A bend stiffener, and a method of producing the same, comprising an elongated cylinder of a polymer material, having a termination interface (4) on at least one end. An internal reinforcement matrix is provided comprising a first layer of a cylindrically arranged woven material (2). The material of the first layer is unwoven at the termination end, the unwoven fibers engage the termination member (3) and pass back over the first layer. The returning fibers of the second layer may be cut at a plurality of lengths to provide zones (10, 11, 12) of decreasing fiber density from the termination end.