Good wood for making rod rests?

[Banksy]

I know that Hazel is the wood traditionally used for this, but there are a few coppiced Alder trees on a stream bank near our factory.
There appear to be plenty of suitably shaped and sized candidates for rod rests, but is Alder a good wood to use?
I am counting on seasoning the wood for a year or so.

[Duebel]

My experience as a joiner tells me not to use Alder for rod rests as the wood is quite soft. But to be honest, I've never tried it for this purpose. Alder is used for furniture, even for chairs (which tend to be quite liable to a breakdown), and looks quite nice though.
I've you're not afraid of failure, just try it and hopefully prove me wrong.

[RBTraditional]

Alder becomes quite brittle when seasoned, whereas hazel becomes very hardened but still has some flex. Sweet Chestnut and Cherry are both good woods to use....

[Banksy]

Thanks for your replies, gentlemen.

I have a flowering cherry in my garden, does the wood of the flowering cherry have similar characteristics to that of the fruiting cherry?

PS - I have just had a look through various posts featuring your hazel rod rests, RBT, and I'm drooling!

[RBTraditional]

Yes the ornamental type cherry will be fine most are hybridised from our native species.
The important thing if to are going to oil or varnish is to let them season somewhere warm...the airing cupboard comes to mind.....mine stand close to my log burner over the winter months and this does the trick.
Thank you for your kind comments regards my RBT rod rests much appreciated......

[Banksy]

Thanks for your advice, RBT.

Sadly, we have no airing cupboard or log burner, and the Management likes to maintain a temperature of around 12ºC in the house!

The greenhouse is the warmest place at home, so that will have to do!

[Vole]

Would Hornbeam be any good? I know it's tough, but is it workable, and will it take a protective finish?

[RBTraditional]

Hornbeam is a very tough timber when seasoned and again goes lovely and hard. I've made catapults from it, no rod rests though as it's often difficult to find many good young forks without resorting to climbing the tree.