Everything Under the Moon

For those that use one, what was important to you when choosing your athame? Would you buy online or is it something you think you should hold? If it helps, I feel other items to channel energy need to be chosen by feel like s pendulum. But my "feelers" have a hard time competing with my eyes. I found one that's with amethyst in the handle with a pentacle on it. Very pretty. But another that has a hand made blade and wooden handle with unique carvings. I haven't checked local shops yet.

I used to use a scuba diving knife (and still do sometimes)...
But when I found a blacksmith at the Renaissance Faire who would forge one on a full moon in May complete with purpleheart wood for the hilt, I spit out the 160 bucks just like that. ..boom....so it was about 18 years before I found the athame of my dreams.
I like that I meet and spoke with the creator of my blade, do not think I would buy online...though this guy does have an online shop.

Bb, Firebird

Well I went to a spiritual wellness and psychic event today and a lady was selling handmade wands from various types of wood collected from her land. I picked one up and looked at it. Then set it down. Then picked another up. I liked it. She starts telling me "I love rose." I look at her. It has rose quartz and of course she loves it she wants me to buy it. But then she starts telling me about how it isn't "rosewood but rose actual wild rose stalk" and I talked to her for a bit. I felt it was a little pricey but I was intrigued because my favorite of all flowers is the rose and without being able to tell any difference in the wood or even knowing she had any made of rose I picked that one. So I said I may be back. I walked the entire place. Bought a few things. Had another cool unrelated experience and finally came back. I said ok. I told myself if I made it all the way through and nothing called me to buy it more than this did I would buy it. So I did and she handed me a $5 bill back and said because I came back for it. Well, I'll take it. So I now have a wand, which can certainly be used to do work similar to an Athame made of rose and Quartz.

I have three ritual knives, bought all online without ever touching them. I just could not find something locally that matched what I wanted. Two were made with antler handles, no brands or markings on them, they look like I'd always imagined having. (One is a double sided, one is single sided, for different rituals/uses.) I recently picked up a third in a way, it's an antique pruning knife, going to clean it up and offer it to/use it working with Pomona. Again, had to buy it online, because it's just not something I could find otherwise. But all of them fit so perfectly in my hand, no complaints.

That's real pretty, so have you decided to not get a blade then?
See ...on line works for Sonia, I don't shop on line at all, so for me it doesn't work. I think it depends on what feels comfortable for you.
If you want to see and feel them a good resource are pow wows and SCA re-enactment events.
Bb, Firebird

I think I am ok for now. Since an athame is for energy more than actual slicing I think the wand will be sufficient.

firebirdflys wrote: See ...on line works for Sonia, I don't shop on line at all, so for me it doesn't work. I think it depends on what feels comfortable for you.

Yep, buy a lot of things online, so don't mind that aspect - but I do look for places with good return policies, just in case something doesn't work out.

That makes good sense...I did phone order a dress from the Pyramid Collection that I had to return, they have good return...actually I remember having to send them back a crystal ball ...about 3 times the quality was horrible you could see all kinds of glass swirls within the sphere I ended up getting a refund. Who knows, maybe someday I'll shop online. For the most part I try to keep the brick and mortar guys around. Was terribly frustrated recently when I went to buy 3/16 white braided cotton cording at JoAnns, and wouldn't you know it...this basic item is only available online, I wanted to scream. I had always got it there, in red, blue, black and green too
Bb, Firebird

What a beautiful wand!!!

I bought my athame online way back... 18 years ago or so. I was young and shy and had no idea where to get one (and would have been to shy to ask for them in a store and be allowed to touch them - oh my goodness! )
To be honest I never used it in ritual - even though I feel I really want an athame or a wand I end up using my hands only.

Last summer I chose my ritual knife. I realized after the handle broke. It's my favorite kitchen knife. It belonged to my grandmother and she let me use it when I was a child.

Now the handle is broke and I'm left with the blade... whenever I'm out in the woods and pick up sticks i look for a piece of wood to make a good handle for this knife and a wand as well.

I have some wonderful wood i cut from my roses with good sturdy stalk that could make a nice handle. I'm gonna keep some and dry it out and see if I can make tools of my own with it.

These roses are my babies. Roses are by fair my most favorite flowering plant.

I'd originally bought an attractive knife at the sporting goods isle of a local Target store. It had a variegated colorful handle & crescent-curved blade. I'd kept it with my field guide, map & compass in a backpack in my car. The backpack was stolen & i was surprised that the only loss I regretted was the compass. So I mail ordered a replacement knife with a plain wood handle & double edge blade from Azure Green for $6. It was affordable. I found that plainness isn't distracting like the colors of former had been; it's straight blade is a better conductor than the crescent-shape; both fit my hand but the cheap one is better balanced. It feels like part of me. I wood burned symbols onto the handle & wound black string around the hilt to cover the manufacturer's logo. Long story short - the mail ordered cheap replacement has been a better choice than the "fancy" blade I'd hand-picked. It feels "right" & has been part of my journey.

I need to find an athame

The Athame as with every magickal implement requires cleansing when new to rid it of any accumulated energies not wanted in our practice. Wouldn't do much good to use psychometry on a new item because of course it is loaded with irrelevant energies unless it was owned by another Witch in which case it is taboo to touch the tools of another Witch. If gifted by a Witch he/she would have discharged it by burying it overnight.

Personally I use a wand and staff for all circle ritual. Had enough knives in Vietnam and for me one in circle would resurrect bad memories on the killing fields.