limited production :: hand crafted :: high performance :: rechargeable :: premium flashlights

This is my blog about creating a startup LED flashlight business. I'm a designer, fabricator, and strategist and I'm passionate about making ideas real. I believe that products are about people, that they should be built to last, deliver real value, and that we need to do a better job than we have in the recent past.

Most of my career has been contract or freelance work and I've crafted products and strategies for both big international companies and startups. I also used to work in the "industry" fabricating special effects for film and TV, along with the occasional hot rod. Bottom line, I love making things.

I'm starting this blog so you can follow along, from day one, and see what it's like to start a business, or fail in the process. Only time will tell, but I hope you find this interesting enough to stay tuned, comment, link, like, tweet, and (most importantly) participate in turning this idea into something tangible and valuable.

For a good place to get started with general info about who, what, why, etc., check out the "Stickies" on the left side of the page. Thanks for stopping by and please don't hesitate to ask questions and get involved!

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

AUCTION: Custom Anodized Titanium Alpha Pens (10 pc Special Edition)

Hey Everyone!

This has been a long time coming. There is a fellow in the UK that does some amazing titanium anodizing; about the best I've ever seen. Here is a link to his Facebook page. Every piece is one-of-a-kind and I'm really excited about this collaboration!

I sent him 10 pens several months ago, and they have recently returned home. These Alpha Pens are beautiful and I'm sorry to part with any of them, but we didn't get all dressed up for nothing!

The 10 pens below are going up for auction on Ebay starting on September 1, 2014 : 9AM Pacific Time (5 day auction) 
  • No minimum bid and no reserve! The retail price for a standard Ti pen is $240.00
  • Each auction is spaced 30 minutes apart. The first pen will be posted at 9AM, the last pen at 1:30PM The auctions will close with the same 30 minute spacing, so if you miss one you can try for a different one. I have a feeling this won't make everyone happy, but after getting feedback from a number of people, this seems to be the most equitable format :) 
  • Please be advised: the brilliant colors will become muted because of the oils on your hands. The oil simply changes the way the surface reflects light. You can bring back the bright finish by cleaning with something like Windex. DO NOT clean the threads. Just spray the Windex on a towel and wipe down the outside. 
  • Auction Logistics: I have numbered the images 1-10 below and I intended this to be the listing order. However, the delight that is Ebay decided on it's own listing order. So, each auction has the pen number in the title (eg. 3 of 10), but the order the auctions will post to Ebay is basically random. As such, I recommend looking through the photos below, writing down the number of the pen you want, and then looking for that number in my Ebay store. Easy right?
  • Shipping: USPS Small Flat Rate Box is the ONLY shipping option. $6 Domestic, $20 Canada, $24 to the rest of the world. Please remember this is a flat rate with tracking and delivery confirmation. 
  • If you have questions, please post them here on my blog so other people can see the Q&A as well. 
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Here is the link to my Ebay store, you won't see anything until September 1, 2014 @ 9AM Pacific! 
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The photos: 

Number 1 of 10

Number 2 of 10

Number 3 of 10

Number 4 of 10

Number 5 of 10

Number 6 of 10

Number 7 of 10

Number 8 of 10

Number 9 of 10

Number 10 of 10