroxide on a soft rag takes most blood off pretty well. (How do I know this? lol the research and development thing again LOL ) You might want to give the rattan a little water after cleaning with peroxide. 

Cleaning Glossy Handles:  I haven't found anything that will damage the high gloss finish of my handles and canes with coated shafts.. Clean with whatever you prefer. 

Cleaning Rubberized Handles: Warm, soapy water is best for these.  Please don't use any harsh chemical cleaners on them.

Soaking birch in a hotel jacuzzi tub. They love this sort of "spa treatment"