We have grown magnetic stripes on faceted Al2O3 (1010) substrates using molecular beam epitaxial methods. The planar sapphire substrate of this orientation is unstable, and spontaneously forms stripe-like facets upon annealing at high temperatures. Shadow deposition at a controlled small incident angle onto the faceted sapphire leads to stripes of the evaporated material. We have used this method as an easy way for producing iron nanowires. The magnetization reversal process of the iron nanowires, as revealed by magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements, is controlled by a coherent rotation of the magnetization vector. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.