You have several options. You can buy rods cheaper if you want to drill a hole yourself and add a piece of shock cord, or you can buy one that has a handle. There are many sellers on Ebay and Etsy who make custom handle rods with wood or stag handles. Just buy the length and diameter rod you want. If you want to mount it to your sheath, 1/4" or 3/8" diameter would be best for a welt rod holder. 1/2" if you wanted to make a seperate leather sheath just for the rod and add that to your belt instead of your sheath. The 1/2" rod with last a really long time.