Of course we know how evil they are.
As noted in the "Let's get to the bottom" post, I prefer a bottom that is rosy red without bruises or welts, so I rarely if ever use canes at all. However, if the theme of a spanking is disciplinary, it really doesn't take too many strokes with a thin rattan to get a point across. I think canes are popular because of the sting they provide. Flexible wood. Thing is, there's the fantasy of caning and the reality of caning, with reality being that a cane can cause REALLY bad welts. Something to keep in mind.