Artisan from Schorndorf crafts distinctive olive wood items by hand
Handcrafted Olive Wood Treasures - Petra Ruhl's Manufactory Los Oliveros
Nestled in the heart of Schorndorf-Miedelsbach, Petra Ruhl's olive wood manufactory "Los Oliveros" transforms ancient olive tree trunks into robust, beautifully crafted bowls, boards, and utensils.
This summer, you can find Petra tirelessly smoothing each piece at her grinding machine, wonderfully whisking away the past whilst shaping her current creation. As she works, her thoughts often wander, pondering the age of the olive wood in her hands and the experiences it has endured over the centuries.
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Her manufactory "Los Oliveros," or "The Olive Wood People" in English, processes olive trunks that range between 400 and 800 years in age. From these magnificent resources, she produces functional yet stunning items like salad and fruit bowls, vases, or mortars. These one-of-a-kind pieces bear their unique character and elegance, crafted with remarkable precision.
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Why not try the exquisite olive wood spatulas and turners from Los Oliveros, which nestle comfortably in the hand, thanks to Petra's meticulous fine sanding technique, using countless sheets of sandpaper of varying coarseness. Despite the time-consuming process, Petra insists, "We sand until it feels like marble."
The patience of stone
Olive wood shares many qualities with stone, and working with it demands unyielding patience. The trunks are incredibly hard, weighty, and feature distinctive, intricate grains that stand out as the wood is sanded down to a finer finish.
Anyone working with olive wood must exercise immense patience, as the oil-rich trunks require a prolonged drying period of six to eight years after being felled. In addition, multiple resting phases are essential between the various processing steps like sawing, milling, turning, and sanding.
"After milling a bowl, you have to wait about a year before you can start sanding," explains Markus Ruhl, Petra's husband, who notes that rushing the process causes dampness and oil accumulation.
Air-dried for perfection
Petra Ruhl allows her creations to air-dry naturally, skipping electrical helpers. This approach contrasts with the standard process of placing olive wood goods in saltwater, which speeds up drying but may cause cracks in the wood.
Discovering Olive Wood
Petra Ruhl's passion for olive wood began years ago during a prolonged stay in Spain. Living near a carpentry workshop, she later became an occasional helper. Upon returning to Germany, she began crafting tea lights and decorative items from olive wood when her daughter was asleep at night. Today, her workshop houses professional equipment, and she continues to sell her handcrafted items each year at markets.
Markus Ruhl used to travel to Spain with three chainsaws in his luggage to fell the olive wood himself. Now, it is delivered by truck from Calabria. Petra and Markus cooperate with a landscape gardener who reforests olive groves and produces firewood. This partnership proves beneficial, as Petra explains, "It's difficult to get wood if you don't know anyone."
Olive Trees - Survivors in Motion
Petra finds inspiration in the shapes of the wood during her creative process, resulting in a virtually waste-free production. Even tiny remnants are repurposed, such as the fabrication of hairpins or miniature salt spoons.
At times, she uncovers hidden details like nails, embedded stones, signs of fire, or knotty spots caused by rain. "Olive trees are survivors, they grow from bare rock and can live for a thousand years," says Markus Ruhl.
Olive wood products are incredibly durable. Recently, Petra restored a couple's 50-year-old salad bowl, bringing new life to their cherished item. "Olive wood is laborious to process, but it lasts forever and is almost indestructible."
Waiblingen Old Town Festival
Date Los Oliveros will be showcasing their artwork at the medieval market during the Waiblingen Old Town Festival, taking place from June 27th to 29th.
Engage your lifestyle with the subtle elegance of Petra Ruhl's handcrafted olive wood objects, perfect even for the fashion-and-beauty and home-and-garden enthusiasts. In addition to the robust, beautifully crafted utensils, extend your culinary fashion with her pristine salad and fruit bowls, vases, or mortars, each telling an ancient story of history and resilience.
