Swagger stick

A swagger stick, such as the one carried by Captain Styles, captain of the USS Excelsior (NX-2000), was a centuries-old traditional military uniform accoutrement, usually carried by high-ranking officers as a symbol of authority. It was popular with certain military leaders like General George S. Patton, and was somewhat common in the military during the 1940s, but fell into disuse sometime in the 1950s. Swagger sticks were usually 18 inches long, with a wooden body that had a tapered metal front end, and a larger metal opposite end that sometimes had the symbol of the of the military branch; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines.