What I want is not a cane, and it's not a hiking staff. But a stick. A walking stick.
Light and whippy. Useful for pointing at things or poking at them. Or for smacking them upside the head so fast, they never see it coming off the ground.
My plan is to start collecting suitable saplings or branches and seasoning them for a year or two before straightening and carving.
Until then, I'm going to get a couple of store-bought hiking staffs and start carving those down for practice, since they are as seasoned as they are going to get.
