Nanometer-sized Al2O3 rods are fabricated by sintering a powder mixture of Al and SiO2. The sintered product is leached in HF-HNO3 solution, followed by rinsing and washing before the nanorods are collected. The yield of the product is about 50 wt%. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that these rods are 1 to 2 mum long and have a diameter of 20 to 100 nm, while electron diffraction confirms that these rods are single crystals of alpha-Al2O3. It is observed that these rods have either round or slightly sharp tips, which is different from those having droplet-like tips that are usually found in products fabricated by catalytic reactions.