Why we love Earlywood Designs

With the increase of cooking activity in households, we can’t help but turn to Earlywood Designs for their durable kitchen products. Their kitchen tools range from rolling pins to flat spatulas to servers, all beautifully made with function and form in mind. 

Founded by Brad Bernhardt, an engineer by trade, Earlywood products are all handmade in Red Lodge, Montana, using high quality hardwood that can withstand daily use. So what makes Earlywood a BuyMeOnce product? Here are the reasons why.

Durability

Earlywood’s kitchen utensils are available in a range of different hardwoods, all chosen for their exceptional durability and density. Aesthetics-wise, the hardwoods present a range of stunning four colors that will compliment any kitchen color scheme or style. Characteristics that Brad had to consider when choosing woods were the wood’s oil content, whether the wood was porous, its density and its toxicity, even down to the odor or whether it can stain linens. 

In the end, Maple wood, Bloodwood, Jatoba and Mexican Ebony were chosen as the four woods to make into Earlywood’s range of spreaders, flat spatulas, servers and stirrers.

Jatoba has a wavy interlocking grain and comes in either a deep red or yellowish brown color. Known as a very strong wood with shock and rot resistant properties, Jatoba is commonly used in industrial settings such as flooring and tool handles. The hue can sometimes darken with age and as with all Earlywood products, can last for a lifetime with the right amount of care.

Hard Maple, most commonly used for products that will hold up to a lot of abuse, is one of the hardest woods in North America. With light tones ranging from buttery yellow to gold, it is commonly used for gym floors, baseball bats or butcher blocks. It can be identified with its straight grain and fine pores.

Bloodwood, with its dramatic rich hues ranging from pinkish red to reddish brown, is the densest wood out of the four and is almost as strong as stainless steel. Some of its characteristics include small pores, irregular grain patterns and a fine texture. Bloodwood also ages nicely, retaining most of its color.

Mexican Ebony is identified by its unique coloring, which is typically dark black with purple shades and a light yellow edge from time to time. Practically waterproof and unbreakable, Mexican Ebony is most commonly used in flooring and fine furniture. Its hue lightens first and darkens with age.

Versatility and Ergonomically Designed

Earlywood’s products are designed to have the everyday cook in mind. Ergonomically friendly and versatile, the tools can be used for a variety of settings. Take for example Earlywood’s bestselling flat sauté, a thin spatula that’s made out of a single piece of wood. The beauty of its long straight edges allow it to be used with just about anything: from mixing, scraping, flipping and even tossing salads, if two sautés are used. 

Even handles are considered, with shapes that are easy to grip and comfortable, some long enough to be used in jugs. The deep bowls in Earlywood’s ladles and serving spoons also allow them to be used with the thickest stews and soups, ready to easily dig in. 

American Made Products

Proudly made in the USA, buying Earlywood products supports the local economy. All of Earlywood’s products are handmade in Red Lodge, a pocket of wilderness paradise located at the base of Beartooth Mountains in Montana. A small team manufactures these products and rigorously checks them before dispatching them around the country, making sure that no products have any defects such as cracks or grain orientations that can cause warping. 

Sustainability

All of Earlywood products are backed with a lifetime guarantee, saving the environment and our customers money.

Sourcing out the best hardwoods means looking past North America. While some of the hardwoods are sourced within the continent, some are sourced in Central and South America. To offset this, Earlywood donates $1 per order to plant trees in Brazil. They also use lumber efficiently, ensuring that scraps such as sawdust and even lumber pieces are repurposed. 

Scrap pieces that are big enough are sold as pen blanks, which are used to turn into lathes that would eventually end up as wooden pens. Sawdust is mixed with newspaper pulp to create recycled fire logs, all done locally and sold around Red Lodge by yet another local entrepreneur!  

There’s an Earlywood product for just about anyone, whether they’re a baker, a weekend cook, a cocktail enthusiast or a salad fanatic. Their kitchen utensil sets are also perfect for first home nesters, weddings and birthdays!

Check out Earlywood’s range here.

You can also check out our other durable kitchen gadgets here.