Behind the Bottles: The Flag That Wouldn't Leave My Head

Some projects start with a customer request.

Others start because you wake up one morning and can't stop thinking about them.

This was one of those.

We've built American flags before, but this one was different. I kept picturing a flag that felt quieter. Something with a little attitude, but not loud about it.

So we grabbed a reclaimed whiskey barrel, headed into the shop, and started cutting. The goal was simple: black on black.

Just a subdued American flag that lets the wood, the grain, and the craftsmanship do the talking.

One detail I was determined to get right was the hardware. I didn't want screws breaking up the face of the flag, so we engineered hidden mounting hardware into the ends of the staves. It's one of

those little details most people will never notice, which usually means we spent way too much time figuring it out.

As with just about everything we build, this one fought back.

Getting the finish just right took some experimenting. There were a few moments where I wondered if the picture in my head was actually possible. That's part of making things by hand. Sometimes the material wins a round before you do.

In the end, we got exactly what we were after, a bold, understated piece that looks different depending on how the light hits it.

Is it perfect?

Nope.

And that's okay.

Every build teaches us something. We've already got a list of tweaks for the next one because that's just how we work. Every project is a chance to learn something new and make the next one a little better.

People sometimes ask what happens to our prototypes.

Most of the time, they stay right here in the shop.

They're reminders of ideas that started as sketches, became sawdust, and eventually turned into products we're proud to share. This Blackout Flag will probably stay with us too.

Not because it's perfect.

But because it's where the story started.