Some people are looking for it
If <PERSON> happens to find this mighty weapon by accident, it isn't impossible that GenericEvilGuy has been searching this item for a long time and happens to find out that <PERSON> has it. In this way, GenericEvilGuy will find <PERSON> and try to take the weapon from him, on the way explaining his evil plan before doing it, because that's what evil do.
The previous owner is still (almost) there
<PERSON> used to have the weapon, and in his eternal greed, locked himself inside an old cave with the weapon to make sure no-one would take it from him. Fortunately, <PERSON> was a little crazy, so he had a journal. Being alone with a magical item doesn't generate lots of conversation so <PERSON> was usually writing about his findings of the magic weapon and of the flying unicorns he saw on the ceiling. The hero, <PERSON>, happens to find the weapon in the cave, where <PERSON> is long time dead due to hunger and thirst, but his journal remains. Maybe a part of it was destroyed by humidity(?) so the hero can't fully understand the power of the weapon, or maybe <PERSON> didn't speak the same language as <PERSON>, so he'd have to quest up to AnywhereLand to find a sage that could help him discover the power of the weapon.
Good ol' flashbacks
"<PERSON> found what he was looking for. Reaching for the old trinket in the madman's pocket, his hand barely touched his wooden staff; a weird weapon for such a powerful man. 300
Upon touching the weapon, <PERSON> felt nauseous, thoughts of hatred took over his mind, it was unbearable. <PERSON> wondered for a moment if the terrible odour of a decomposing murderer's body combined to the deep disgust he had for the character was to blame or if the staff had something to do with this."
Subtle stuff
* A wooden staff with metal ends might be somehow heavy. Maybe this staff isn't at all. The weight could either go unnoticed by the wielder because he didn't pay attention, or he could figure it out right away. Then again, it might be confusing if the staff is simply made of rare materials that are incredibly light, or if some sort of magic is involved.
* A staff isn't that damaging. It hurts being hurt with a long wooden staff, but maybe this staff is even more effective. If the character was to try to hit a rock with it, maybe the rock would shatter, which wouldn't go unnoticed. Monsters fought by NotBobby would react in a more intense way to the hits delivered by the weapon. 300