diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java
index f751adb95..2f6ca2ab2 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/MetaItemStack.java
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ package com.earth2me.essentials;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.textreader.BookInput;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.textreader.BookPager;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.textreader.IText;
+import com.earth2me.essentials.utils.EnumUtil;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.utils.FormatUtil;
+import com.earth2me.essentials.utils.MaterialUtil;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.utils.NumberUtil;
 import com.google.common.base.Joiner;
 import net.ess3.api.IEssentials;
@@ -103,10 +105,6 @@ public class MetaItemStack {
         completePotion = true;
     }
 
-    private boolean isPotion(Material type) {
-        return type.name().endsWith("POTION");
-    }
-
     public boolean canSpawn(final IEssentials ess) {
         try {
             ess.getServer().getUnsafe().modifyItemStack(stack.clone(), "{}");
@@ -164,16 +162,8 @@ public class MetaItemStack {
             return;
         }
 
-        Material banner = null;
-        Material shield = null;
-
-        try {
-            // 1.8
-            banner = Material.valueOf("BANNER");
-
-            // 1.9
-            shield = Material.valueOf("SHIELD");
-        } catch(IllegalArgumentException ignored){}
+        Material WRITTEN_BOOK = EnumUtil.getMaterial("WRITTEN_BOOK");
+        Material SHIELD = EnumUtil.getMaterial("SHIELD"); // 1.9
 
