Here is a brief tutorial on how to do basic Olive Branch inlays. This is a design introduced by a rod builder by the name of Jim Trelikes from California.

This is a very simple inlay to do but adds a little bit of class to a build.

I have found this looks better doing the inlays with contrasting colors, such as black and white. I have not had the greatest success with metalics. But it can be done.

For this tutorial I will start with a simple single thread inlay.

Then I do two wraps around the blank with my main color. Here it is the black. On the start of the third wrap I start taking my trim color (here white) and start spinning it around the black as I slowly spin the rod. (The main color black is going thru my tensioning device, the white I have just a 6-8 inch piece)

After I wrap the trim (white) all the way around back to the start. I drop that and do two more black wraps and then do another single thread inlay.

You can finish off here or keep going, two more black wraps and on the start of the third wrap this time wrap your white thread around the black in the oppisite direction.

Two more black wraps then a single thread inlay to finish it off. This is the bottom of the wrap to show the transitions and tie offs.

There are tons of variations you can do with this inlay. It is a classy but simple inlay to do. Of course, you would have to pack the tread, I did not do that in this as is a scrap blank and I was just doing it as a brief tutorial.

Here are a couple of different variations. Have fun, post your variations for all to see. Mike

Very nice, thanks for the post!

Thanks for the tutorial.