I strongly advise against trying to bend a cane as it damages the stem. Rattan canes don’t usually “split”, although they sometimes break or become weak close to the point where they are held, particularly if a backswing is used before the downstroke. The only way a cane would split or become hairy at the end is if it is hit repeatedly on a hard surface rather than its intended target.
On another point, I don’t think crook handles were commonly made by soaking and tying. The process would be far too cumbersome for manufacturing in quantity and the crooks would not retain their shape reliably.