Alder is not prone to splitting, is extremely water resistant and is light in the hand and so is a popular wood for stickmaking. Because the bark is dull and featureless I very often remove it and expose the heartwood which has a warmish pale yellow hue. Very often there are speckled marks which add to the charm of the stick.Β In instances where I retain the underbark, the shank has a deep dark antique look.
