Batter up ... for one more new cane

This cane was made from a genuine Louisville Slugger 29-inch baseball bat. It is another tribute to the creativity and resourcefulness of America's reproduction entrepreneurs.

It's apparently a factory piece. All these bats are turned on automatic industrial lathes. When it's fully shaped, the bat is left supported in the lathe by cylindrical studs on either end. Normally, these are cut off and the top and bottom of the bat sanded smooth. The tip of this "cane" is simply the top stud which has not been removed. The curved handle is a separate piece of wood which has been fastened to the bat.

Louisville Slugger is a famous baseball supply company which has made white ash baseball bats since 1884. Today the company is still in operation and makes baseball bats for professional players as well as the recreational market.

A trip to the company's web site and gift shop didn't find any similar product. ACRN suspects someone is buying wholesale lots of unfinished bats and making them into these canes. There is no evidence any vintage bats were ever made as canes at the Louisville Slugger factory. The piece shown here dates from the mid-1990s at the earliest. This bat has the facsimile signature of Babe Ruth on the tip, but there are probably other models with other names in the market.