Olive Wood
Olive Wood was opened 17 years ago in Plaka by Vasilis Rikoudis. Olive Wood specializes in the production and design of olive tree wood goods such as cutting boards, salad sets, wine holders, olive and honey jars and other finely carved handicrafts.
Rikoudis first became involved in olive tree wood production as a young man on the island of Lesbos, in northern Greece. There, he learned the art of wood carving and design.
Olive tree wood products take years in the making. Before the goods can be carved, the wood must be laid out to dry for three years. Olive tree products come from the trunks, roots and branches of the trees.
The products from Olive Wood come from Lesbos, Crete and Corfu, where Rikoudis has production sites. Many of these products such as the cutting board and the salad set have been carved and designed by Rikoudis himself.
Rikoudis is from Thessaloniki, where he currently resides. On special occasions, you might catch him down at the shop.
We spoke to Manolis who runs the shop in Rikoudis’ absence and asked him what makes these goods such great gifts.
Manolis: The olive wood goods make such great gifts because not only are olive trees typical of Greece, but the trees from which these goods are made are thousands of years old. So, tourists get both something very typical of Greece as well as something that has literally lived and been a part of Greece for years.
Olive Wood
Mnisikleous 8
210.321.6145
josi@otenet.gr
Pandrossou Street Market 
Is there a way to shop online for these olive wood goods? We were there (Plaka) and bought a bowl and salad tongs. My son and daughter liked them so much that I was wondering if we could order goods and have them shipped to the U.S
Hi Cheryl! Thanks for shopping with us! Unfortunately, all of the shops that do carry these products are in the process of creating a website for shipment abroad.