Thank you all for your input. My obvious frustration was not being able to touch the canvas, like I can with pastel paper.

Michael, Peggy's does sound intriguing, it also sounds somewhat like David's set-up that I provided the link too above, it has a picture. Peggy's sounds like the supports are on her easel vs. the two posts David uses.

Mari, I came up with another mahl stick for oils, just a long dowel rod with a tapped hook on the end, but I notice the way you have yours in your image, do you find it scratches off the paint on the top? My easel that I usually keep my working pastels on has the larger wood holder on the top, so it would be easier to rest on that, than the one I am currently using. Was the eraser just to keep it from slipping?

Rest assured
 

Check out this mahl stick brace. It clips to your stretchers or easel and you can rest your mahl stick on it.

I use a piece if bamboo for my mahl stick with a wooden ball on the end, which is covered with chamois cloth. Bamboo is very strong. Its hollow so its very light.

You can order through: http://www.mahlstick.com/

Marvin I haven't checked your link yet, which I should have done first, but I wondered if they make another side to hold the stick. I have seen a few systems like that, it seems it would be easier. I am assuming the holder grows with your canvas?

Hi Beth,

It looks like the one Marvin referenced clamps directly to your stretcher bars, in which case, it could be placed anywhere, but might not be usable if you paint on panels.

The eraser on the tip of my cheap version does a few things. On dry paint, the rubber "grabs" rendering it non-slip. Or you can rest it on the edge of a wet painting and the eraser "grabs" the edge of the painting, keeping the stick off the wet paint. Finally, it does help keep abrupt and accidental motion of the mahl stick end from scratching the surface of the painting.