September 13, 2009
global microbrand: best made axes
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Seth Godin and John T. Unger, two voices I listen to very carefully, recommended me this Global Microbrand, independently of each another: Best Made Company.
Best Made make customized axes. Like it says on their webpage:
NOTHING WITHOUT AN AXE:
Every high-rise condo, luxury office, executive suite, ranch house, and farmstead must have an axe in it. We know that axes shouldn’t only be in the hands of lumberjacks: anyone and everyone should have an axe in their name. Put it in your cubicle, give it to your niece as a graduation present, or your dad for father’s day (or better yet mom for mother’s day), bring it to the company picnic, carry it to the door next time Jehovah’s Witness come knocking, or just lean it up against your living room wall and admire. An axe is indispensable and sublime, the epitome of self-reliance and independence, a perfect design object, a timeless instrument.
I swapped emails with one of the company’s founders, Graeme. Turns out he and his business partner, Peter, like myself, spent their teenage summers canoe-tripping up in Northern Ontario, where believe me, a good axe is both an indispensable and highly revered piece of kit. So that’s where the love comes from.
I’ve held one of their axes in my own two hands– beautifully made, lovely to hold and to look at.
Good luck to these folk, I say…
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Tags: Best Made company, Global Microbrand, John T Unger, Seth Godin
That statement is excellent. Bourne from true passion, a way to make everyone feel like how could they live without one? how HAVE they lived without one?
That’s the way a lot of things are sold to people.
Peace,
@vinylart
I always wonder how ventures like this do. You cannot fake a good axe…but can you charge enough and sell enough to make a living?
Often people who love what they make do not care.
Also– many times I am shocked at how much a niche, premium business rakes in.
I think these axes are much more art than tool…but maybe not.
As a proud Best Made axe owner I will say that these axes are very much a tool to be used. I’ve used mine to great lengths. As was said above to can’t fake a good axe. It’s a beautiful tool!
That spiel makes me think I need an axe even though I have never used an axe in my life!
As a woodsman who spends quite a bit of time with an axe in his hand have a look at this Swedish Supplier. I think they are probably the best Axe makers around.
http://www.gransfors.com
[…] Made makes customized axes. I found out about them from reading Hugh’s site. They’ve created a niche. A micromarket. And a successful one. They sell $350 […]
Just what exactly does everybody in this article say when they call at the door?
[…] Hugh MacLeod coined the term Global Microbrand. […]