We are located in Scottsdale, Arizona
Olive wood is a dense, fine-grained hardwood harvested from olive trees
(Olea europaea), traditionally grown for fruit production rather than
lumber. It's known for its swirling grain pattern and high contrast
between cream-colored sapwood and darker heartwood. Desert Hardwoods
sources domestically salvaged olive wood from retired orchard and
landscape trees in the Southwest United States.
Our Olive Wood has been air drying for years. Moisture content is usually between 10-13%
We pack our boxes very carefully. We use plywood with a layer of dense foam. We then place the cookie on this and wrap it to the plywood. We use 200lb edge tested boxes and large sized bubble wrap to ensure the pieces do not move within the box. If a situation arises where the product arrives damaged, we offer replacements and/or refunds to the customer.
Returns are accepted with 14 days. Buyer is responsible for return shipping cost. Please contact us with the return reason and we will work on supplying the return label. The item needs to be returned in the same condition as it arrived at the buyer.
Yes please contact us directly for bulk discounts.
Olive wood is a hard, dense wood — it measures roughly 2,700 lbf on the
Janka hardness scale, making it harder than oak, maple, or walnut. This
density makes it durable and water-resistant, but also harder on tools
than most domestic hardwoods.
Olive Wood can be tricky to de-bark. Here are some tips:
Start with a chisel and mallet or hammer to carefully loosen and pry off the bark.
Angle the chisel flat side down, tapping gently to avoid damaging the wood
beneath. Begin peeling from spots where bark is already loose or at the edge of the slab. Work slowly to remove thick bark without gouging the wood.
A drawknife is an excellent specialized tool for quickly shaving off large
sections of bark. Using the drawknife bevel side down, pull the blade toward
you to slice off bark cleanly. This tool speeds up the process but requires
careful handling due to its sharpness.
After removing the majority of the bark with a chisel or drawknife, use sanding
(starting with coarse grit then finer grit) or a wire brush attachment on a
drill to remove any remaining fibers or softer cambium layers to smooth the
edges.
Our Olive Wood is rough milled and requires flattening and final sanding. Here is a guide to flattening methods:
There are several commonly used methods for flattening hardwood slabs, each suited for different slab sizes, twists, and available tools:
Planer (Commercial Wide Belt Planer): This is one of the fastest and best finishing methods if your slab fits the machine. The slab is run through alternating sides until flat and smooth. It requires the slab to be relatively flat initially.
Commercial planers with wide belts can also sand as well as plane for a smooth
finish. Many recommend asking your slab supplier if they can flatten it for you
with such equipment because these planers are expensive and not commonly
accessible.
Router Sled with Router: A very popular DIY method where a slab flattening sled is made or bought. The slab sits on the sled with rails that hold a router moving back and forth with a flat-top router bit. The router removes high spots gradually
in passes, flattening the slab surface. This method works well for slabs that
are too large or twisted for planer use. Using a crosshatch cutting pattern and
light passes (1/16" or less per pass) helps reduce router marks and
ensures even removal. Once one side is flat, the slab is flipped and the other
side flattened.
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CNC Flattening: Large CNC routers with surfacing bits can flatten slabs by running over them in a grid pattern, being especially useful for extremely twisted or warped slabs.
CNC acts like a large jointer and can even out severe warps, though if a slab
is very warped, the thickness after flattening may be reduced.
Manual Planning and Sanding: For smaller slabs or if no large equipment is available, successive hand planing and sanding can be done. This is slow and
labor-intensive but can work. Starting with coarse abrasives (e.g., 40 grit)
and working up smooths the surface.
What is olive wood used for?
Olive wood is commonly used for cutting boards, charcuterie boards,
carved kitchenware, furniture accents, and — increasingly — live-edge
slabs and "cookies" (cross-sections of a log or rootball) for resin
river tables, wall art, and statement furniture pieces.
How is olive wood different from walnut?
Olive wood is significantly harder and denser than walnut (roughly
2,700 vs. 600 on the Janka scale) and contains natural oils that make
it more water-resistant. Walnut is easier to work with hand tools and
has a darker, more uniform tone, while olive wood has higher grain
contrast between light and dark streaks. [See our full olive wood vs.
walnut comparison.]
Is olive wood good for a resin (river) table?
Yes. Olive wood's dramatic grain contrast and live-edge shapes make it
one of the most popular hardwoods for epoxy river tables. Its density
also means slabs hold up well structurally once cut and dried,
though — like any live-edge slab — it should be properly kiln-dried or
air-dried and stabilized before working with resin to avoid cracking.
Where does Desert Hardwoods source its olive wood?
Desert Hardwoods sources olive wood domestically within the United
States, primarily from retired orchard and landscape olive trees in
the Southwest, rather than importing from Turkey, Israel, or the
Mediterranean, which are the most common sources for olive wood sold
in the U.S.
Do you sell finished furniture or raw wood?
Desert Hardwoods sells raw, live-edge olive wood slabs and cookies —
not finished furniture. Our pieces are intended for woodworkers,
resin artists, and crafters to cut, finish, and build with.
Is the wood I receive the exact piece shown in photos?
Yes. Every listing photo shows the actual, individual piece you'll
receive — not a stock or representative photo. Natural grain, size,
and coloring will vary piece to piece.
Do you ship, and how fast?
Yes, we offer free 3-day UPS ground shipping within the continental
U.S.
How do I keep an olive wood slab from cracking as it dries?
Olive wood is prone to checking (cracking) as it dries because of its
density and natural oil content. To minimize this: seal the end grain
with wax or a commercial end-grain sealer immediately after cutting,
dry slowly in a stable, moderate-humidity environment out of direct
sun, and expect some natural checking as part of the wood's character
rather than a defect.
Olive wood is commonly used for cutting boards, charcuterie boards,
carved kitchenware, furniture accents, and — increasingly — live-edge
slabs and "cookies" (cross-sections of a log or rootball) for resin
river tables, wall art, and statement furniture pieces.
Olive wood is significantly harder and denser than walnut (roughly
2,700 vs. 600 on the Janka scale) and contains natural oils that make
it more water-resistant. Walnut is easier to work with hand tools and
has a darker, more uniform tone, while olive wood has higher grain
contrast between light and dark streaks. [See our full olive wood vs.
walnut comparison.]
Yes. Olive wood's dramatic grain contrast and live-edge shapes make it
one of the most popular hardwoods for epoxy river tables. Its density
also means slabs hold up well structurally once cut and dried,
though — like any live-edge slab — it should be properly kiln-dried or
air-dried and stabilized before working with resin to avoid cracking.
Desert Hardwoods sources olive wood domestically within the United
States, primarily from retired orchard and landscape olive trees in
the Southwest, rather than importing from Turkey, Israel, or the
Mediterranean, which are the most common sources for olive wood sold
in the U.S.
Desert Hardwoods sells raw, live-edge olive wood slabs and cookies —
not finished furniture. Our pieces are intended for woodworkers,
resin artists, and crafters to cut, finish, and build with.
Yes. Every listing photo shows the actual, individual piece you'll
receive — not a stock or representative photo. Natural grain, size,
and coloring will vary piece to piece.
Yes, we offer free 3-day UPS ground shipping within the continental
U.S.
Yes, we see customers daily at our Scottsdale location.