Uses for holly?

[brucemacdonald]

I now have five holly staves (two cut last year, three just yesterday) which I am seasoning in my garage.

What would be the best uses for these? Knife handles? Or has anyone tried them for bow drills?

How long should I season them for?

I don't just want to make spoons with them :roll:

Best wishes


Bruce

 

[Snufkin]

You could make a bow if they are clear of branches, holly has an SG of 56 (I think) so you could get a reasonable draw weight out of one. Or walking sticks.
I have some small sections that I am seasoning for knife handles. I have read that holly is quite difficult to season without the wood checking and that it takes a long time to dry out.

 

[Realgar]

they make fantastic staffs - the wood is good and waxy to carve and it's about the most sonorous wood I've every handled. What about some primitive music?

Realgar

 

[jason01]

I had a nice piece here, about 5" diameter 5ft long or so, in the month since it was cut it has split along its full length in a nice spiral, absolutely full of cracks and no good for anything, so dry it slowly and carfully, seal the ends! Maybe not such an issue with smaller pieces.

When broken the splinters are long and fibrous so it might well be good for bows.

Jason

 

[Brendan]

Holly is what whitches made their wands out of apparently, that's where the place name Hollywood came from, where magic is still made today in the film industry.
Magic in the form of brainwashing that is!!!!!

 

[Moine]

Holly is not very good for bows. The grain goes spiralwise, so it's next to impossible to get a flat surface while respecting the grain (IOW, to get a good, durable bow, you need straight grained wood).

Holly is TOUGH when you keep it round. It's a hard wood, and the spiralwise fibers are extremely hard to separate from each other... so it won't crack easily when you ben it. As already mentioned, you have to dry it slowly, with sealed ends, though.

HTH,

David

 

[arctic hobo]

Holly is what whitches made their wands out of apparently, that's where the place name Hollywood came from, where magic is still made today in the film industry.
Magic in the form of brainwashing that is!!!!!

Hollywood being a small village in Ireland

 

[EdS]

not much good making a wand out of holly as it supposed to be one of the trees that offers protection from witches.

I offered to make my friend a staff from it (my warpped sence of humour) - she was up for it until about 1/2 later when it dawned on her I about holly. She thought I was winding her up straight away but could figure out how.

 

[Paganwolf]

Holly was believed to be antagonistic to witches.In its name they see but another form of the word 'holy,' and its thorny foliage and blood-red berries are associated with Christs crucifiction.So i wouldnt make a wand out of it :shock: walking sticks are a better option..

 

[tomtom]

i have seen wands made out of.. not everyone who uses a wand is a witch..

"The holly represents life as it is green all year round. It is also a masculine tree of warrior magick and spiritual strength. It calls upon the seeker to recognise inner strengths."

these things often depend on who you ask

 

[Paganwolf]

True

 

[falling rain]

A 'Barren Holly' (A solitary holly bush) is supposed to be evil, I've heard. I believe there are some stories about 'Barren Holly'. Anybody know much about the myths or any stories ? I don't, but I do like folklore and stories
Please share if you know any :?:

 

[greg2935]

Dunno about evil but I made a fence out of an old holly bush I cut down and it sprouted after about 6 months! ****** tenacious and an excellent hedge.

Greg

 

[Greywolf]

It makes a bl**dy good walking staff, Ive made a few... come to think of it I have one curing now if treated with boiled linseed oil and then a good few coats of beeswax (buffed with a cloth) the wood becomes the most beautiful bone colour.

As has been mentioned it can split during the drying time if left unsealed on the ends, but beeswax on the cut ends works well to seal in the goodness

Greywolf

 

[Buckshot]

It needs to be left to season much longer than other woods. They normally say to season woods for 'a year for every inch in diameter' but holly can be upto 5 years!
I agree Greywolf, it does make good sticks though

Cheers

Mark

 

[nipper]

Hi Bruce

I have had a lot of success using holly for a hearth. Use this along with a hazel drill and it makes an excellent combo. I have used it recently for teaching scout and explorer groups fire by friction and they found it relitively easy to get an ember.

Nick

 

[Toddy]

i have seen wands made out of.. not everyone who uses a wand is a witch..

"The holly represents life as it is green all year round. It is also a masculine tree of warrior magick and spiritual strength. It calls upon the seeker to recognise inner strengths."

these things often depend on who you ask

Neo pagans see the Christian elements of the iconography. Famtrad and others see the tree in it's place in the rich oral & spiritual heritage of these lands. Like the Rowan it is supposed to scare witches away, yet every old witch I know grows one.....can't be a witch then, can she?

Holly is a lovely timber for fine work, but it needs such a lot of patience to dry it properly. Seems to stay very white too when finished. If you find a wrinkled skin dead branch it helps speed up the drying process.

Cheers,
Toddy

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Povarian]

Holly is a good wood to use for inlay work once it's been seasoned properly. I use it for trackways on games boards (e.g. nine men's morris) where the white/hint of green contrasts well with darker woods such as walnut. It also appears to be good for knife handles. More of a workshop thing than an "in the field" use though.

It carves well holding good detail. We refer to it as poor man's box wood - not as good as box, but grows a lot faster, so is readily available.

 

[brucemacdonald]

Hi Bruce

I have had a lot of success using holly for a hearth. Use this along with a hazel drill and it makes an excellent combo. I have used it recently for teaching scout and explorer groups fire by friction and they found it relitively easy to get an ember.

Nick

Nick, I still have some left over to try as a hearth. And there are four more staves left in the garage.

Best wishes

Bruce

 

[Marts]

A 'Barren Holly' (A solitary holly bush) is supposed to be evil, I've heard. I believe there are some stories about 'Barren Holly'. Anybody know much about the myths or any stories ? I don't, but I do like folklore and stories
Please share if you know any :?:

Try this

or this

I like the story of the proud Oak - short and sweet:

THE oak said to the reed that grew by the river: "It is no wonder that you make such a sorrowful moaning, for you are so weak that the little wren is a burden for you, and the lightest breeze must seem like a storm-wind. Now look at me! No

storm has ever been able to bow my head. You will be much safer if you grow close to my side so that I may shelter you from the wind that is now playing with my leaves."

"Do not worry about me," said the reed; "I have less reason to fear the wind than you have. I bow myself, but I never break. He who laughs last, laughs best!"

That night there came a fearful hurricane. The oak stood erect. The reed bowed itself before the blast. The wind grew more furious, and, uprooting the proud oak, flung it on the ground.

When the morning came there stood the slender reed, glittering with dewdrops, and softly swaying in the breeze.