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Saturday, April 12, 2014

NEW - Deluxe Brush/Razor hanging racks

I have been wanting to post about this new development for a while, but I had to get some products finished, and get some decent pictures. I have made some major improvements to the design my Brush/Razor rack, and here is the result of my redesign:


Finished bocote

The pegs are about 1/2" longer, which accomplishes two things: One, it allows the brushes to keep from touching the wall. With my initial design, some of the larger brushes would rest against the wall, which would create flat spots as the brush dried. This was in no way harmful to the brush, but it irritated me, so I changed the design to let them sit out a bit further. Secondly, it allows for two razors to be put into each razor slot, thereby doubling the razor capacity of the rack.
Bocote with brushes and razors


Raw bocote

So while all racks will be getting longer pegs, the rack pictured above is my new Deluxe Brush/Razor Rack. My initial design used a lumberyard grade red oak, which was stained. This produced a nice looking finished product, however, I recently discovered a local supplier for exotic hardwoods. The rack above is made from bocote, which is a very dense and beautiful hardwood from Central and South America. Generally, these exotic woods are at least twice the density of the lumberyard oak. But the greatest thing about them is their natural beauty. The rack above is not stained. That is the natural color of the wood, and the only thing I've done is sanded it and applied several coats of a high quality, oil-based urethane resin top coat. The picture to the right is the raw wood plank for the rack above looked like before any finishing.

The end result is truly spectacular. I don't want to downplay my original "standard" racks, because they were quite nice. However, the deluxe racks are in a completely different class. It's worth noting is that these racks are about 1/2" taller, and a full 24" in length. You may notice that there is an additional peg on the right end, which will allow you to put a couple more razors on it.

Of course, the exotic hardwood is not the same cost as lumberyard red oak. However, it is my desire to keep the cost as low as possible. Although these deluxe carry a higher price tag because of the cost of the materials, I am only increasing the final price by the difference in the price of the wood. The prices on the exotics vary by the actual wood, but they generally carry a $15 - $35 premium, with a few even higher depending on the wood. I'm also using premium hardwood dowels, which are about $7 more than the ones from the hardware store. I've created a list of woods. If you see one that you like, I can get an exact price, but keep in mind that not all woods are available all of the time. 

Marblewood - $85
White Ash - $75
Purpleheart - $80
Cocobolo - $110
Black Palm - $84
Curly Maple - $84
Bocote - $85
Wenge - $80
Lacewood - $78
Zebrawood - $82




Please note: All prices listed above are approximate, based on the cost of the wood. Wood prices can fluctuate significantly based on market prices. Please consider the above prices to be guidelines, not firm quotes.

I will still be making the standard racks available for $45 as a custom order, (plus $3 if you want a custom stain) however, I strongly recommend spending a little more on the deluxe version. I considered doing away with the standard version altogether, but I still want to have an offering for the budget conscious. However, my number one goal is 100% satisfaction, and I can honestly stand behind the increased quality of these deluxe racks.

Although much of my business will be made to order, which I'm quoting at 3-4 weeks, I do have a few that I'm currently finishing up to have on-hand for immediate purchase. Those include two made from Brazilian cherry, and one from an unbelievably gorgeous granadillo. Pictures and prices will be posted in a few days.

Thanks again for all the encouragement! This has been an incredibly fun project, and I get a great deal of enjoyment providing quality products to people. If you have any questions, comments, concerns or criticisms, or if you would like to place a custom order, please contact me at craig@thecraftybadger.com

-Craig

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Handmade Wooden Razor/Brush Racks

I'm excited to introduce a new product to my lineup. This wall mounted brush/razor rack will hold both brushes and razors, in any ratio you choose.



It may look like a normal razor rack or brush rack, but I've designed it to be both! The spacing pattern between the dowels is a unique pattern that I came up with, and it allows you the flexibility to choose any storage combination, and fits almost any standard razor and brush. Most razors can hang, head down, or head up. The rack pictured above is just under two feet long, and can hold 10 brushes, 10 razors, or any combination of the two, based on your needs.


In fact, if you want to go crazy and store your brushes brush-side-up, you could fit 10 and 10!


The rack and dowels are solid oak hardwood, sourced from suppliers in the USA. They are hand-stained and finished using the same techniques and level of care that I use for my boxes. I'm pricing these racks at $45 each, shipped, CONUS. I'm going to make them to order, so if you want a longer or shorter rack to fit in a specific area or store more hardware, I'm happy to accommodate. Anything shorter than 2 feet will remain the same price, and over 2 feet will be an additional $8/ft rounded up. Each foot will hold around 5 pieces of hardware. As they aren't nearly as complex as the boxes, please plan on about 5 days between ordering and shipment. As with the boxes, I don't require payment up front, just a gentlemanly agreement.

I've designed and built these boxes with the philosophy that every part is as good as it can be. Rather than take shortcuts, I've done everything I can to ensure that it's done right, and that it'll last you as long as your razor collection. Apart from the brass fittings (and maybe the stain) every part of this box is quality hand-crafted and hand finished in the USA. I've partnered with a friend who builds the unfinished wood boxes in his workshop with his sons, and I hand sand, stain and finish each one with the same attention to detail that I would put into a gift to a loved one. I've chosen materials of the highest quality, and made no compromises for the sake of speed or convenience. I personally stand behind every box I sell, and will do anything in my power to ensure that you're completely satisfied with your purchase.

