The origin the word of "treen"

Karen at Greenwalks was asking about the etymology of the word "treen," which is used to describe a wooden utensil, door handle, latch, etc.

According to my Compact Oxford English Dictionary, the word is Middle English and derived from the Old English treowen (wooden), which in turn comes from treow (wood).

Here are a couple of examples from my gates:


I like using treen for things like handles and doors--it adds a little character and it costs nothing (frugal is good!). The handles last a long time, too. I have one on a screen door that are probably close to a decade old and shows no sign of wearing out.