
Most Common Uses of Olive Wood
- Dishes No doubt, the number one thing people create from olive wood is the dishes. ...
- Souvenirs Souvenirs are the second most common type of products made from olive wood. ...
- High-End Furniture There’s a high demand for furniture made from olive wood. ...
- Musical Instruments Many people don’t know it, but olive wood is extremely popular for making musical instruments. ...
- Flooring (Parquet and Laminate) ...
How to care for olive wood furniture?
Since you have one of the best handicrafts or kitchenware made of olive wood, it’s time you get to know how to take care of them. Wash with warm water and dry with a lint-free cloth. Once washed, apply a thin coat of any mineral oil and let it dry.
What is olive wood used for?
The olive wood is regarded as one high end and is therefore used predominantly in the creation of smaller more stylish wooden objects, or for the manufacture of expensive furniture.
Can you use mineral oil on olive wood?
Always use food-grade mineral oil for your olive wood. You can find it online or at most grocery stores. Treat your wood regularly, even if you only use it for decorative purposes. If you oil it at least once a month, it will retain its smooth shine.
What furniture and utensils are made from olive wood?
The furniture and utensils made from olive wood are not ordinary. In furniture, you would rarely find olive wood beds, cupboards, etc. The woodware you would commonly found made from olive wood are small ones, including sculptures, kitchen utensils, and decorative pieces.

What can olive wood be used for?
Durability: Olivewood is moderately durable and is susceptible to termite but somewhat resistant to fungi. Uses: It has been used since ancient times for small woodenware objects, spoons, bowls, boxes, carvings, turnings, inlays, small decorative items and it also makes excellent, but very expensive flooring.
What is so special about olive wood?
Visually, olive wood has a strikingly rich and colorful appearance, which makes it perfect for use in decorative objects. Its structural features are highly contrasting brown lines and yellow streaks of sapwood, and even more importantly, the surface of olive wood can be easily polished to a high degree.
Is olive wood rare?
Olive wood is rare and most likely comes from pruned branches and trimmings. It is often used for small household items like kitchenware.
Is olive wood good for cutting?
Olive wood is very hard and smooth, making it a great choice for a cutting board. The unique wood pattern gives each board its own personal character. Being a hard wood means that it is a non-porous wood, preventing it from absorbing and imparting food juices and flavours.
How long does olive wood take to season?
Usually the alcohol treatment will dry the rough turned object within 2 weeks which is great, and then you can remount the piece and do the final turning and sanding and finishing.
Is olive wood waterproof?
The natural oils in olive wood make it water-resistant.
What oil do you use on olive wood?
Mineral OilMineral Oil is the perfect oil to use to care for your olive wood products. Mineral Oil protects and nourishes the wood, preventing it from drying or cracking and prevents the spread of bacteria.
Can you use olive wood for smoking?
It's great by itself, but works well blended with apple, cherry or hickory woods. Oak works well just just about any meat. Olive wood has a similar flavor to mesquite, but it's a lighter flavor. Olive smoking wood tastes best with poultry.
Is olive wood heavy?
Olive wood is hard, heavy and strong with a high overall density. It has a straight grain with a fine texture, says the Wood Zone website.
How do you keep olive wood from cracking?
Hand wash with mild detergent and warm water. No standing water please as this weakens the wood fibers and can lead to splitting and cracking. Dry with a lint free cloth or microfiber. Perfectly fine to let air dry (but you'll need to condition with mineral oil or Bowl and Board Rub more often).
Does olive wood need to be oiled?
Olive wood should be regularly conditioned with oil if you want it to last.
How do you seal olive wood?
Mineral oil is a safe product that is easily absorbed and doesn't leave the utensil feeling greasy. Place a small amount of the oil on a soft cloth, rub the oil over the entire utensil and allow it to soak into the wood. After the wood has dried, apply a second coat of oil.
Can you smoke with olive wood?
It's great by itself, but works well blended with apple, cherry or hickory woods. Oak works well just just about any meat. Olive wood has a similar flavor to mesquite, but it's a lighter flavor. Olive smoking wood tastes best with poultry.
Is olive wood Food Safe?
Olive wood is quite durable thanks to its hard and dense composition, making it naturally stain-resistant and anti-bacterial. Therefore, as long as you properly clean and treat olive wood, it's perfectly safe to use with food.
Is olive wood good for guitars?
I've used olive wood for fretboards on acoustic guitars, it works well for that.
Is olive wood good for knife handles?
Ultimately, hardwoods work best for knife scales, because they are very durable. Common hardwoods used for knife scales include walnut, oak, African blackwood, koa, desert ironwood, rosewood, olive wood, ebony, amboyna, bloodwood, bocote, and cocobolo.
What are some things made of olive wood?
The most common wood items made from olive wood are kitchenware – especially cutting boards, bowls, and carving spoons – decorative items, small chest of drawers, tool-handles, jewelry, and hand-carved material.
Why is olive wood used for making bowls and utensils?
Why is olive wood used for making bowls and utensils? It’s because olive wood is durable than most other woods, and it’s stain and odor-resistant.
Why did Jesus pray under an olive tree?
