Small tips work well indoors but they tend to wedge themselves in uneven ground outside so I'd recommend a cane with the largest tip you can find. A good sized crack in the sidewalk will feel like a brick wall if the small tip of a cane gets stuck in it, but a big tip will just bounce over it. Small tips will give you too many false positives if you're using one outside.

Ambutech is a trusted brand name. A cane from Ambutech cost about $60. They ship out of Canada so delivery to the US takes about three weeks. There are a few other trusted brand names besides Ambutech. Make sure you're getting one from a company with a good reputation.

Folding is much better than telescoping. Nobody with telescoping canes likes them, at least none of the people on r/Blind who have written about them.

Three sections are enough. As long as it fits in your car, you're good. More folds just means more wear on the big elastic cord inside your cane. I find it's better to have an odd number of sections because if you have an even number your cane tip folds next to your handle and your handle gets dirty.

(Edit: u/DHamlinMusic pointed out an even number of sections does NOT result in the tip and the handle touching because the section with the tip is a bit longer than the others. Thanks, D!)

I have an aluminum cane and a graphite cane. The material doesn't make much of a difference to me. The size of the tip is the most important factor.

I'm happy with a rolling ball tip or a marshmallow tip. I haven't tried any others but I've heard good things about the zinc tips.

O&M training is helpful but you already know how to use a white cane. It's instinctive. Just feel around in front of where you're walking to make sure the path is clear. It really is that simple. You don't have to wait until you get some training before you use it.

Where are you? If you are in the USA, you can get a free cane from $1.

My first cane was from NFB, my second cane was from the Orientation and Mobility instructor from my state’s Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

It is important to get training to go with the cane.

I use the NFB canes because I’m still learning the basics. Maybe when I’m further along in my comfort I’ll invest in one.

But don’t spend a boatload on these, they do break.

Alternatively there are lighter canes but a lot of them do not fold and are straight canes. They are made of carbon fiber and do not wiggle or move because of joints. This is one solid piece and use a metal tip and thus has really good feedback on the ground. I use either a chris park, iowa/commander tech, or dcane cane. So yeah. Dcanes are really good too they are the most flexible out of the three and is very light and can bend and take some bending and abuse to it. The traditional ones people are suggesting are also pretty solid.

I'd suggest reading Care and Feeding of the Long White Cane to get a sense of the pros and cons of different cane materials, types etc.
https://nfb.org//images/nfb/publications/fr/fr15/issue1/f1501tc2.html

O&M trainers are going to give you different canes/tips to try wich has a better feeling. It's really hard to tell wich you prefer before trying. I'm a fan of the ambmutech carbon fiber cane with the big ball tip.

Oh! I used to live rural! I did live in snake areas though so my cane was one of the metal ones with a hook at the end. I used that when I went to the parie dog areas. Otherwise I would use a marshmallow tip and regular cane. Constant contact doesn’t work well on dirt imo?