BOW - Where does it come from ??

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Alexander

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I was in Woodcraft last week and was told by the clerk that there has been quite a buzz around about BOW. She told me that a formal statement was issued by the country, saying that no Olive wood was being exported. When the supplier was asked about this they said they distribute from the Holy Land.. on the African side???? Anyone else know anything about this??
 
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I have been to Bethlehem and met with Diane and Ghasen of Bethlehem Olive Woods personally. Diane cooked me a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and Ghasen and his workers showed me around Bethlehem and their wood cutting operation.

They do not export olive "wood", but products made from Olive wood (eg, pen blanks, stopper blanks, etc). If you get a BOW certificate, make sure it is from them and you can be very assured it is the real thing.

My guess is that other exporters of olive wood from Africa and other places are trying to get in on the business. I am not sure where this clerk got the information, but they have been severely misinformed.
 
I just did a quick check on the BOW and it appears a lot of the olive trees are in trouble because the conflict. Tree farmers cannot tend to crops and the military bulldozes fields and some people burn trees cultivated by other groups.

i didn't find anything though regarding the prohibited export of the product.
 
Just an extra note....Diane and Ghasen do not cut trees down for their wood source, but rather take the prunnings and cullings (if a tree is no longer productive). They are very careful about this as it is their livelihood and they are working hard to preserve it.

There are some new olive wood cutters in the Israel area that may not take those same precautions. If this sounds like a plug for Bethlehem Olive Woods....IT IS! This is the company that started the whole phenomenon and the only one that I can honestly say is doing business the HONEST way. If you think saving a buck or two by buying some "cheaper" blanks, consider the cost it may be taking on Olive trees in the Holy Land. BUY FROM A RESPECTED, HONEST DEALER!!

This also goes for all woods. If you want wood to work in the future, make sure you are not buying from illegally logged or harvested supplies.
 
Hey, Bill

Do you know if there is any truth to the "tax" on cocobolo trees going to educate local youth? I was told this many years ago by someone who should know, but I've always wondered if it was true.
 
All of my BOW blanks come from Diane and Ghasen of Bethlehem Olive Woods and I trust them 100%.

It is interesting how after a while you can literally smell the difference between BOW and any other olive wood when you turn it. There is absolutely no equal to the wonderful sweet smell of the BOW.[:D]
 
Hi Ed. I can't verify where the "tax" goes. If it is like most other places, that would be the politicians and businessmens pockets. I hope it is true that it goes for education, but I really am skeptical.

And to clarify my earlier statements....buy from respected dealers/importers. You cannot absolutely verify every piece of wood, but you can buy from importers who have good reputations and are known to work hard at obtaining wood taken from reliable and legal sources.
 
Originally posted by ilikewood
<br />...If you think saving a buck or two by buying some "cheaper" blanks, consider the cost it may be taking on Olive trees in the Holy Land...
Click to expand...

I just received an order from them and I'm amazed at the difference. I had purchased wood from another company. Actually LOML did. I was so unimpressed by the wood, that it has been sitting on my shelf with the rest of my culls. I've actually wondered what the fuss was all about when people would talk about BOW. Now I understand. The smell of the BOW I received from Bethlehem Olive Woods is fantastic AND it was about half the price of what I paid to "the other guys". As far as how it looks? Fantastic. I can't wait to get into my shop. Oh well, live and learn.
 
The law in Israel is you can't cut down Olive Trees unless it is dead. You can cull and prune because that is of benefit to the tree. The reason you can't cut down Olive trees is that it is one of the 7 species that are mentioned in the Torah. Can you name the other 6?

Kol Tov,
 
Bethlehem is in "Palestinian" territory and there are many there who could care less about the Tohah and Israeli law....which is absolulely unfortunate. [:(]

I would guess Gopher (Noah), ****tim (Ark of the Covenant), Tree of Life and Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (garden), Cedars? (Lebanon), I know the plagues destroyed the trees of Egypt, but I don't think they are named. I'll have to get my books and look.
 
Originally posted by woodbutcher
<br />All I know is BOW always sends me great blanks. They are a favorite supplier. I save the packing (newspapers) and show customers. It helps with the sales occassionally.
Click to expand...

Why didn't I think of that!!!!!!!

BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Is this turning into another dumb trivia contest where Doc is gonna be the loser?[:0]

FWIW, the law in Israel may say no cut down unless dead, but if you do some research I think you'll see that they are being dozed, burned, and otherwise destroyed all the time. one of the casualties of being in a war zone. I won't try to get into who should be able to claim the land, but as long as fighting is going on, these will keep getting destroyed.
 
Okay. Not everything is a wood. The answer is:
wheat
Grape (not a wood, but you can turn the vine)
Pomegranate
Fig
Date
Olive
There is one more, but my mind went blank[:(]

I'll update after Shabbos, if I remember the last one.

Kol Tov and Good Shabbos,
 
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