With a cane, I think the ball head is the best for self defense but may be a bit weak for actual using as a cane.... Always looking for opinions on this... This is something I have been pondering with the aluminum cane. I don't want to break the head swinging it, but all the same, I like something that I find functional also. I have used a cane when I twisted my knee a while back, but it was a cheapie. It worked though, but I suspect it would break if I swung it real hard.
A cane is not a walking stick, but I suppose it's certainly better than nothing as an extra leg in the woods.