The option is really to have an outer stem or not.

If you don't have one, you have to make the strips meet nicely at the ends, which is relatively hard, though not actually too difficult, and the stem is quite susceptible to damage from bumping into things, since the soft wood deforms under the fibreglass.

If you have an outer stem it can be made of hardwood, and since you just plane the ends of the strips flat it is much quicker and easier, although of course you do have to fit the outer stem to the kayak.

I have done both, and would recommend having an outer stem just for the bump resistance.