It dates back to my daughter’s desire for a certain young wizard's style birthday party. I'm not the kind to just fire up the hot glue gun, spray paint the chopsticks, or toss the glitter everywhere - just not my style. No, I go overboard on pretty much everything, so I bought a lathe and every child at the birthday party selected a handmade wand from a different type of wood. Each wand had a story with it - is that wood rare, strong, flexible, resilient? Where does it come from? Is it capable of sustaining attacks (from fungus, insects, decay?) Anything unique about it (does it glow under black light? Does it sink in water? Any history about it?)

 

Fast forward to today, and I’ve made wands in about 20 different handle styles in over 240 different wood species. I’ve got woods that barely exist (American Chestnut), woods that are expensive just to get your hands on (Pink Ivory or Snakewood), as well as common woods from different areas of the North America (Sequoia - Butternut - Willow - Live Oak.)

 

They are sold them at various art shows, Renaissance Festivals, fairy festivals and other events in the Mid-Atlantic region, online, as well as folks that have dropped by the workshop and I’ve made the wands from the piece of wood selected by the new wandmaster (takes about 30-45 minutes per wand for all the steps for most woods.)

 

As time has gone by, I've added items I make to the collection; magic tricks, floating tables, bow ties, and other items.

 

When I began attending Renaissance Festivals up and down the Eastern seaboard, I realized that wooden weapons were the next major challenge I wanted to take on, and you see the result...because...swords  (duh.)

 

Are the wands really magic?

I guarantee that they work 100% of the time. Whether you - or I - know the proper incantation, pronounce it correctly, and achieve the desired effect - there's no guarantee on. But if you can cast the spell correctly and get the result you're looking for with another all-natural wooden wand - you can do it with mine.

 

What does it do?

In my experience, it brings joy.  Honestly, if you're asking this question...it's a wooden stick.  It doesn't play with you, unlike many toys and such today - you play with (or use) it.  It's a tool - like a fork or a screwdriver - to help achieve a goal.  Because they are presented with a description of the wood, I've had parents purchase them to help reinforce characteristics they want to see in their children.  The wand works best with folks who are strong in character, or resilient in dealing with adversity, or who are friends to others, or flexible, or musically inclined, or rare, or ... what are you seeking?