The Singapore Prison Cane or the Judicial Rattan Cane is formidable implement that strikes fear into the hearts of even seasoned caning enthusiasts and this is not an implement of choice for everyone. However, there is a section of the Caning aficionados and of course professional disciplinarians who feel the impending need for at least one if not several of these canes in their collection.
I, as the Head Shopmistress of Englishvice Canes and our sister shop Stripewell Canes, have been making the Singapore Prison Canes and been offering them on both our shops, Englishvice Canes which has been providing high quality artisan crafted rattan implements for over 12 years now and our sister shop, Stripewell Canes which was started in summer of 2022 to provide a different experience and line of products but I must admit there is a large overlap between the products in both shops. Nevertheless, the Singapore Prison Cane has been a staple in my shops ever since its inception or shortly after.
Our Singapore Prison Canes come in two flavours, a white Malacca rattan version which is a much stiffer and heavier rattan and offered in a standard version at 13-14 mm diametre and an extreme version in 15-16 mm version. These canes are 120 cms long with a few centimetre tolerance. And then we offer them in our dragon cane version which is 115-120 cms length and 12-13 mm diametre.
The two versions of the canes are entirely two different animals. The White Malacca rattan version is stiff and heavy with little flexibility and it weighs about 180-230 grams depending on the Standard or the Extreme version. This cane requires a skilled caner to handle it as it can be heavy on the wrists and if you are petite, this could be a challenging implement to handle. On the other hand, the dragon cane version is lighter and has great flexibility and weighs only 100–120 grams and easier to handle even for the petite caner.
This brings us to the quintessential question of this educational post… which version of the cane is a true reproduction of the actual Singapore Prison cane?
Before I go into providing you with a definitive answer, I have to interject a small anecdote here.
Back in early2023, I received an interesting email enquiry at one of my shops, Stripewell Canes which.took me by surprise because it was from an official at the Singapore Prison Services. I had to check the email address and the contact details they provided to make sure it was a genuine request and not spam and it was certainly who they claimed they were. They wanted to find out if my shop can provide them with judicial rattan canes. After following up, I determined that this is a request I was unable to fulfill mainly because of the volume of canes they needed per year on a 5 year contract. And I import my rattan from South East Asia so I couldn’t obviously supply either the quantity they were looking for and the price point as my costs are much higher due to import costs, shipping, duties etc.
But I did pick up something from the brief exchange with the Singapore Prison Services and that would be the exact kind of rattan cane they were looking to procure to be used for judicial caning purposes. And that would be the exact dimensions and the type of canes they were looking for so I can speak with authority on this subject now knowing the exact type of rattan canes they were looking for.
The Singapore Prison department looks for canes that are between 115 -125 cms in length and 1.25 cm in diametre. Additionally, one of their key requirements was that the cane should flex at least 30 degrees after making impact and they also wanted the potential supplier to supply them with high grip tape to wrap around the handle section.
So that settles the debate. There is only one version of the Singapore Cane we offer that matches the actual Singapore Prison Judicial Cane and that would be the dragon cane version of the Singapore Prison Cane. This cane matches the specifications of the actual cane used in terms of characteristics and dimensions. Our Singapore Canes in the dragon cane version is at least 115 cms and no more than 120 cms and they are 12-13 mm diametre which passes the 1.25 cm diametre test ( Rattan is a natural material so you are never going to get exactly 12.5 mm and 12 -13 mm is an acceptable diametre for this cane ). In terms of flexibility, the dragon cane is quite flexible and will meet or exceed the 30 degrees flex on contact. Our Singapore Prison Canes don’t have the high grip tape for handle material and instead comes with either Paracord or Kangaroo Leather handles and paracord offers excellent grip that rivals high grip tape and unlike the actual prison canes that are expendable and used only on one person due to breaking of skin and bodily fluids, the prison canes are chucked after they are administered on one person due to health and safety reasons. Our canes are meant for reuse and used in different settings and they can be cleaned and sanitized and disinfected before the next use. They are waxed with a special type of wax that contains mostly beeswax and some carnauba wax. We also offer these canes with kangaroo leather handles which is quite durable and shines in aesthetics and longevity.
We will still continue to offer the Singapore Prison canes in both white Malacca and Dragon rattan but if you are looking for a Singapore Prison Cane that is true to dimensions and specifications, this blog should settle it. Of course if you are looking for something heavier and stiffer and thicker, you are welcome to buy the White Malacca rattan version which is offered in Standard at 13-14 mm diametre and an Extreme version in 15-16 mm version.
But if you are looking for a Singapore Prison Cane that is a reproduction of the original article, our dragon cane version checks all the boxes and this is the true reproduction of the Singapore Prison Cane. As for handle, kangaroo leather is entirely aesthetics and costs more but black Paracord would be perfect for this cane and we offer a generous 15 inch paracord handle on these canes.
Hopefully, this post helps you decide which Singapore Prison Cane to buy if it is one of your vices or pleasures.