The ultimate magic wand guide

Why let the wand tell you which wand suits you best? At Elbenwald you are free to choose your wand – even the Dark Lord's!

In the world of Harry Potter, the wand chooses the wizard. And it does so regardless of whether you can afford the wand or whether you like it. Those are two far too blatant restrictions for us, which is why we give you the freedom to choose! Although many Potterheads have a really hard time with that. Every day we get owls asking us which wand we would recommend. The nasty thing about it is that there is no one hundred percent correct answer to this question. But there are some clues.

Two characteristics of the magician determine which wand suits you best: your height and your own character. The better you know yourself, the quicker you will find your wand. An example: Those who are tall and have an outspoken character usually wield a longer wand, while short and shy people have a shorter wand. Seen in this way, the wand is a mirror of the magician, which also affects the suspension. The wands of particularly determined wizards are unyielding; this is true of Bellatrix Lestrange, for example. Wizards with a more fragile character, who are easily influenced, have more flexible wands, such as Draco Malfoy.

Like the magician, the magic wand has its very own character. The properties are determined by the magical core and the type of wood chosen. Voldemort's wand, for example, is made of yew, a symbol of death. Why? The seeds, needles and exhalations of the yew are deadly poisonous, and even today they can be found in graveyards, bringing disaster. Harry's wand, on the other hand, is made of holly wood, which is said to drive away evil spirits.

So to the core: phoenix feathers need time to get used to their owners; in a way, they have a mind of their own. Unicorn hair, on the other hand, is perfect for learning spells easily, but they are not considered particularly powerful. Dragon heart cores cast powerful spells, but are temperamental and prone to accidents. Not much is known about other cores. Fleur Delacour's wand, for example, is equipped with a veela hair, making it possibly beautiful but dangerous. The tail hair of a Thestral, on the other hand, has a strong connection to death. However, we only know of one wand with this core, which changes its reign quite frequently ...

Speaking of which, the rightful possession of a wand is a complex matter! If a wizard is defeated in a duel, the wand may change allegiance. A simple disarming spell or mere physical strength is enough for this. But you don't automatically lose your wand every time you attack, which makes things even more confusing. If it comes to a duel between twin wands (i.e. with the same magical core), the phenomenon of Priori Incantatem can arise. This is what happens in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: the wands refuse to kill the owner of the other wand and force their brother to reveal the last spells used.

One of the most frequently asked questions about our wands is: What is the difference between the Ollivander Edition and the Character Edition? The simple answer: There is none! At least as far as the actual wands are concerned. Hermione's wand looks exactly the same in the Ollivander edition as it does in the character edition, the differences are in the packaging.

In the Ollivander Edition, you get a beautiful box that looks like the one in the films. It is sturdily made and has flowing cloth and velvet on the inside. The Ollivander boxes also have different lengths and colours. Dumbledore's wand, for example, is longer than Snape's, so the box is larger. The boxes also have a wind rose sticker on the side, only Harry's box is decorated with a mysterious combination of numbers (arithmists are already working on deciphering it). The only drawback: the selection of wands in the Ollivander edition is manageable.

The character edition wands are a bit cheaper, so the packaging must be worse, right? Wrong! Although the boxes of the Ollivander Edition are of better quality overall, the Character Edition has some advantages. Apart from different colours, it has a uniform design and is always the same length, which simplifies the presentation. In addition, the name printed on the top makes it easy to see whose wand is lying dormant in the packaging.

The most important difference, however, is the name tag, which is only included in the character edition. You can attach it to the top of the box and present your collection on a shelf. It becomes even nicer with an official wall mount, which offers space for four or ten wands, depending on the version. Another advantage that should not be underestimated: the character edition has a much larger selection of wands, which makes this edition the first choice for many Potterheads.

An almost secret wand edition is the so-called Blister. Here, the focus is on the wand, and the packaging is much simpler. Nevertheless, the actual wands look like those in the Ollivander and Character Editions. So the blister is perfect for all those who not only want to present their wand at home, but always carry it with them just in case (after all, you never know when fate will strike!). As they are also interesting in price, the blister is aimed at newcomers to collecting. Two more things: The full selection of Blister Wands is only available in our local Elbenwald Stores. And a few wands are exclusive to this edition, such as Bellatrix Lestrange's first wand, which she possessed before the events in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Our highlight of the Special Editions: Hagrid's magical pink umbrella (we are not liable for any broken pieces of magic wand inside).

In addition to the "normal" editions, there are also collector's editions. A major highlight in the truest sense of the word is Lucius Malfoy's wand, which is hidden in an awe-inspiring walking stick, just like in the films. The actual wand is decorated in style by a silver-plated snake's head studded with crystals. But the walking stick impresses not only with its design, but also with its sheer size! It is the longest wand ever (not counting the 115-centimetre-long walking stick) and, incidentally, the only one made of real wood.

From the longest to the shortest, namely the wand of Dolores Umbridge. Her wand is extremely elaborately designed and needs to be presented accordingly. For this purpose, the matching wall mount is included. It is - how could it be otherwise? - in bright pink! To increase the visual opulence immeasurably, the magic wand is almost self-deprecatingly placed on a golden bow. One could almost think that the good Dolores wants to compensate for something.

