September 13, 2026
Hazel makes the finest first walking stick you will ever cut. It is light, springy, remarkably strong for its weight, and often straight enough to be shaped with nothing more than a knife and a few sheets of abrasive paper. Good rods can be found in any well-managed coppice, and an afternoon's work will turn a green stick into something you reach for on every walk. Here is the whole process, from choosing the stem to oiling the finished stick.
Choosing the right rod
Hazel (Corylus avellana) grows as a multi-stemmed shrub, and a stool that has been coppiced on rotation will throw up dozens of long, clean rods every year. That is where your stick is. Look for a stem that is straight over its lower two-thirds; a gentle curve near the top is a gift rather than a fault, because it becomes the handle.
Take your time over this. A rod that is slightly bent at the base will fight you for the whole build, and no amount of oil and sanding will hide it.
- Thickness: roughly 25–35 mm across at the top end, about the diameter of a two-pound coin.
- Clean length: no side branches for the first 60 cm or so. Small knots are fine and add character; deep scars and cracks are not.
- Condition: smooth, unblemished bark with no sign of canker or old storm damage.
- Length: cut 1.4–1.5 m, longer than you need, so there is room to trim once the wood has dried.
Late autumn to early spring is the best window. Sap is down, the wood is dense, and the rod will shrink less as it seasons. Cut in late spring or early summer and the bark will slip off in long strips almost by itself, but expect the stick to shrivel and warp more as it dries.
Never cut from a hedge, a roadside verge or a tree you do not have permission to touch. Coppice groups, small woodlands and friends with a few acres are usually delighted to let you take a rod or two, provided you cut cleanly and close to the stool so it regrows.
Tools you actually need
This is a hand-tool job. You do not need a lathe, and you certainly do not need a workshop full of machinery.
- A pruning saw or fine-toothed panel saw for the initial cut and final trimming
- Secateurs for clearing side shoots
- A drawknife, or a sharp fixed-blade knife if you do not have one
- A spokeshave for shaping the handle (optional, but a joy to use)
- Abrasive paper in 120, 180 and 240 grit
- Boiled linseed oil and a clean rag
- A rubber ferrule from any hardware shop
- A bench vice, or a shave horse if you are lucky enough to have one, plus a scrap of leather to protect the wood
Sharpness and safety
A blunt edge is more dangerous than a sharp one because it forces you to push harder. Keep the bevel clean, and always cut away from your body with your knuckles behind the blade. A drawknife should be pulled towards you, never pushed. Keep a small first-aid kit within reach and stop when you get tired.
Stripping the bark
Clamp the rod horizontally in a vice, padded with leather or a folded cloth so the jaws do not bruise the wood. Start with the drawknife bevel down, about 10 cm in front of you, and pull it towards your chest in long, shallow passes. The aim is to lift the bark and the thin green layer beneath it, not to take shavings off the wood itself.
Work in sections of 30 cm or so, then rotate the rod and carry on. If the bark is stubborn, leave the rod in a dry shed for a week and come back to it. Small patches of bark that cling around knots can be left for the sanding stage.
If you cut in May or early June, try peeling instead. Score a single line down the length with the tip of your knife, lift an edge with your thumbnail, and the whole sleeve of bark will come away in one satisfying strip.
Drying it straight
Seal both cut ends with wax, paint or a smear of PVA. This slows moisture loss at the ends, which is where splitting almost always starts.
Hang the rod vertically in a cool, dry, airy place — a shed or garage is ideal. Not an airing cupboard, and not next to a radiator. A stick dried too quickly will split along the pith and there is no repair for that. Four to eight weeks is typical for hazel of this size.
If you are drying it flat instead, turn it a quarter turn every few days so it does not take a set in one direction. If a rod does start to bow, simply hang it the other way up for a fortnight. Wait until the stick feels noticeably lighter and the ends have stopped shrinking before you do any shaping.
Shaping the handle and tip
Stand the rod against a wall and mark your preferred height. As a rough guide, a support stick should reach the crease of your wrist when you stand with your arms hanging; a walking stick for flat ground can be a little shorter. Cut square with a fine saw and check the length again before you commit.
Use the natural bend for the handle. If the rod forks near the top, trim one arm short to leave a thumb rest; otherwise round off the top into a shallow dome, roughly 20 mm across the curve. Do not make it perfectly spherical — a slightly flattened top sits far better in the palm. Blend that shape into the shaft over about 12 cm so your fingers have somewhere to sit.
Working the spokeshave
Take light cuts with the grain wherever you can, easing towards the final shape rather than trying to reach it in one pass. Slow right down near knots; the grain reverses around them and the blade will dig in. Run your hand over the handle every few passes — your palm will find bumps your eyes miss.
Cut the foot of the stick square, sand a 2 mm chamfer around the edge, then push on a rubber ferrule. It grips wet stone, protects the wood from grit, and costs very little to replace.
Finishing the wood
- Sand along the length, never across it, working through 120, 180 and then 240 grit.
- Wipe off the dust with a barely damp cloth and let the wood dry.
- Apply a thin coat of boiled linseed oil with a rag, leave it for twenty minutes, then buff off the excess.
- Repeat two or three times over several days, then leave the stick to cure for a week before hard use.
A beeswax and linseed mix gives a grippier finish on the handle than oil alone. Avoid varnish — it goes sticky in a warm hand and cracks as the wood moves with the seasons.
Linseed-soaked rags can heat up on their own and catch fire. Spread them out flat to dry outside, or soak them in water before you bin them. Never leave them crumpled in a corner.
Living with your stick
Once a year, give the stick a light rub with 240 grit and a fresh coat of oil. Check the ferrule and replace it before it wears through to the wood; a bare tip will split the first time you plant it on a stony path. Store it indoors, away from direct heat, hanging or standing in a corner rather than leaning against a radiator.
A well-oiled hazel stick takes rain, mud and years of use without complaint. Cut carefully, dry it patiently, and it will outlast the boots you walk in.
Photo: dhatchina / Pixabay
