• The sleeve, usually plastic or metal, on the end of a shoelace, preventing it from unraveling (called the aglet)
• The metal sleeve which is crimped to hold the eraser in place on a pencil
• The metal band that binds the bristles or hair of a brush to its handle
• The metal ring which holds a chisel blade's tang to its handle
• In fiber optic terminations, glass or plastic fibers are bonded to precision ferrule connectors (FCs), also described as fiber channel connectors, and polished for splitting or connecting two fibers together.^[2]
• The metal spike at the end of the shaft of an ice axe
• The margin of a cast crown that stabilizes root-canal-treated teeth in restorative dentistry^[3]
• A ferrule, in respect to dentistry, is a band that encircles the external dimension of residual tooth structure, not unlike the metal bands that exist around a barrel. This is also known as the ferrule effect.
• The bottom end of a flag stick on a golf course, which fits snugly into the hole in a cup
• The plastic sleeve that adorns the bottom of a steel or graphite golf club shaft just above the club head hosel. Originally designed to protect the shaft from damaging vibrations, it is now used mainly for aesthetic purposes.
• The metal band used to prevent the end of a wooden instrument or tool from splitting
• The semi-circular metal band that holds in place the fibers on the frog of a bow for an instrument in the violin family
• Compression fittings for attaching tubing (piping) commonly have ferrules (sometimes called olives, especially in the UK) in them to make a liquid-tight connection
• A swaged termination type for wire rope
• The cap at the end of a cane or umbrella as well as the ring, often crimped, sometimes pinned, that prevents an umbrella's canopy from sliding off the end when open
• The portion of a cue in pool, billiards and snooker that tops the shaft and to which the tip is bonded; historically made of ivory, now typically made of fiberglass, phenolic resin or brass
• A joint between sections of a segmented fishing rod
• A metal cap at the end of a cable housing with a hole on a bicycle or motorcycle control cable
• The metal sleeve that connects a hypodermic needle to a plastic Luer taper (which then connects to a syringe or intravenous therapy tubing)
• An electric wire ferrule is a metal tube crimped over stranded wire to secure it within a screw terminal, optionally with electrical insulation protecting any exposed portion of the wire not completely inside the screw terminal post.
• A rubber or plastic cap at the bottom end of a walking stick.
• The metal tip on a staff carrying a flag or guidon that finishes and protects the end of the wooden shaft.

Some of the reasons people use ferrules include:^[4]

• To shield parts or cables from electromagnetic pulses, environmental damage, the elements, thermal factors, and more.
• To cover parts, adding wear resistance, damage protection, or packaging.
• As a connector, to connect wires, structural devices, and systems
• To bind parts together, including bundles of wires, or cloth threads to the end of the mop, as an example.
• To act as conveyance for fluids like oil and water, or for gasses like air.