Drgong,
I have a few canes that I have managed to collect over the past few years. I'm not terribly old (54), but needed the help of a cane due to severe arthritis in both hips. I have had both hips replaced in the past 8 months, but still use a cane some of the time.
I found that you can choose a crook cane, or a straighter one, like the shillelagh as mentioned by Unkei. The crook cane has the very handy hook at the end, which is very useful for everyday activities. Some people would say that it looks look an "old timer" or "cripple" cane. OK, maybe, but just like the idea of just having a cane when you're not very old, who cares. That can come in handy sometimes, like, people opening the door for you, etc. That being said, I have an authentic Irish Shillelagh and a BubbaStik, both of the straight design. If you do go with the Shillelagh, make sure that you're OK with the angle of the knobby end. Mine is bent at about a 30 degree angle, and that makes it somewhat uncomfortable to my palm if I have to push down on it for extended periods. Since I get along pretty good now without actually needing to push down much, it's OK. I used it yesterday for one of my walks, and I think that I will again today. The BubbaStik is a real showpiece, with the shiny chrome plated hame (think horse saddle knobber) and pointed ferrule at the tip (hidden by a rubber tip). People always comment on it whenever the see it. It does well as far as comfort for walking extended periods. However, my favorite walking cane and overall cane is my Canemaster Cane. Is is the perfect length for me, is made from hickory heart, has the crook handle, and fairly light weight for walking purposes. One other cane that you might be interested in is the elephant cane from enasco.com. Very affordable, and very heavy duty crook cane. I have one that I opened the crook up by sticking it in boiling hot water for about 10 minutes, then sanded and applied tung oil. Then lastly there is the cane from Purpleheart Armory (bartitsu.org) It is another very heavy duty crook cane. I like the extra length (39 inches) and weight. Another affordable cane that comes ready to go, no finishing work necessary.
So, there are a few choices. Some like to make their own from saplings. Maybe you'll end up with a few, like I did. Another thing to consider is the total length. I found that I liked mine a little longer than some. The standard seems to be 36 inches, as far as crook canes, anyway. Some say to measure from the bend in your wrist when wearing the shoes you'll likely wear a lot, to the top of the cane. Other say about half of your height. I am six feet tall, and like mine about 38 inches or so.
Good luck with your search, and welcome to the club! (oops, no pun intended)
Kerry