This bottle opener works great! After extensive research, I built this opener for the serious aficionado. The cast aluminum opener is built to outlast most heavy beer drinkers and the leather pouch efficiently and accurately catches the caps. The bottom snap allows for quick and easy dumping of caps all at once. The wood backing on these is Western Juniper salvaged from a firewood pile. I can also use Barnwood, Oak, Black Walnut, Hickory, or several others reclaimed from flooring. With super strong magnets on the back, it looks like a magic trick. However, you only see the real magic when you use it. These things work beautifully! Also, the contrast of wood attached to metal gives a unique look that is very aesthetically pleasing. The leather can be laser engraved with almost anything you like with really nice results, which I can do for an additional $20.
A Maker who has been a valued part of this community for several years.
Customers say that this Maker ships promptly after completing a project.
This Maker has consistently demonstrated excellence in craftsmanship and customer service.
Founded in 2005 by Brian Wachs, Elegant Woodworking Gifts creates elegant, custom-made wooden products using the highest quality products while keeping the local community intact. We also do our best to make a positive impact on the world around us.
To appreciate the beauty, intricacy, and character of each piece pays homage to our natural world and reduces the culture of a mass-produced, disposable, and irresponsible mentality.
Producing the highest quality products while keeping the local community intact is important to us, so we buy local products and services whenever possible.
Brian Wachs is a local artist who works as a natural resources teacher in his spare time. Much of the inspiration for his work stems from his love of the outdoors and results in both a technical understanding of detailed species, characteristics, and science of his products balanced with an immense reverence for the beauty and mystery of nature. Look for the fine details and nuances to appreciate the imperfections and inconsistencies that make natural products so wonderful and unique. Enjoy these products and please take the opportunity to learn about your new and useful work of art.
A guide to the best items from the best makers and the stories behind them.
Marcus Trawick
For Unique Wood Dip PenVery nice experience. He customized it exactly as I'd hoped he would. It has now become my favorite pen out of many others.
Marcus Trawick
For Unique Wood Dip PenIt's nice and well made.
Steven Benton
For Custom Build A Wood Turned Lighted Display Base For Uplighting For Your Prized PossessionWow! Love the beautiful lighted base that Brian made for me. I have a second project in mics for Brian to do for me.
Thomas Cochran
For Custom Built Mahogany Box With Ebony Accents And Worm-Eaten And Tiger-Striped Myrtlewood TopBeautiful work. A minor problem with the shipping, but otherwise I was quite happy with the product.
Lauren Mayer
For Smaller dovetailed box using four woodsMy box is beautiful! Thanks Brian for making it custom and keeping to the timeline I needed. It is exactly what I asked for.
cory watson
For Magnetic Bottle OpenersBottle opener w custom engraving is awsome. I got it for a wedding gift and they LOVED it, shocked/surprised aswell, working w Brian was great and look forward to some of his other work in the future! ????
Cordell
For Custom Built Wooden Rollerball Slim Twist PenCustom-made pen turned out beautifully. Maker was easy to work with. Would work with him again.
Amy Lillis
For Wooden Business Card Holder With Custom EngravingThe final product arrived several days after promised. I also realize I should have provided more details about the custom engraving (i.e., I wanted more than just the carved block letters of the name, but also wanted them woodburned).
Emma Langley
For Classic Custom Built Wooden Fountain Pen (Choose The Wood You Like) - Free ShippingGreat experience working with Brian. He was able to make a gift for me with the tight turnaround I needed. Thank you!
Benjamin Blaich
For Wine Cask Pens -Custom Built Rollerball Twist PenThe product was outstanding, the maker was a joy to work with, and my only qualm is that the project took a few days longer to ship than expected. Frankly, I'm only mentioning that so it doesn't seem like I'm giving a blanket five out of five review and not putting any thought into it. This is my first purchase on this site and the maker definitely did not disappoint.
Dave
For Rollerball Pen/Touch StylusGreat experience overall. Very pleased with the product and artist's communication.
Laura
For Map of Greece Cutting BoardThis was my first time working with CustomMade, and I am very pleased. The cutting board Brian from Elegant Woodworking made for me is just what I wanted and will make a beautiful wedding gift. Thank you!
Neil
For ChessboardLack of effective communication and serious change to plans that wasn't approved. Board arrived in 3 pieces. Measuring, the board is almost an inch out of square, the parts in one section look thrown together and do not align as in the plans and are all flush with the lower plane rather than alternating between the lower plane and the raised trim. I am glad that I decided to have a second board made by a different artist shortly after commissioning this one.