Our personal highlight among the Special Editions is and remains Hagrid's umbrella! Just like in the films and books, it comes in a wonderfully delicate pink, comes in a chic and huge package and also has the practical use of protecting against rain. Admittedly, a "normal" wand will also do the job if you have the right magical talent, but Hagrid's umbrella can also be used by Muggles without any problems and its eye-catching appearance makes it much cooler!

If you want to create a wand collection, you have to ask yourself a few questions: How many wands do you want? All of them or just the personal favourites? How do I present them? Do I have enough space? One way to avoid these questions and still have a chic collection is to create wand collections. There are quite a few of them.

The first is Fred and George Weasley, whose wands are only available as a set. And that impresses with a smart presentation display made of real wood, on which a metal plate with the famous double W of the Weasley twins is attached. The display is equally reminiscent of the company "Weasleys Zauberhafte Zauberscherze" and the wizarding sport Quidditch. The latter above all because the wands are presented on metal rods projecting vertically upwards, which makes them float in the air, so to speak. The fact that the shape of the wands is also reminiscent of brooms further enhances the impression.

We continue with the Triwizard Tournament. The legendary competition brings together the three greatest European wizarding schools - Beauxbatons, Hogwarts and Durmstrang - and pits three champions chosen by the Goblet of Fire against each other. The 1994/1995 year, however, achieved tragic fame. On the one hand, it was the first tournament with four champions, on the other hand, it ended dramatically with the death of Cedric Diggory and the rebirth of Lord Voldemort. Reasons enough to dedicate a set to the tournament. Here you get a beautiful wooden display with the wands of the four champions resting on the holders that rise into the air: Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory, Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum. The protective Plexiglas gives the collection a certain museum character.

The next set revolves around Dumbledore's Army, a rebellious student organisation initiated by Hermione Granger in 1995. As the secrecy of the group was a top priority, the members had to sign an enchanted parchment. Should anyone betray the group, the word "snitch" would appear on the whistleblower's face. This very parchment is the centrepiece of the collection, which contains the wands of the most important founding members: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. Luna is a special feature here as her first wand is included, which cannot be bought separately.

Another collection revolves around the spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The hand-painted display made of cold cast shows the coat of arms of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA). This is the American equivalent of the British Ministry of Magic, which historically has had a rather poor relationship with the non-magical population. The collection includes the five most important wands in the film adaptation: Seraphina Picquery (President of the MACUSA), Percival Graves, Porpentina "Tina" and her sister Queenie Goldstein and, of course, Newt Scamander, who is the only one not working for the government.

Shouting "Lumos!" and bringing light into the darkness with your own wand, that's what! Unfortunately, for many Potterheads this remains a pipe dream because they either don't have the magical skills or aren't allowed to do magic outside of school. With our glow wands, you won't risk expulsion because their magical core consists of two AAA batteries. Choose from detailed replicas of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Newt Scamander's wands, which you can make glow by waving and waving (read: moving) them. And since you have long since mastered unspoken spells, reciting the spells "Lumos" and "Nox" is completely optional. There is also a button hidden in the handle with which you can adjust the intensity of the glow spell.

It gets even more magical when you influence your surroundings with a casual wand gesture. That's what the wand remote control is for! It allows you to turn on the TV with a daring wave, adjust the volume with a gentle twist or change the channel with a precise flick. If that doesn't create magic in your own four walls (and envy among friends), we don't know what will. A total of nine gestures can be programmed, to which you can assign any function. The magic wand works with any device that is controlled via infrared.

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody teaches us how dangerous it is to put your wand in your pocket. We quote, "There have been better wizards than you to lose a butt cheek." He's right! However, as a magician, you should always have your wand handy. That's why we've designed a practical wand holster that you simply attach to your belt. The holster is suitable for any wand from the character or Ollivander editions, is made of genuine leather and has a high-quality finish.

You don't want to carry your wands with you, but prefer to display them perfectly? That's why we have the official wall holders. They offer space for four or ten wands and look great on the wall. The back wall is lined with red velvet to show off your wands to their best advantage. There is also a thin metal rod in the lower section to which you can attach the character edition name tags. Great for passionate collectors!

For staging individual wands, on the other hand, our wand holders made of die-cast metal are suitable. These are available for all four houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin) and for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in general. Here, the wand is placed on an elaborately designed holder that is adapted to the respective house. There are also special holders for the optimal presentation of a single wand, but a wall holder is more advisable for entire wand collections. If you prefer to carry your wand with you, you can use our practical wand holster.

If you are looking for a way to display your wands as opulently as possible, you can't go past a wall holder.

In J.K. Rowling's magical world, everything has a meaning, and the materials used to make a wand are no exception. Wand woods range from maple to cypress, each material has different properties and then there are the many magical cores. The possibilities are almost endless, and a magic wand says a lot about its owner.

It's not quite so complex with us. All wands except Lucius Malfoy's walking stick are made of cold cast. This is a special manufacturing process for plastic that makes enormous detail possible. Inside many wands, a metal or plastic rod provides the necessary stability. The choice of material, which seems unusual to purists, has an important advantage: the wands have a pleasant weight and lie very well in the hand - a point not to be underestimated, especially in show duels (such as larping). The careful hand-painting also creates a deceptively real wooden look. However, we advise against fights to the death, because as in the original: the wands are not indestructible. You should not drop them from a great height or hit them on hard edges - otherwise no magic tape will help.