I've got a fair chunk of holly wood from a neightbours tree clearing. Is it ok for spoons and food contact use?
Holly. Ok for spoons and other food use?
- Thread starter mace242
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no holly is not ok. it is toxic and best avoided for food use. but it is a pretty wood so you will find plenty of uses for it for stuff that does not go near food.
not good for food use, but is a lovely wood to carve. may be nice to carve a bowl out of it for decoration or something anyway
bums I've been stirring my coffee with it for about a year now!! 
ach well, gotta die of something
Cheers,
Alan
ach well, gotta die of something
Cheers,
Alan
bums I've been stirring my coffee with it for about a year now!!
ach well, gotta die of something
Cheers,
Alan
The poison takes 366 days to take effect
Thanks for that guys. I'll use ti for decorative practice stuff. I did read that it's often used for love spoons and I suppose you don't really eat with those.
The poison takes 366 days to take effect
I heard the only antidote is to take/insert 50 leave rectally
Sorry I'll get my coat:twak:
Richard
I heard the only antidote is to take/insert 50 leave rectally
Sorry I'll get my coat:twak:
Richard
I think I'd rather snuff it!!
Cheers,
Alan
robin wood
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Does anyone have a good source of evidence one way or the other on this?
Looking at the report below I would use holly wood for spoons without concern.
http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/plant/ilexaqui.htm#SectionTitle:2.5 Poisonous parts
Cheers Robin, good info that. I've just finished a spatula for my mum in holly Thought it might turn out to be kindling after reading a few of the posts here. I'll wait a while b4 I give it to her just incase anyone comes up with some convincing evidence why I shouldn't!
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
You have found a good source of evidence. The wood contains nothing of any note. I looked through the books I have at home, and looked about the internet, and found nothing.
You beat me to it Robin and I came up with the same document and was about to post it.
I have never heard of Holly wood being a problem with food use. It is best used green as it dries out to be very hard when dry.
I have never heard of Holly wood being a problem with food use. It is best used green as it dries out to be very hard when dry.
All I know is that in the A-Z of bushcraft videos, Andrew Price says that sycamore trees are good for bowls and spoons because it has no toxic resins, so trees like yew and holly would have a poisonous resin. I don't know where he got his information but I've always thought it was poisonous too... Never seen any evidence of that though.
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I would eat out of a yew bowl without any worries, as the toxins that are in the wood are barely soluble in water, hardly solublle in ethanol, in fact I would need leave meths in bowl over night to disovle any yew toxins in to the liquid. The wood would have to be chewed to become poisonious and considering how hard yew wood is that is a hard job for a human.
There is no evidence of any toxic compounds in the wood of holly. Vertually every case I can find involve small children eating the tasteless berries. The leaves and the bark have been used as medicine since antiquity so I presume these could become toxic in quantities. The wood is safe.
I think it is the aggresive look of the tree that makes people think it is bad. Sharp thorny leaves and red for danger berries. Definitly not the most friendly looking of trees is it?
I know the berries are poisonous. I have used the leaves as a makeshift needle before. Just break a spine off with a little leaf on the back, make a hole and away you go. It works though you need to take it steady.
I know the berries are poisonous. I have used the leaves as a makeshift needle before. Just break a spine off with a little leaf on the back, make a hole and away you go. It works though you need to take it steady.
may be it comes from the rule that i got tought years ago that any plant with shiny leaves or waxy leaves are toxic and should be avoided and im sure i have read it in a rm bush craft book / may be eddie mcgee that holly gives off toxic fumes when burnt
