The trunk of a mature ash tree will have a distinctive criss-cross pattern of fissures in the grey bark, but the younger stems we are interested in will be smooth and of a grey-green or grey-black colour. They can be distinguished from other similar species by the distribution of buds and side shoots. In ash, these always grow in symmetrical pairs, one on each side of the stem, and alternating at 90 degrees between each pair and the next. The stem will be flattened somewhat at each node. Any remaining doubt will be dispelled by the appearance of any buds, which will be capped with a black outer sheath if it's ash. However, this hasn't stopped me from cutting the odd stem of willow by mistake when it has been growing among a clump of ash! I'm quite grateful for this because it led to my discovery that willow, though a very soft wood and generally avoided by stickmakers, can be used to make attractive and perfectly acceptable shanks, especially for thumbsticks, where the light weight is an advantage.

Together with chestnut, ash is often used for making cheap, utilitarian sticks, frequently of the simple steam-bent hook variety. The grey bark is not particularly attractive, and as a result ash is often ignored by craftsmen stickmakers. This is a pity because ash has a lot going for it. It is very strong and resilient - which, of course, is why it is so often chosen for tool handles - and there are some very interesting colours lurking just underneath the very thin grey outer layer of bark. These can be quite variable, so you never know just what you are going to get until you start gently scraping away the outer layers. Under the thin, powdery outer layer there is usually another thin, but much tougher, dark layer which can vary from black to dark green to red-brown. Under this there are usually layers of thicker, softer stuff which can be various shades of buff, cream and greenish-grey. After this, you're into the wood itself, a thin layer of buff colour, then the off-white heartwood. Interesting effects can be obtained by leaving patches of different-coloured bark and by using wood-stain or chemicals. These will have different penetrations on the different layers of bark, producing rings of colour like contour maps.

The knots are quite prominent, especially with the flattened surface extending for an inch or so below each one. If neatly rounded over these can be quite attractive.