4/4 Olivewood Rough Sawn Lumber
Direct Kingma listing for Olivewood; inventory, lengths, and widths can rotate by variant.
View optionOlivewood Wood Guide
Wood species guide · Imported specialty hardwood
Olivewood is best understood by how it looks, how it works, and where it should be used. This guide explains the practical buying details before sending you to the right Kingma products.
Scientific nameOlea europaea
Janka hardness2,710 lbf
Average dried weight61.2 lb/ft³
Best fitHigh-end furniture
Overview
Why choose Olivewood?
Olivewood is a imported specialty hardwood associated with Native to Mediterranean Region; also cultivated in many subtropical regions worldwide. It is useful when the project calls for high-end furniture, veneer, turned objects, and small specialty wood items
For SEO and customer usefulness, this page separates the science from the buying decision: appearance, working behaviour, durability, project fit, and then the right Kingma shopping path.
Scientific nameOlea europaea
DistributionNative to Mediterranean Region; also cultivated in many subtropical regions worldwide
ShrinkageRadial: 4.9%, Tangential: 7.7%, Volumetric: 12.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.6 More images | Identification
DurabilityConflicting reports range from perishable to moderately durable.
Olivewood colour, grain, and figure
Expect heartwood is typically yellow to light reddish brown, with contrasting darker brown to black streaks and veins. Yellowish sapwood is generally sharply demarcated from the heartwood, though it can be harder to tell apart if the heartwood lacks contrasting streaks.
In practical selection, the grain and texture are best treated this way: grain may be straight, interlocked, or wild. Fine uniform texture with moderate natural luster.
Working notes
In the shop, can be somewhat difficult to work on account of its density and sometimes wild or interlocked grain, resulting in tearout during surfacing operations. Olive has high movement in service and is considered to have poor stability—especially if branch wood has been used (a more common occurrence with fruit trees like olive).
Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, olive has been reported as a sensitizer .
Olivewood should be sold by project fit: colour, workability, durability, and the format the customer actually needs.
Best uses for Olivewood
Best projects
High-end furniture, veneer, turned objects, and small specialty wood items
Use caution
Avoid specifying it by name alone; confirm board size, moisture, colour, figure, and the project environment before buying.
Finish strategy
Test finishes on offcuts first, especially when colour, blotching, outdoor exposure, or grain filling matters.
Buying note
Choose boards, slabs, plywood, blanks, or posts based on the project rather than species name alone.
Shop path
Buying Olivewood from Kingma
Start with the direct species match when Kingma sells it. If stock rotates, use the closest live collection or a clearly explained alternative.
Maple lumber collection
Light, clean domestic alternative when utility and workability matter more than Olivewood figure.
View optionLive edge slabs
Use when the customer cares more about visual statement material than Olivewood specifically.
View optionSimilar woods and alternatives
If Kingma does not have an exact match online, use the buying links below as practical alternatives only when the colour, grain, hardness, or project environment makes sense.
Olivewood FAQ
What is Olivewood best used for?
Olivewood is best considered for high-end furniture, veneer, turned objects, and small specialty wood items. Match it to the exact board format, colour, hardness, and finish plan before buying.
Is Olivewood beginner friendly?
It depends on density, grain direction, and tooling. Test cuts on offcuts first, and choose Maple, Cherry, Walnut, or Poplar when easier machining is the priority.
Does Kingma sell Olivewood?
Use the buying section on this page. If an exact product is not listed, the linked alternatives are included only when they make practical sense for colour, grain, or project use.