The texture of the stipe as viewed through a x5 hand lens. Some surface features are easily lost on handling, so when observing the stipe surface pick up the fruit-body by the base of the stipe, or the edge of the pileus. Hold the stipe up to the light to accentuate any hairs projecting in silhouette from the surface. The extreme base or apex of the stipe may have more pronounced surface features than the middle portion. Observe the middle portion of the stipe for this feature. Ridges or scales at the very base of the stipe are usually part of the Volva.

Choose this state if: there are fine to coarse hairs on the stipe surface which are more or less perpendicular to the surface. When the hairs are short and dense, the surface is like velvet.