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To begin this forum is to educate the masses on the basic's of staff creation/making.
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This first post is from a message I sent to a person whom asked if a root might make a good staff. Yet even if it is about such a topic the information still relates to all and is rather useful.
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It depends on the durability. When looking for, or crafting a good staff I either look for or focus several key factors.
1. How is the Durability? Will it break if I drop it? I myself generally use a branch from one of the ironwood trees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironwood
The staff I most recently made and am still working on was from the branch of an american hornbeam.
2. Is the length longer or at least equal then my own height? This is to also factor in several key components that I really won't go into n=but the key factor is that it well be better suited to your body.
3. Has the wood begun to decay? If it is decaying or decayed a little but stopped it will severely ruin the staff in the long run and the durability will greatly take a hit as well.
As for your initial question my opinion on using a root for a staff.
Starting with number one, it depends on the tree, as not all roots will have the same durability due to being from different trees.
Two, most trees usually don't have roots are nowhere near long enough to be equal or greater than the average height of the average adult human male or female without taking a serious hit to durability as those ones with longs roots are generally very old and the durability will not be that good due to decay of age or they will be the thin twig like roots all linking to a single once again thin stem, but as I said about in the first place it begins on the tree.
Lastly three, Decay, as most roots are underground they begin to have decay as they are underground where the cannot properly be maintained normal trees such as Oak, Elm, and Birch roots begin to take on slight decay after around five to 25 years which for a tree is a very small amount of time.
In the end my answer is as follows. I myself would NEVER use a root for a staff however if you are able to find a root with ample durability, size, and no deterioration I see no problem as to using one as a staff.
There are many factors that go into the creation of a proper staff these just the basics.
Here is an example of the staff I am currently working on.
It is from the branch of an American Hornbeam Tree.
I have tested its durability on a steel pipe which actually created a dent and minor bend in the steel. Durability-Check.
It is six feet three inches so it is exactly two inches above me, it works perfectly for me when I do anything with it. Length being equal to or greater-Check.
Lastly decay, none whatsoever, I even sanded down the outer layer before whittling it to make sure as well as having placed a water-proof paint on it so it does not get harmed by water it the future. No decay-Check.
As you can see my staff works for all three categories and I am still improving upon it.
Further information on my staff-
http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=7 91382