Several years ago, Stephanie Twilley of the Avegost LARPing community contacted us because she wanted to use a wand in one of their campaigns. Great! We had had customers who loved to collect them like Harry Potter wands. We had also had Wiccans and Pagans use them in their magical practice. This was a first for one of our wands to be used in LARP. Kent had just finished the Tulipwood & Quartz Wand, which he made with found wood from a tree in his parents’ yard. Since she was requesting a large wand, we sent her that one. We were thrilled that she made a video to talk about how it was used in the plot! Here are her YouTube videos showing our wand: First Look at an Amazing Wand and LARP Stories: The Wand
The following is a Q&A from Ms. Twilley and answered by Kent:
Q: When did you first start the shop?
A: Our Etsy shop was opened 7/18/2013. We decided to start our company on the 4th of July, 2013.Q: What is your absolute favorite material to work with and why?
A: I do not have a particular favorite material to work with. My joy is creating and crafting things by hand. As for my counterparts, Beth is knowledgeable at making jewelry, while Terrie has advanced skill in needlework. All three of us focus on quality. Sure we’re a business however, we want total satisfaction from our customers.Q: How do you feel about the LARP community?
A: Beth is aware of what it is, while Terrie most likely never heard of it, I say GAME ON! I actually RPG with a group of friends twice a month. We prefer GURPS, but have used a couple of others. I have never LARPed before, but I’m open to it.Q: How did you learn your trade?
A: I was first introduced to woodworking in middle school and hated it. And in looking back, it was probably because I was forced to make lame projects. Approximately four years ago, I took an interest in going with family to antique malls. I became fascinated in the quality of the furniture and how long it lasts. These days, you can spend $50-$80 on a bookshelf that you have to assemble and its made with particleboard. Well, with my business background I took an interest in starting a wood workshop. At that time, many people wanted “Harry Potter” wands. I made a couple and sold both in two days. I was surprised that I could make them. So, I made many wands over the years. Beth and I made a friendship with a woman who owns a spiritual store, Spiritual Gardens. Our wands are on consignment there. My Gamers call me the Wand Maker. It’s funny actually, just the other day, my Mother-In-Law introduced me in a
crowed saying, “This is Kent. He makes wands.” Wasn’t my intention, Just fate I guess.Q: What do you think is the creation that best represents your work?
A: I would say our company logo, our five-leaf clover. While in the
Process for looking for a logo to represent us, Beth actually found a five-leaf clover in our lawn. When asked, how did you find it, she simply said it just stood out from all of the other clovers. And that was it. We are all about uniqueness and quality.Q: What inspired you or motivated you to start the shop on etsy and make such great things?
A: Financial independence. We are not there yet, but you got to start somewhere. The first step is the hardest.Q: Have you ever/would you LARP?
A: I think that I am the only one in the company who would LARP. Beth would be interested in seeing how it works but probably wouldn’t participate. You know in thinking back when I was a kid, the neighborhood kids always came over to my large lawn to play Star Wars, Laser Tag, and Masters of the Universe. I got into my Dad’s garage and we spray painted the plastic baseball bats and pretended they were light sabers. Water balloons became thermal detonators. Our back deck was always Castle Greyskull, the Rebel base, and an Imperial shuttle. My family went to a couple of renaissance fairs and enjoyed it.Q: Can you tell me everything you can about this wand?
A: It is my large style crystal wand. It was made from tulipwood from a Tulip Tree. It is a medium strength wood. Lathe turned and lightly stained, sanded, and beeswaxed giving it a washed color effect. The handle was burned into the wood to give it a grip and the tip is an actual quartz crystal. The quartz was grinded and properly set within the wood.Q: Questions about the wand (and a few others): What materials were used?
A: A fine Quartz, Tulipwood, stain, beeswax, and magick.Q: How long does it take to make a wand?
A: I’ve improved and got it down to shaping the wood in 30min. From that, sanding, staining, time to dry, finishing coats, adhesives, etc… an additional day. In short, approximately 48 hours from start to finish.Q: How long have you been making wands?
A: About 3 years.Q: What are your favorite materials to use for the wands?
A: I don’t have a particular favorite to use. Each has their pros and cons.Q: How did you learn to make them?
A: I just had the idea one day. I started the lathe and when I was done, there was a wand.Q: Why did you start making wands?
A: Financial independence. I started making them off and on because “Harry Potter” wands were popular. I enjoyed it. Then those wands sold and more people wanted one so we decided to start our company.Q: What are your usual clients to your shop?
A: It’s really hard to say. Some of our clients are pagan; some of our clients are not. We have had someone tell us that they were cooking at a women’s retreat and that the goddess apron would be perfect and she was excited to use it for that.
If you are looking for a wand for your magical practice, LARPing, cosplaying, or even for collecting, we got you! We have some Ready to Ship wands that you can choose from or you can Build Your Own wand with our custom request form. With our Build Your Own Wand form, you choose wood type, length, crystal or no crystal, stain or no stain, wood finish type, and other extra add-ons. We’ll take care of the rest. If you have any questions, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you!
