There are many kinds of hashi or chopsticks. Those for eating meals are one, kitchens have another kind for cooking purposes, and for picking up cakes and sweats there is a different kind.
Wood is the principle material, but ivory, bones, tusks, bamboo, and various metals are also used.
Wood and bomboo hashi are often painted or even decorated with designs. Among chopsticks used faily at meals, those of ivory are most highly valued, as they turn to a mellow amber color with use. Each member of the household has his or her chopsticks always placed in a hashi box. On formal occasions, however, plain wood hashi, mostly of willow or cryptomeria wood are used. Of such, yanagi-bashi or willow wood hashi is used on such formal occations as on New Year's Day.