italian olive wood

ITALIAN OLIVE EXOTIC WOOD

Italian Olive, also known has Mediterranean Olive, is a dense, oily, beautiful golden brown lumber with brown / black streaks running through it.  These trees are usually only harvested when they are too old to produce olives or are damaged by disease or nature.  Trees are usually pruned to keep the olives close to the ground so long lengths in olive are uncommon.  Olive can be found with tiger striping and or burl.  We have had planks three feet wide and twelve feet long from three hundred year old trees.

  • Dense oily wood, excellent for kitchen utensils
  • Usually found in short lengths
  • Used for knife handles
  • Olive can be beautifully figured
  • Difficult wood to dry due to oily characteristics and density

Characteristics of Italian Olive

Origin of Wood Type Italy
Botanical Name Olea europenea
Specific Gravity 0.89
Avg. Weight Per BF 4.6
Color Range Gold – Black
Rarity / Availability Moderately Rare
Typical Avg. Width 4″ to 18″, occasionally can be found up to 36″ wide
Typical Avg. Length 4′ to 8′, sometimes longer available
Avg. Waste Factor 1
Wood Uses Fine Furniture, Cabinetry, Architectural Millwork, Guitar Building / Instrument Making, Wood Turning, Wood Carving, Automotive / Aircraft Interior, Inlaying, Box Making and other uses
Lumber Grades Flitch
Other Trade Names Mediterranean Olive

Italian Olive Lumber Detailed Pricing:

Thickness Grade Figure Type Grain Orientation Width Range Length Range Price Per BF
4/4 Flitch (European) None Mix 3.00″ to 11.50″ 36.00″ to 96.00″ $42.00
5/4 Flitch (European) None Mix 3.00″ to 11.50″ 36.00″ to 96.00″ $50.00
8/4 Flitch (European) None Mix 3.00″ to 11.50″ 36.00″ to 96.00″ $60.00
Shop our online Italian Olive products

***Please note our online store does not contain all lumber available for purchase. Please call for availability. 1.610.932.7400***

Sample Pictures of Italian Olive

Please Note: The photos below are examples of the species and may no longer be products available for sale.

All pictures of wood that appear wet, have been sprayed with denatured alcohol to show the natural color.  We use denatured alcohol because it evaporates and does not affect the moisture content.