         if (split.length > 1 && split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("name") && hasMetaPermission(sender, "name", false, true, ess)) {
             final String displayName = FormatUtil.replaceFormat(split[1].replace('_', ' '));
@@ -191,16 +181,16 @@ public class MetaItemStack {
         } else if (split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("unbreakable") && hasMetaPermission(sender, "unbreakable", false, true, ess)) {
             boolean value = split.length > 1 ? Boolean.valueOf(split[1]) : true;
             setUnbreakable(stack, value);
-        } else if (split.length > 1 && (split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("player") || split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("owner")) && (stack.getType() == Material.SKELETON_SKULL || stack.getType() == Material.WITHER_SKELETON_SKULL) && hasMetaPermission(sender, "head", false, true, ess)) {
-            if (stack.getDurability() == 3) {
+        } else if (split.length > 1 && (split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("player") || split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("owner")) && hasMetaPermission(sender, "head", false, true, ess)) {
+            if (MaterialUtil.isPlayerHead(stack.getType(), stack.getDurability())) {
                 final String owner = split[1];
                 final SkullMeta meta = (SkullMeta) stack.getItemMeta();
-                meta.setOwner(owner);
+                meta.setOwningPlayer(ess.getServer().getOfflinePlayer(owner));
                 stack.setItemMeta(meta);
             } else {
                 throw new Exception(tl("onlyPlayerSkulls"));
             }
-        } else if (split.length > 1 && split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("book") && stack.getType() == Material.WRITTEN_BOOK && (hasMetaPermission(sender, "book", true, true, ess) || hasMetaPermission(sender, "chapter-" + split[1].toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH), true, true, ess))) {
+        } else if (split.length > 1 && split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("book") && stack.getType() == WRITTEN_BOOK && (hasMetaPermission(sender, "book", true, true, ess) || hasMetaPermission(sender, "chapter-" + split[1].toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH), true, true, ess))) {
             final BookMeta meta = (BookMeta) stack.getItemMeta();
             final IText input = new BookInput("book", true, ess);
             final BookPager pager = new BookPager(input);
@@ -208,42 +198,44 @@ public class MetaItemStack {
             List<String> pages = pager.getPages(split[1]);
             meta.setPages(pages);
             stack.setItemMeta(meta);
-        } else if (split.length > 1 && split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("author") && stack.getType() == Material.WRITTEN_BOOK && hasMetaPermission(sender, "author", false, true, ess)) {
+        } else if (split.length > 1 && split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("author") && stack.getType() == WRITTEN_BOOK && hasMetaPermission(sender, "author", false, true, ess)) {
             final String author = FormatUtil.replaceFormat(split[1]);
             final BookMeta meta = (BookMeta) stack.getItemMeta();
             meta.setAuthor(author);
             stack.setItemMeta(meta);
-        } else if (split.length > 1 && split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("title") && stack.getType() == Material.WRITTEN_BOOK && hasMetaPermission(sender, "title", false, true, ess)) {
+        } else if (split.length > 1 && split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("title") && stack.getType() == WRITTEN_BOOK && hasMetaPermission(sender, "title", false, true, ess)) {
             final String title = FormatUtil.replaceFormat(split[1].replace('_', ' '));
             final BookMeta meta = (BookMeta) stack.getItemMeta();
             meta.setTitle(title);
             stack.setItemMeta(meta);
-        } else if (split.length > 1 && split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("power") && (stack.getType() == Material.FIREWORK_ROCKET || stack.getType() == Material.FIREWORK_STAR)&& hasMetaPermission(sender, "firework-power", false, true, ess)) {
+        } else if (split.length > 1 && split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("power") && (MaterialUtil.isFirework(stack.getType()))&& hasMetaPermission(sender, "firework-power", false, true, ess)) {
             final int power = NumberUtil.isInt(split[1]) ? Integer.parseInt(split[1]) : 0;
             final FireworkMeta meta = (FireworkMeta) stack.getItemMeta();
             meta.setPower(power > 3 ? 4 : power);
             stack.setItemMeta(meta);
         } else if (split.length > 1 && split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("itemflags") && hasMetaPermission(sender, "itemflags", false, true, ess)) {
             addItemFlags(string);
-        } else if (stack.getType() == Material.FIREWORK_ROCKET || stack.getType() == Material.FIREWORK_STAR) {//WARNING - Meta for fireworks will be ignored after this point.
+        } else if (MaterialUtil.isFirework(stack.getType())) {//WARNING - Meta for fireworks will be ignored after this point.
             addFireworkMeta(sender, false, string, ess);
-        } else if (isPotion(stack.getType())) { //WARNING - Meta for potions will be ignored after this point.
+        } else if (MaterialUtil.isPotion(stack.getType())) { //WARNING - Meta for potions will be ignored after this point.
             addPotionMeta(sender, false, string, ess);
-        } else if (banner != null && stack.getType() == banner) { //WARNING - Meta for banners will be ignored after this point.
+        } else if (MaterialUtil.isBanner(stack.getType())) {
+            //WARNING - Meta for banners will be ignored after this point.
             addBannerMeta(sender, false, string, ess);
-        } else if (shield != null && stack.getType() == shield) { //WARNING - Meta for shields will be ignored after this point.
+        } else if (SHIELD != null && stack.getType() == SHIELD) { //WARNING - Meta for shields will be ignored after this point.
             addBannerMeta(sender, false, string, ess);
-        } else if (split.length > 1 && (split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("color") || split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("colour")) && (stack.getType() == Material.LEATHER_BOOTS || stack.getType() == Material.LEATHER_CHESTPLATE || stack.getType() == Material.LEATHER_HELMET || stack.getType() == Material.LEATHER_LEGGINGS)) {
+        } else if (split.length > 1 && (split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("color") || split[0].equalsIgnoreCase("colour")) && MaterialUtil.isLeatherArmor(stack.getType())) {
             final String[] color = split[1].split("(\\||,)");
-            if(color.length == 1 && (NumberUtil.isInt(color[0]) || color[0].startsWith("#"))) { // int rgb and hex
+            if (color.length == 1 && (NumberUtil.isInt(color[0]) || color[0].startsWith("#"))) {
+                // Either integer or hexadecimal
                 final LeatherArmorMeta meta = (LeatherArmorMeta) stack.getItemMeta();
                 String input = color[0];
-                if(input.startsWith("#")) {
+                if (input.startsWith("#")) { // Hex
                     meta.setColor(Color.fromRGB(
                         Integer.valueOf(input.substring(1, 3), 16),
                         Integer.valueOf(input.substring(3, 5), 16),
                         Integer.valueOf(input.substring(5, 7), 16)));
-                } else {
+                } else { // Int
                     meta.setColor(Color.fromRGB(Integer.parseInt(input)));
                 }
                 stack.setItemMeta(meta);
@@ -287,7 +279,7 @@ public class MetaItemStack {
     }
 
     public void addFireworkMeta(final CommandSource sender, final boolean allowShortName, final String string, final IEssentials ess) throws Exception {
-    if (stack.getType() == Material.FIREWORK_ROCKET || stack.getType() == Material.FIREWORK_STAR) {
+    if (MaterialUtil.isFirework(stack.getType())) {
             final String[] split = splitPattern.split(string, 2);
             if (split.length < 2) {
                 return;
@@ -359,7 +351,7 @@ public class MetaItemStack {
     }
 
     public void addPotionMeta(final CommandSource sender, final boolean allowShortName, final String string, final IEssentials ess) throws Exception {
-        if (isPotion(stack.getType())) {
+        if (MaterialUtil.isPotion(stack.getType())) {
             final String[] split = splitPattern.split(string, 2);
 
             if (split.length < 2) {