Mack Daddy Woodworks
For questions or custom orders:
Production@MackDaddyWoodworks.com
For several years, we've been creating handmade magic wands, weapons, puzzles, magic tricks and more. All of them are pieces of one of nature's products, sawn, turned, routed, sanded, polished - sometimes with an aftereffect - nearly all without paint, stain, dye, LEDs, or RFIDs
Swords from Exotic and Domestic woods
All of our children's and adult swords are made from a base of American maple or hickory, often edged with a different wood, beveled but not sharpened. This allows them to be used in fair combat, and the edge wood - such as Brazilian Cherry, called Ipe - is harder than most other wooden swords in the market, so our swords will typically not be damaged as a result of coming into contact with other wooden swords.
Hilts may be leather-wrapped, left plain, or may have embellishments, and the pommels may be laser engraved.
We are experimenting with ways to allow customers to custom-build a sword on demand, by bringing sword blanks, a selection of crossguards (quillions) and differing pommel designs, then assembling the sword right then and there. The challenges are significant, but we are diligent in our quest.
Of course, they are beautiful to simply display as well. All swords come with a description of the woods in use, characteristics of such a user, and if appropriate, some history on swords of similar size and shape - some of our sword dimensions are based on actual historical weapons, and have weights and balance similar to the metal weapons upon which they are based.
An All-Natural, Handmade magic Wand
Magic wands hand made from domestic and exotic woods from 6 of the 7 continents, individually turned on a lathe. As a result, every wand is completely unique. Each wand is presented in an appropriate box with a vignette identifying the wood, it's origin, some of the wood characteristics, and a brief observation about the personality of the ideal wandmaster.
Our wands are created from common domestic hard and softwoods such as maple, walnut, fir, oak, ash and hickory to those less common such as cottonwood or willow, "live oak" or Arizona desert ironwood. We also use local apple, pear, grapefruit and cherry, as well as holly bushes to the more exotic - American chestnut, spalted maple, live oak, Florida eucalpytus, Alaskan yellow cedar or California redwood.
They are also created from international hard and softwoods such as padauk or English yew to those that are less common such as different types of rosewood, olive wood, ziricote, tigerwood, purpleheart or redheart; we have exotic woods such as ebony (3 types!) to pink ivory, African blackwood, lignum vitae, leadwood or snakewood. In some cases, we use woods that can no longer cross international borders, and wood from trees that are considered extinct. Then there are the laminates; woods combined under pressure to create unique wands with unusual designs.
The list of woods in use grows continually, currently at 250 different woods...and counting.
Upcoming events & a unique experience
We typically appear at numerous Renaissance Festivals, Faerie Festivals, and juried Art shows up and down the East Coast, from the Vermont Winter Renaissance Festival to the New York and Maryland Faerie Festivals to the Festival of Legends in North Carolina. Check the event page for the most up-to-date listing of events we'll be at!
We also offer an experience like no other: the opportunity to select the specific piece of wood used in your wand from our extensive collection and direct the wand's coming to being in our studio. You tell us how to make it - what style of handle, how long, the diameter, type of taper, any burnishing, type of finish - and participate while it comes to life in front of you. Measured by your hand - thinner, thicker, smoother, longer, rougher - all your choice.
