# What is this man holding in his hand in these paintings (17th cent.) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-man-holding-in-his-hand-in-these-paintings-17th-cent/499809 "2009-06-15T06:12:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-man-holding-in-his-hand-in-these-paintings-17th-cent/499809/21 "2009-06-15T19:07:38Z")
I’m just happy that modern generals have moved passed such useless frippery like batons. Now they all use laser markers. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-man-holding-in-his-hand-in-these-paintings-17th-cent/499809/22 "2009-06-15T19:47:01Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I’m just happy that modern generals have moved passed such useless frippery like batons. > > Now they all use laser markers. No, sir, they haven’t. You still have to look out for the jackass with a swagger stick, typically a two foot long oak dowel with a .30 cartridge on one end and a copper clad .30 bullet on the other. A genuine poking stick. Also a bang the back of your helmet stick. Hate those things. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-man-holding-in-his-hand-in-these-paintings-17th-cent/499809/23 "2009-06-15T19:56:42Z")
I think Patton carried one, didn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-man-holding-in-his-hand-in-these-paintings-17th-cent/499809/24 "2009-06-15T20:10:23Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I think Patton carried one, didn’t he? Was a riding crop, wasn’t it? And **sailor** , I don’t think a Priest’s Shepard’s Crook, can be considered a baton, though it serves a similar purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-man-holding-in-his-hand-in-these-paintings-17th-cent/499809/25 "2009-06-16T03:57:52Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Was a riding crop, wasn’t it? > > And **sailor** , I don’t think a Priest’s Shepard’s Crook, can be considered a baton, though it serves a similar purpose. Eh, riding crop, poking stick, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-man-holding-in-his-hand-in-these-paintings-17th-cent/499809/26 "2009-06-16T04:48:52Z")
Frederick Henry loved to play pool and carried his lucky cue stick everyone he went. Give me five minutes and you can confirm this on wikipedia. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-man-holding-in-his-hand-in-these-paintings-17th-cent/499809/27 "2009-06-16T05:36:32Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > And **sailor** , I don’t think a Priest’s Shepard’s Crook, can be considered a baton, though it serves a similar purpose. Bishop’s crook, not a priest. The crook is one of the emblems of a bishop. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-man-holding-in-his-hand-in-these-paintings-17th-cent/499809.md?page=1)