Whip ? for discussion.

[Atlantia]

Anecdotally these were popular with sea captains and mariners in the 19thC.
The shaft of the stick is made from the spinal column of a shark or similar large boney fish.
So they are cartilage vertebrae. They wouldn't have been covered, they would always have been exposed as they are now.
They seem to show a good amount of patina.
What is the head made from?
P.S. it's a walking cane.