Introducing the Wood Block. Simplicity in display.

At Saw & Mitre we don't want to make products just because we can.  If we put our name to something we want it to first and foremost, be of exceptional quality and craftsmanship.  We also want to add something of value to the marketplace that doesn't currently exist - not just more noise.  So when it came to creating a simple way to display photos without a traditional frame we looked to the idea of creating wood blocks but not without putting our own stamp on them.  While we are certainly not the first to come up with this idea, the options in the marketplace seems to be either or poor quality or not something we'd want to display our own photographs on our shelves at home.  So Here are a couple of the key design points we went with.

1. Quality of Materials and Craftsmanship

The woods we use in our frames and now in our wood blocks is sustainably harvested, premium timber from Vermont.  Each wood block is milled and painted by hand.  If we don't like the way it looks, we won't send it out.

2. Wood Grain & Colors

The great part about using such high quality hardwood is that we never have to really worry about how our products will look.  We know they'll look good and it's all due to Mother Nature's handiwork.

We've also made our Ash wood blocks available in several different colors other than the natural wood colors found in Ash, Maple and Walnut.  These colors include: Black, White, Gold Bar, Ballet Slipper, Turquoise, and Coral.  

The beauty of using Ash with these colors is that when painted, the natural qualities of Ash allows the wood grain to show through despite the paint (unlike Maple, for example, which becomes smooth when painted).  

3. Size

Our wood blocks are substantial, they're not a measly piece of wood that's going to be sitting on your shelf or desk.  When designing them we wanted to toe the line between cost and size.  Go too big and the cost of the wood gets to be expensive, and go to small and it doesn't give enough visual mass to make it interesting.  We also wanted to pair our wood blocks with larger prints, up to 8" x 12" and we felt the size we eventually landed on is the perfect mix.  (We've even but prints of up to 12" x 18" in the wood blocks and they performed great!).

Our wood blocks are now available.  Let us know what you think!