As always, I welcome your feedback, good, bad or indifferent. Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

-Craig

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Handmade DE Storage Boxes

Since I started wet shaving, I've had a strong desire to start producing useful things for the community. I tried some experimentation with some pre-shave oils and some aftershaves, but none of them popped out as something that would be useful to the community.

Then RAD hit me. I started ordering razors left and right, and pretty soon, I needed a place to keep them all. Most of the den pictures here on B&B were the test-tube racks, but Mrs. chamm wouldn't have 20 razors sitting on our already over-crowded bathroom sink, so I had to get creative. After a couple rough-drafts, I created the prototype below. It is a re-purposed wine gift box to which I added a custom foam insert and made some holes to fit 14 razors. It passed Mrs. chamm's strict appearance standard and was allowed into the bedroom.

The only downside was that I got a few razors that were too long for the box. It fit vintage Gillettes just fine, but longer razors stuck up and made the lid difficult to close.

So I decided I would make something. I went through a couple more rough drafts and came up with a final design. It was not too big to put on a nightstand, but could safely and comfortably store up to 20 DE razors or handles. It fits my largest razors (Long handled Black Beauty and Weber PH with classic handle) and still closes easily. And now that I've got the process down, I'd like to make them available to my B&B brethren who are looking for a place to store their collection.



The internal dimensions are 10.5"W x 6"D x 5.5"H. (The bottom portion is 4.5" and the lid is 1") Aside from the brass hardware, the boxes are 100% hand made in the USA from solid 3/8" cherry hardwood. They are finished with a black cherry oil stain and hand-rubbed with several coats of oil based semi-gloss polyurethane for long lasting protection.


As I am making these, the guiding principle I follow is simple: I am making each one as I would make it for myself, or a family member. I use the finest materials I can, and take no shortcuts. I've also made every effort to ensure that the parts for these boxes are sourced from family-owned businesses and that the parts are made in the USA. They are made from solid hardwood, not plywood laminates that you see used in most mass-produced products. They are painstakingly finished by hand. I've opted to use slower curing oil based finishes rather than fast drying lacquers or water based acrylics; they are trickier to apply, but they protect the wood better, show the natural beauty of the wood and they last longer. In short, I've done everything I know so that these boxes will last at least as long as your collection.


The insert is made from charcoal grey custom fitted closed cell polyethylene foam. It is stiffer and holds up against occasional moisture better than the polyurethane upholstery foam commonly found at craft stores. It's also highly resistant to rot, bacteria, mold and mildew. It has very high shock absorption, and is non-abrasive. Although the foam and finish are resistant to the occasional splash of water, this box was designed to live in the bedroom, where you can rotate through your regular collection, keeping your sink top organized and clutter-free.


Finally, the insert is lined with luxurious high quality black velvet. I used the highest grade of velvet available, so it is very fine, and very soft. The wood underneath the insert is lined with soft felt, so if any of your razors are long enough to touch the bottom, they will not damage the wood of the box.

If you're interested in a different wood, or a different finish, I'm happy to quote prices for 3/8" Poplar, Red Oak or Maple hardwoods. They should be pretty similar in price to the cherry. I'm also more than happy to entertain orders for different sizes, however, keep in mind that the amount of cutting, gluing, sanding and finishing is not that much different, so I won't be able to reduce the price much for a smaller size. If you're looking for a different finish, or different hardware (Antique brass, nickel, etc) I can accommodate for a small additional fee. As I said above, I don't take shortcuts. With construction time, drying and sanding between coats, etc, they take at least 4 weeks from start to finish, so please take that into consideration if you'd like a custom order. I don't currently feel the need to ask for a deposit for custom or future orders, just a gentlemanly agreement to purchase when the product is completed.

Recently, I've partnered with a gentleman who is offering custom laser engraving. He has provided me with some samples of his work, however, I have not yet personally seen it on a finished box.


There is an additional $20 charge for custom engraving, and there are currently 4 different font options. I can provide samples of the additional fonts if you're interested. I will require a full deposit for any custom engraving.

Finally, as someone who is very conscientious about everything I do in life, I want to make sure each and every person who buys one of these is completely satisfied with their purchase. I have sold one of these to a B&B member, and he was very happy with his purchase. Buy with confidence that I will do what is necessary to ensure you feel you got a good value for your money.

Thank you for taking the time to read my listing, and please PM me with any questions, comments, compliments, criticisms or concerns. I am very eager to get some feedback on my work, and I would love to hear from you, even if you aren't making a purchase.

-Craig

I'm on a blog!

Although I have made my nest at Badger & Blade, the software on the site doesn’t allow updates to forum posts after a certain number of days. In the interest of being able to make updates to stock, photos, etc. I decided that I would place a lot of the detailed information on a blog, rather than on the forums. It just seems to make more sense, so that I don’t have links going to old descriptions using outdated materials.