Favoured by travellers, shepherds, and other wandering folk, the quarterstaff is both an inexpensive and effective method of protection. A quarterstaff is a thick length of sturdy wood, often oak, but preferably hickory, about six feet long. Shoddy examples of this weapon are dried out and split at the ends, while better staffs feature a leather wrap around the middle. Better quarterstaffs have brass or iron caps on either end to prevent splitting on impact. Quarterstaffs have the benefit of being able to deal reasonable damage and, at the same time, extend the wielders reach and defensive capabilities.[1a][1a][1b]
The quarterstaff is one of the most common weapons in the Old World.[2a]