Boline Knives

A boline is a ritual knife used for the practical cutting work of the craft: harvesting herbs, carving candles and cutting cords. Tradition gives it a white handle to set it apart from the black-handled athame. Ours include a druidic boline with a leather sheath and two folding bolines. Read how a boline differs from an athame.

More Ritual Tools

4 products

What Is a Boline Used For?

A boline is the knife practitioners use when ritual work calls for a real cut. Common jobs include harvesting herbs from the garden, carving names or symbols into candles, cutting cords for knot magic and trimming parchment for petitions. Many people keep their boline for ritual use only, so it never ends up in the kitchen drawer.

How Is a Boline Different From an Athame?

An athame is a ritual knife used to direct energy, such as when casting a circle, and it isn't used to cut anything physical. The boline does the cutting. In Gardnerian Wicca, the white-handled knife is one of the eight working tools, listed alongside the athame and the sword. Many practitioners keep one of each.

What You'll Find Here

Druidic Boline with Leather Sheath, 10 Inches. A stainless steel blade with a bone handle and a leather sheath for carrying it to the garden.

Folding Boline with White Bone Handle, 7". A folding blade with the traditional white handle, small enough for a pocket or ritual bag.

Folding Boline Pruning Blade, Black, 7". A curved stainless pruning blade that locks open, on a black handle with an etched design.

How Do You Care for a Boline?

Wipe the blade clean and dry after each use, especially after cutting fresh plants, since sap and moisture stain steel. Rub on a thin coat of mineral oil now and then to keep rust away, and sharpen it on a whetstone when it starts to drag. Store it sheathed or folded, out of reach of children.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a boline have to have a white handle?

No. A white handle is the traditional choice in Wicca because it sets the boline apart from the black-handled athame, but many practitioners use a boline with a handle of any color.

Can I use a kitchen or garden knife as a boline?

Yes. Many practitioners choose a knife they already own and set it aside for ritual cutting. What makes it a boline is keeping it for that purpose.

Should a boline blade be curved?

It doesn't have to be. Curved blades make harvesting herbs easier, which is why many bolines have one, but straight blades work for carving candles and cutting cords.

Is a boline sharp?

Yes. A boline is a working blade made to cut, so handle it with the same care as any sharp knife and store it safely.