The cane is an excellent instrument for use in administering corporal punishment. A cane is made from rattan and is normally 30 - 36 inches in length and comes in various diameters ranging from 1/4 to 3/4 inch. Some canes have a crook at the end so that they may be hung. Other canes are straight with a cork or leather handle, sometimes with a thong for hanging.

The cane is extremely flexible and can be carried in a briefcase, large bag, or kept in a desk drawer. When taken out, the cane will slowly resume its normal shape. A good cane will last for years and not dry out like a willow or birch switch. The cane is a relatively quiet instrument (the recipient may be another story) as compared to a paddle or leather strap thus making it ideal for use where the sounds of punishment being administered may be overheard.

A caning should always be administered on bared buttocks. I will avoid discussion of rituals to be followed, as each of us are different. You must ensure sufficient space is available to allow you to swing the cane without striking another object or unintended recipient. Good wrist action is important in applying the cane due to kinetic energy build up caused by the cane's flexibility. If the tip of the cane does not make direct contact with the victim, it will wrap around and snap into the victim. Accordingly, care should be exercised to ensure the tip is landing within the target area.

Normally the target area includes the buttocks and upper thighs. The cane can be extremely effective when striking the cleft between the lower portion of the buttocks and upper thighs. When the cane is applied with proper force, a white raised welt will form immediately on the buttocks of the victim, this welt will redden within 30 to 45 seconds.

Unlike most instruments of corporal punishment, the pain felt by the victim intensifies in the 30 to 45 seconds immediately following each stroke. Because of this, it is best to delay between strokes, to allow for the full impact of the previous stroke to be felt.

After a period of time and depending upon the force used, the welts will deepen in color and become bruises. These bruises will normally go away in a week or so. If markings are a problem, use of lighter force will still be painful, but not bruise. A well caned bottom will show a series of parallel lines from the buttocks to the upper thighs. If you strike a previous welt, a diamond shaped bruise will form at the point where the lines intersect. Care should be exercised as striking a previous welt may cause blood blisters and breaking of the skin. If you should break the skin, the cane should never be used on anyone other than the person whose skin was broken.

The person being caned may be asked to bend over and grab their ankles or touch their toes, but normally they are bent over an object such as a bed, back of a straight chair, couch, or a desk. Frequently, the hands and feet of the victim require restraint. A horse or the whipping block referred to in English literature is ideal for this.

The whipping block has a padded bench which the victim kneels in front of and lies across. There are normally restraints for the wrists, sometimes a strap to fasten over the back of the victim, and restraint for the legs or feet. Sometimes they actually have stocks. You may require the victim to spread their legs, or they may kneel with them together. The block is usually slightly elevated to allow an uppercut type stroke into the cleft between the buttocks and thighs.

Traditional English folklore indicates that strokes of the cane are to be administered in groups of 6 with 24 being maximum (this assumes a forceful caning, more strokes may be applied if using less force). In cases of severe disobedience, sometimes the 24 stroke maximum is exceeded.