A method performs evaluation of properties of a clay rod, with which a honeycomb structural body is produced. The method mixes raw materials to produce a clay, and extrudes the clay and compresses the extruded clay to produce a clay rod. The method performs NMR to detect at least one of a T1 relaxation time and a T2 relaxation time in each of a normal part and an abnormality part extracted from the clay rod. Each of the T1 relaxation time and the T2 relaxation time corresponds to a relaxation time of nuclear spins of water protons magnetically excited in each of the normal part and the abnormality part. The method performs the evaluation of uniformity of a mixed state and a compression state of the clay rod based on a difference in T1 relaxation time and T2 relaxation time between the normal part and the abnormality part.