I passed on the comments on here to my friend and this was his response:
"I think a sword stick is less likely. No evidence of a ferrule, but I suspect it was like the end of the dagger sheath, ie all leather. Originally the bits of bamboo/grass were sticking out of the end! Also sheath has no inherent strength, being leather wrapped round some grassy stuff, unlike a sword stick. And dagger identical, so obviously made as a pair."
From his comments it sounds like the sheath really is a sheath rather than a "stick".
One thing we can say with some confidence, whoever made them, the design didn't catch on!
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