Would a stability cane be too short for probing? Identify canes are not intended for probing, they are shorter, but look like the traditional white cane that people associated with blindness so they will recognize the person is visually impaired. I stability cane will just make people thank you have balance issues.

The actual canes for the blind are very light. This is important if you’re doing a lot of moving it from side to side to detect obstacles no and drop offs and such things. The longer length of a cane for the blind is important for these situations because it gives you advance knowledge of things further out. A solid cane like the one you mentioned has two big drawbacks: one, it is heavier and takes up more energy to move and so tires you out faster, and two, the extra mass absorbs some of the vibration and sensing ability that you would get from my much lighter cane (And the shorter, so your perception horizon is smaller). Many of the orientation and mobility canes also have nice grips, folding ability, elastic bands to help you hold onto it, rolling tips, and so forth. So yes, in theory, a regular walking cane will work in a pinch but it is not an elegant solution. A side benefit/detractor (depending on your point of view) of the canes for the blind is that the white and red signals “I am blind” to people around you.

Me personally, I have had infrequent bouts of severe vertigo. I always found the regular walking canes to be unsafe and out of balance - I was more likely to tip over with the walking cane than without it. My solution was to take a hiking staff (or in my case, a repurposed wooden garden rake handle), put nice rubber chair tip on it and a wrist strap and then I had a 5 foot wooden staff that I could carry with me for balance. Unlike a walking cane, if I started feeling dizzy I could plant my feet and plant the staff in front of me (holding on with both hands) forming a tripod.

The extra length of the staff is helpful in going up and downstairs and feeling for drop offs. I could actually put my entire weight on it or pull myself up using my staff if I needed; a cane for the blind would snap under those conditions. A drawback, of course is that a wooden staff like this is heavy and it is hard to get in small spaces. car.

I need a cane I can lean on. The folding ones won't do it.

It’s absolutely possible! The concept is the same but since they are heavier they likely provide less tactile feedback. You could also use a small tube of PVC piping and cut to size

Wouldn’t a folding white cane be a better option?

Sure but why would you want that. Probably not a great idea. A mobility cane would be the better option.

It is possible to use a support cane as a probe, but because of its shorter length, it would give you almost no reaction time. You'd have to stop and check ahead, before stepping down.