Other reasons include Jesus Christ is believed to have prayed under an olive tree before he was crucified. Seeing the sacredness of olive wood, the artisans at Bethlehem make religious, historical, and artistic articles from the prunes of young olive branches. 4. Olive Wood is Expensive & Needs Due Care.
What are the two types of olive trees?
Types of Olive Woods. Mainly we can categorize olive trees into two types. Those grow in the Mediterranean, called Olea Europaea, and the ones that grow in Eastern Africa, known as Olea Capensis. 2. Olivewood Makes High-end Furniture and Kitchenware. Olive Wood Cutting Board. Image Sources flickr.
How tall is an olive tree?
The logs or olive wood lumbers are not too big because the average olive tree height is 20-30 ft.
What wood stands out among other woods?
5. Olive Wood Stands Out Among Other Woods
Why won't you see furniture made of olive wood?
You won’t see big furniture products made of olive wood because of its high cost.
What is olive wood?
Olive Wood - Characteristics, Uses and Benefits. The olive wood, farmed form the trees of Olea europaea , is a hard and rich in color wood that is prized all around the world for its appearance, density, straight grain and fine texture . Originally found around the eastern coast of Mediterranean, Olive trees managed to spread outside of Europe, ...
Why is olive tree important?
Benefits of the olive tree are numerous. For starters, its fruit has remained in high demand for several millennia, both for direct consumption and for the creation of a popular type of oil. Direct eating of olive fruit is rare. Most eat it only after it was processed, which reduces the bitterness of the fruit.
How old are olive trees?
One Crete tree is estimated to be over 2 thousand years old, and some trees in Italy and Lebanon are claimed to be over 3 thousand years old. The oldest certified olive tree is aged 2000 years. It is located in Greece, and it still bears fruit. An average lifespan of an olive tree is between 300 and 600 years.
How tall do olive trees grow?
Even though Olive trees can live exceptionally long and can grow up to 40 meters (130 ft) in height, such occurrences are rare, and the vast majority of trees manages to grow up to 10 meters (33 ft) with 1-1.5 meters trunk diameter. While olive trees are praised around the world for their fruit, its lumber has also managed to capture ...
Why do people eat olives?
Most eat it only after it was processed, which reduces the bitterness of the fruit. The olive is also known for its medicinal uses. Many home remedies use olive as a means to calm the user, enhance the sleep, boost the immune system and reduce the levels of cholesterol in the blood.
Where did olive trees originate?
Olive trees are closely connected with earliest records of our history, with records and finding confirming that this tree became commercially cultivated in the territories of Crete and ancient Syria more than five thousand years ago.
Where are olives found?
The oldest surviving records of olive leaves were found on Greek Island of Santorini, which was dated to 60 thousand years old.
How to clean olive wood?
Hand-wash olive wood with warm water and mild detergent. After using olive wood kitchenware, rinse it off with warm water and scrub with a soft sponge and mild detergent. For more difficult food particles, you can also use a nylon scrubbing pad. Rinse with warm water, then pat dry with a soft towel.
How to keep olive wood from warping?
Hand-drying rather than allowing olive wood to air dry will keep the wood from swelling or warping over time.
How to sanitize olive wood?
Before you use olive wood kitchenware to serve food, mix a solution of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water. Dip a soft cloth into the solution and rub your olive wood to sanitize it , then rinse it with warm water and pat it dry.
How long does olive wood last?
Olive wood is rare and distinctive, used to carve some kitchenware and small decorative objects. If treated properly, your olive wood will last a lifetime and longer—but this precious wood requires some careful handling. Here, we've gathered answers to some of the most common questions about how to care for olive wood so you can enjoy your pieces for decades to come.
Why is my olive wood cracking?
Avoid leaving olive wood sitting in water to keep it from cracking. Prolonged exposure to water raises the grain of the wood and causes it to swell, which can result in cracking. Always make sure your olive wood is completely dry after washing it.
Is olive wood rare?
Olive wood is not commonly harvested so it is relatively rare. Because olive trees grow in a twisted and irregular way, the wood is difficult to harvest for lumber. When a tree is cut for wood, it's usually only possible to cut smaller pieces. Additionally, the raw wood is difficult to treat and dry compared to other woods.
Can mineral oil be used on wood?
Food-grade mineral oil is absorbed rapidly and won't leave the wood greasy like some other oils will. Avoid using vegetable or olive oil, which can go rancid.
What finish should I use on olive wood?
I don't know about making it shine, but I have found that my preffered finish for olive wood is Olive Oil (you can apply a LOT the wood just soaks it in...), a little buffing, and beeswax/carnauaba... Looks great!
Can you use olive oil on olive wood?
Olive oil on olive wood. Never though of that. I have found that olive wood is one of those woods that can be polished to 12,000 with no finish and look great.
Can olives be polished?
Olive can actually be polished to a pretty high sheen without finish. Your shellac cut to about 1lb weight will soak in pretty well to prepare the piece for buffing.
Is shellac good for polishing?
Shellac is a great choice for depth, with quick build and great mechanical shine from mindless application/polishing as you spend quality time with the spouse ( remember to grunt during the pauses, if there are any) after dinner or in front of the tube. French Polish without the pumice.
