 I reduced this cane by half in 1 minute. I always reduce a cane as fast as I possibly cane -- without compromising effectiveness, of course! Why fast? Warm parts will move faster than cooler parts. As you build a cane, you're working outward and so the center of the cane will always be cooler and firmer than the outer parts. By letting a cane rest, you allow the cane to equalize in temperature and thus in consistency, which is a good thing. Okay, none of this is new. What I'm saying is DON'T DO IT! As soon as you pick up the cane again to reduce it after you've let it rest, you'll be warming up the outer edges just as you would have if you reduced your cane right away. The biggest difference now is that is that the middle is as firm as it could possibly be (because you let it sit there and get cold!) and the heat from your hands will create an even GREATER heat difference from the middle to outer edges of the cane! You've shot yourself in the foot and seriously compromised your chances of having an evenly reduced cane -- unless, of course, you're extremely strong and can apply enough pressure to a cold hard cane to get it to move evenly. If you reduce a cane immediately after it's been built, the center is as warm and pliable as it could possibly be (a good thing!) unless you choose to artificially warm up the cane, which I've done many times with great results. My rule of thumb is if a cane weighs more than 3 pounds and took more than 2 hours to make, then I need to heat it up somehow. To heat up a cane, I seal it into a plastic bag and let it soak in warm water. Small canes seem to be unaffected by resting. Because of their size most people can easily apply enough pressure to it to get it to move evenly.
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