spuds - the advantage of a one-piece cane is that it will not collapse unexpectedly when you need it. you can go to the Cold Steel web site (www.coldsteel.com) and watch their product videos. They have demonstration videos for almost every product they sell. All their items can take a real pounding - they don't break after one or two hits. They've got canes with different weights - so you can choose which will work the best for you.

Pete2