People shopping for a new phone case have a galaxy of options to adorn their most important piece of technology. There is a virtually endless array of styles, colors, materials, and patterns available online and in stores. With all that is available, what makes KerfCase stand out?
Three things set KerfCase apart from the crowd if you’re looking for a truly unique piece of craftsmanship, made with care and personalized for every customer. Read on to see if KerfCase is the right case for you.
1. KerfCase creates handmade wooden phone cases from Natural Materials.
The vast majority of phone cases are made from plastic. Plastic is the preferred material for large case manufacturers due to its low cost, ability to be molded and cast, and durability. While plastic is a remarkable material, it is not a natural material by any definition. Manufacturing plastic is a dirty and fossil-fuel heavy process, and the end result is a material that isn’t biodegradable, is difficult to recycle, and is thrown away by the ton every day, filling up our landfills and oceans.
When KerfCase was founded, we knew that eschewing this cheap and plentiful material would require a lot of creativity and hard work, but that our products would be more special, and more sustainable, as a result.
Which brings us to wood.
An Amish barn raising.
Wood has been humanity’s go-to resource for thousands of years due to its flexibility, sturdiness and beauty. Each tree grows differently, and the grain pattern of each board tells a story about the tree it was taken from. No two wood grains are alike, which makes it easy for us to guarantee that every case we make is one-of-a-kind.
We encourage our customers to contact us for pictures of our current wood stock, to help them pick the grain pattern that speaks to them. From our affordable walnut, cherry, and maple cuts, all the way up to our limited edition spalted and burl offerings, there are a dazzling variety of looks available to match your personal tastes. Say hi by email or on facebook, and we’ll show you what we have in stock.
We’ve selected a deep orange mahogany for someone who wanted the best wooden phone case to match their basement bar, a maple case with just the right amount of spalting for a discerning woodworker, and a variety of branded sycamore cases for a young company focused on sustainability. No other material would give us the freedom to tailor our products for individual customers, and surprise us with new patterns and hues every time we saw through our raw lumber.
Wood is flexible and repairable, which comes in handy if your case takes a fall or starts to crack. We offer free lifetime repairs on every wood phone case. Simply ship your case back to us and our repair team will carefully restore the wood with a mixture of glue, sawdust, and years of woodworking experience. Plus, with a composition of 90% wood, our cases are extremely sustainable and biodegradable!
2. KerfCase Makes Cases by Hand.
Wood can be temperamental: it expands and contracts depending on the temperature, there are variations in grain pattern and imperfections like knots and checks. For this reason, it’s very unlikely that a large phone case manufacturer could mass-produce quality wood phone cases. Our cases are always handmade and triple checked for fit and quality.
At KerfCase, we’ve turned these imperfections into strengths. After making thousands of cases over the years, we’ve really nailed how to make a wooden phone case, and we’ve come to discover that the imperfections that would get tossed from a factory line create some of our most beautiful pieces of work. Want to work with us to see our wood selection and select the perfect grain pattern? We’re just a message away.
When you buy a KerfCase, you’re not buying a mass-produced unit off a factory line overseas. From lumber to lining, we use elbow grease and state-of-the art technology to craft handmade wooden phone cases every step of the way, including the buttons, the lining, and the packaging.
We do not take any shortcuts during the production process. We do all of our wood processing in our shop, then feed our boards into a cutting-edge CNC machine. Once our robots have carved the basic shape, we install the friction lining and laser-cut holes for ports and buttons.
Each case is lined with a patented layer of laser-cut wood veneer around the edges to keep your phone firmly held in place, but easily removable. Over that is a lining of Ultra-Suede to prevent scratching on your iPhone. Clickable wood buttons are laser-cut from the same wood the case is made from and installed by hand.
Finally, we hand-finish our cases twice with an oil-wax blend that seals the case and protects it, while saturating vivifying the colors in the grain. All told, making a case takes a week and over 30 separate steps.
3. KerfCase Puts Design First.
We recognize that our cases aren’t for everyone. It is impossible to compete with $5 plastic cases hanging on a rack at a gas station, so we don’t try to. People who rely on a bulky box to protect their phone are unlikely to be swayed away.\
But for those of us who appreciate good design and good craftsmanship, who admire the beauty of their surroundings and possessions and feel enriched by owning unique, quality work, it’s really tough to beat KerfCase.
There is a large demand for stylish phone cases using unique materials, and many business strategies for meeting that need. Before clicking on the first wooden phone case Amazon brings up, know your options in this space and choose the case that’s right for you.
Many wood phone cases are simply wood veneer or bamboo wrapped around a plastic case, imported from overseas. While giving the appearance of a wood finish, the feel and impossible thinness of these cases give them away.
Some companies advertise a “real wood” case, but simply apply a wood surface to a plastic fixture. These strategies allow for a low selling cost and easier quality control, but we think this is a missed opportunity to show some real craftsmanship.
Other companies provide handmade wood cases, but rely on several interlocking pieces or adhesive to give the feel of an all-around wood phone case, without actually being one. While many of these cases are well-designed and well-made, we’ve put a lot of thought, and more than a few prototypes, toward a one-piece, all-around design with no seams or separate parts, with consistent grain and coloring. You can reach out to us after ordering a case to pick the perfect grain for you, and trust in our lifetime repair policy to keep your case in pristine condition for as long as you own it.
When you own a KerfCase, you own a unique object, crafted with care and personalized to your preferences. From the type of wood, to the individual grain pattern, to the variety of personal engraving options (a favorite quote, a company logo, a funny doodle), the case you receive will be yours in every imaginable way. Each of our cases has a story, and each is lovingly crafted to deliver a message of sustainability and style. Order now, or contact us by email or social media, and we can start a new story just for you.
Phil Giammattei likes to wear lots of different hats. Formerly employed at Apple, Google and Oracle, he loves applying his technical knowledge to making the best possible custom wooden phone cases. In addition to writing the Kerf Blog, Phil’s duties at KerfCase include customer service, sales, production, shipping and fulfillment, and anywhere else he can be helpful. Reach Out to say hi and find out what choice cuts we have in stock!
