When you look at this headline, you might be wondering what is a “rare craft collection”. The Balvenie have a slant on what it takes to create something with one’s own two hands and do it here in the USA – just like they do when they make scotch whiskey in Scotland.
They hired Todd Snyder, a designer, to scour the US and curate out a unique collection of hand-crafted items!
DESIGNER & OUR CURATOR | NEW YORK, NEW YORK
www.toddsnyder.com
For as long as I can remember I’ve been inspired by everything creative: from art to music to food. The opportunity to curate The Balvenie’s Rare Craft Collection allowed me to discover entirely new frontiers of creativity through the amazing artists featured within. Every piece in this collection tells a story; from where the materials were sourced to how its maker acquired their skills and vision. Together they paint the narrative of America’s rare craft renaissance.
I am honored to be included among this group of artisans and help shine a light on their dedication to their respective crafts . I hope you are as inspired by their amazing work as I am.
Items featured in the video:
Graham Thompson OPTIMO HATS | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
www.optimohats.com
Millinery fashions may come and go, but thanks to Graham Thompson, Chicago’s high-end hat culture is alive and well. To honor the traditions of his trade, he uses original tools, supplies and techniques at his workshop, Optimo Hats, where all his pieces are one-of-a-kind. Fans include Robert de Niro and John Lee Hooker.
In January 2013, he received The Balvenie Rare Craft Fellowship award.
Stephen Bradway SDB COPPERSMITH | RIO GRANDE, NEW JERSEY
www.sdbcoppersmith.com
Coppersmith Stephen Bradway grew up in the sheet metal business. After a youth spent hammering copper into roof flashings, cupolas and skylights he turned his creative attention to products used inside the home. Under the vigilant eye of his mentor – Fred Haushouser – Stephen honed his skills, learning the rare and all-but-forgotten craft of traditional coppersmithing.
Today he employs techniques that predate the Industrial Revolution—a time when crafts were utilitarian and functional rather than decorative—to craft his pieces. Forging a single copper kettle, like the one featured here, takes Stephen three laborious days over anvil and furnace. Hammering, heating, cooling and re-hammering, he joins each piece using traditional rivets & dovetailed seams.
Scott Hofert COLSENKEANE LEATHER | CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
www.colsenkeane.com
Scott Hofert is proud to be in the heirloom-making business. With a design aesthetic rooted in practicality, the beauty of his leather satchels and accessories lies in their rugged utility. As he likes to say, they are pieces your grandchildren will fight over someday.
Scott’s process begins by hand-selecting the hide from which he’ll cut the leather to make each satchel. From there, the hide is scored and cut into hand-perforated pieces that can be stitched together. Once the bag is sewn up, he adds the belts, handle and shoulder strap. The result is a leather satchel made to endure a lifetime of living.
Rick Kelly KELLY GUITARS | NEW YORK, NEW YORK
www.kellyguitars.com
Rick Kelly makes his guitars from white pine lumber reclaimed from Manhattan’s oldest buildings, including the legendary Chelsea Hotel. In his hands the wood, which he lovingly dubs the “Bones of Old New York,” is reimagined into Fender bodies—each a vessel for both music and history.
The piece donated to this collection, Rick’s Bowery Pine Telecaster guitar, epitomizes his vision and craft. Its body was constructed using 140-year-old reclaimed white pine from Chumley’s —a Prohibition-era speakeasy frequented by John Steinbeck and William Faulkner. The neck is crafted from turn-of-the-century Douglas fir salvaged from the landmark Chelsea Hotel. Rick milled the reclaimed lumber in his NYC shop on Carmine Street. Using hand tools from start to finish, he crafted the wood into the guitar’s classic T-style electric body shape.
David C. Cook HOOSIER BAT CO. | VALPARAISO, INDIANA
www.hoosierbat.com
David Cook has long advocated a return to wooden baseball bats for America’s greatest pastime. A former major league scout, David’s bats have been used by giants of the game from Sammy Sosa to Lance Johnson. Travel to Cooperstown and you’ll discover two of David’s bats in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Displayed here is David’s classic WoodForce 2000. Each bat is made to order and features a patented three wood design: ash for the handle, hickory in the sweet spot and maple at the base. Once constructed, each bat is hand sanded, dipped in varnish and hung to dry. Before it’s shipped, David adds one final touch: Hoosier Bat’s signature golden tri-stripe around the handle.
There are so many more gifts in the RARE CRAFT Collection from The Balvenie Distillery… such amazing items!
Hit this link to check out the rest of this “must have” items: The Balvenie RARE CRAFT COLLECTION
Thanks to David Laird, The Balvenie Ambassador and also Joan Shaeffer for arranging this!
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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These are really well done. Amazon Prime will not be able to deliver any of these!!!
I really love balvenie, excellent whisky