300 year old olive wood from Bethlehem?

[Roger Chandler]

Okay.......this was unexpected! Got this email from a neighbor who I have been mentoring as a new turner.....

Roger:
More impressive pieces. Good way to end the year. Received the SuperNova chuck for Christmas. Thanks for the advice. Now I will have to make an appointment with you for a lesson on how to properly use it. Perhaps if you have time next week or the week after, we could get together.

Had a friend bring by a couple pieces of olive wood that he picked up in Bethlehem thirty years ago. The street vendor from whom he purchased several small turnings told him that the wood was 300 years old. If you have any ideas on how these pieces of wood might be used, I would like to commission you to work with it. Photos attached. The friend is a world traveler and has visited 131 countries.

Happy new year.
Vaughn

217451

Not sure if I believe the street vendor's statement about 300 years old, but maybe it is worth exploring anyway! I am most happy to help my friend to make something meaningful for his family..........the street vendor's comment would be hard to verify as legit in my opinion...........who knows, there are some honest people left!

[Primvs Aebvtivs]

The only way to "age" the piece to my knowledge, is to pass it on to a dendrochronologist, who may be able to age it from currently available tree samples. I'm fairly certain that you wouldn't lose any of the piece your neighbour gave you, as the growth rings are visible.

Good luck, and turn well!

[Jim Burr]

Remember the rules for getting BOW and the scam that started 8-10 years ago!

[Roger Chandler]

Remember the rules for getting BOW and the scam that started 8-10 years ago!

Do not know what you are referencing, Jim............I have been around the block a few times, and just because a street vendor says something............does not mean I take it as gospel!

[Steve Vaughan]

That's very cool! Look forward to seeing what you come up with on those pieces. They look small though, how thick is that larger piece?

[Roger Chandler]

That's very cool! Look forward to seeing what you come up with on those pieces. They look small though, how thick is that larger piece?

I have not seen them as of yet, Steve...........just opened the email a little while ago. Hopefully it is big enough to make a few pens and maybe a square edged bowl, if that is what he wants from them.

[Jim Burr]

In order to obtain BOW, it can only come from a trimming or a fallen tree, cutting an olive tree in the Holy Land is a (their version) felony. It must also be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from the Ministry of Antiquities.
About 8-10 years ago and as recently as 6 months ago, a multi-million dollar scandal was uncovered. It appears that shipping containers filled with California olive wood, COW, were shipped to Israel held in storage and re-sold as BOW, since it in fact was from there!
I made COW pens for our church pastoral staff...all 38 of them and had to make it very clear that the wood, although olive, was from Fresno, not Mt Olive.

[Roger Chandler]

Thanks Jim........that all makes sense.......if this wood is indeed from 30 years ago, would it be possible that it is legit?

[Damon Stathatos]

I don't believe that 300 years for an olive tree is out of the question so it is completely plausible. You would think that the street vendor who is also a turner would probably come across all kinds of woods and perhaps preferred wood from the older trees. I'm not sure that I would be very skeptical about the whole thing.

[Jim Burr]

Roger, my best answer is "who knows"!? Something tells me that if it were that old, it would go for a pretty penny and be rather coveted in Jerusalem. If my stupid chainsaw fires up, I'm taking down an old tree 18" at the base. COW and BOW are impossible to tell apart, stuff here probably came from the same stock at some point in history.
Take it, turn it and enjoy the smell...it makes me want to have bruchetta when I turn it!

[David E Keller]

I've turned a little Australian olive, and the pieces I had were nicer than the African, BOW, and COW that I've turned. Australia may not be the holy land, but I'm starting to think it might be the holy land for wood!