What is Kerf Select?
Once in a while, we get a piece of wood that is truly remarkable. Though it shares a tree with many other boards, it has an interesting knot in just the right place, or it shimmers in the sun in a special way, or it has a spalting pattern that couldn't be reproduced in a billion years.
Other times, we get in a nice piece of wood from a rare source, but we can only make a handful of cases from it. We'd run out of it before we even had enough cases to photograph for our website!
If those two rarities combine, we have woods that are ultra-rare and ultra-striking, that requires a venue of its own to show off its beauty.
How Does Kerf Select Work?
Kerf Select lets us connect these one-of-a-kind, exclusive pieces of wood with people who admire fine woodworking and quality craftsmanship, and deliver a more personal service than what we can offer at scale. The cases offered through Kerf Select are not available on our website and are offered monthly through an exclusive email list, for which you can sign up free of charge.
Cases we offer on Kerf Select will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and we will specify if other cases like it are available. We encourage you to contact us for photographs, product information, and other considerations; the email update is hopefully the jumping-off point for an ongoing conversation about the perfect case.
Why is this a thing?
When we ask ourselves, "What sets us apart from the crowd?", ultimately the answer boiled down to three basic things:
- Design and Process: To our knowledge, we make the only one-piece, wraparound wood phone case on the market (please correct us if we're wrong!) Our design and manufacturing process is finicky enough that it is difficult to copy us, giving us a unique advantage in a field of similar products.
- Variety of species: Our magpie-like wood collection tendencies have resulted in a shop full of little bits of this and that, and that has translated to a staggering variety of options for woodworking enthusiasts of all kinds. While maintaining our database of case varieties (which grows exponentially with every phone release) is a daunting task, the feedback that we get from customers who appreciate the choices we offer make it worth it.
- Personal Service: As a small company with a dedicated customer base, we can spend a lot more quality time on our customers than other companies. If you've reached out to us for personalized engravings, or a peek at our wood supply, or with questions about wood or our process or our favorites, I hope you'd back us up on that! Working with someone to get them exactly the product they're looking for is the best part of my job.
During our brainstorming sessions, we came across a way for us to take the best parts of Kerf and supercharge them. We've been hard at work on making this project a reality, and we're excited that we have a good excuse to go spelunking in our wood collection.
How much will Kerf Select cases cost?
Many of these cases will be priced for their value as fine woodworking pieces, and accounting for the rarity of the wood cuts they are made from, so don't be surprised to see some high numbers in there! Before you get sticker shock, know that we are dedicated to making Kerf Select affordable as well. We will offer cases across our price range to make sure that there's something special for everyone.
How do I get started?
You can get added to our email list by filling out this form. Our first issue goes out on Friday, January 19th, at 4:00 EST. Once you are subscribed, you will continue to receive updates monthly until you unsubscribe.
While we are making and featuring a limited number of cases per month, we are always open to collaborating with customers to make something special! Please contact us if you'd like to work with us.
We hope you're as excited for Kerf Select as we are, and let us know what you think!
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!
