When it comes to outdoor cooking, your tools matter. Sure, a spatula is just a spatula—until it melts, warps, or scratches your pan mid-meal.
That’s where olive wood steps in. While plastic tools may be cheap and easy to find, they fall short in just about every way once you bring them into the wild. If you care about your gear, your food, and your overall experience, natural materials like olive wood are a game-changer.
Here’s a breakdown of how the two compare—and why going natural makes all the difference.
🔥 Heat Resistance
| Material | Heat Tolerance | Real-World Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic | Low to moderate | Tends to melt, warp, or soften when exposed to fire or high pan heat. Not ideal for open-flame cooking. |
| Olive Wood | Naturally heat-resistant | Can handle hot coals, cast iron, and long cook times without breaking a sweat—or breaking at all. |
Winner: Olive wood. No melting. No surprises. Just smooth, steady performance—even right by the fire.
🛠️ Durability & Longevity
| Material | How Long It Lasts | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic | Short lifespan | Cracks over time, especially with exposure to heat, sun, or aggressive use. |
| Olive Wood | Built to last | Dense, strong, and designed to handle rough outdoor cooking without wearing down. |
Winner: Olive wood. With proper care, these tools become even more beautiful over time—something plastic just can’t compete with.
🧼 Food Safety & Cleanliness
| Material | Clean Factor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic | Mixed | Can harbor bacteria in scratches and may contain unwanted chemicals (especially in heat). |
| Olive Wood | Naturally antibacterial | No synthetic coatings, no weird chemicals—just real wood with real antibacterial properties. |
Winner: Olive wood. You can trust it with your food, your fire, and your family.
🌱 Sustainability & Feel
| Material | Environmental Impact | Cooking Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic | High | Often ends up in landfills. Doesn’t exactly blend into a forest vibe. |
| Olive Wood | Low | Responsibly harvested and biodegradable. Looks and feels like it belongs by the fire. |
Winner: Olive wood. Because when you’re cooking outdoors, it’s nice to use something that came from the outdoors.
The Tools We Use
At Men With The Pot, we don’t just talk about outdoor cooking—we live it. Our go-to gear reflects that, and it’s why we always reach for tools made from materials that can handle the wild.
🪵 Olive Wood 5 PC Utensil Set
Stir, flip, scoop, serve—this handcrafted set does it all. Each piece is unique, naturally antibacterial, and made to last for years of fire-side cooking.
🪵 Olive Wood Cutting Board
A solid base for prep, carving, and presentation. Plus, it’s gentle on your blades—no dulling like with plastic or glass.
🪵 Magnetic Olive Wood Knife Block
Store your knives safely and beautifully. Perfect for your camp kitchen or home setup.
🔪 Looking for the Right Knife to Pair With Your Olive Wood Gear?
Check out our Moss Green Cleaver—the boldest, toughest cleaver in the collection.
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Razor-sharp X70CR17MOV stainless steel blade
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Durable full tang construction
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Unique green resin + burl wood handle (built to turn heads)
It’s not just a showpiece. It’s a workhorse—with serious edge retention, balanced weight, and a grip that feels as solid as the first swing.
Whether you’re breaking down meat or chopping foraged greens, it’s the blade you’ll want in your hand.
Plastic might be easy—but olive wood is better. For your cookware, your cooking, and your connection to nature, there’s no question.
So if you're serious about outdoor meals, ditch the synthetic and choose tools that last, feel good, and look even better by the fire.
🪵 Explore the Olive Wood Collection
🔪 Grab the Moss Green Cleaver
🔥 Make your next cookout the best one yet.
