Frequently Asked Questions
How should I treat the charcuterie and cheese boards?
Our boards come treated with 6 coats of food grade, vitamin enriched oil, that enhance the natural look of the woodgrain, but also protect the wood. An oil finish on wood is not as permanent as a lacquer or enamel coat. It is all natural, and non- toxic and meets FDA standards for food contact.
To ensure the longevity of our cutting boards, rub them with butcher block oil once a month, or after intensive usage. Do not place them in the dishwasher. If you need to wash them, a quick rinse of water and a dry wipe down will do. If you use soap, use a mild kind. Don't use strong fat dissolvent dish soaps. They will dry out the wood very quickly and diminish its stability.
Don't let the boards sit in water or other liquids.
I want to place a large order of 10+ cutting boards with my company's logo on each one. Do I get a bulk discount?
If we were a large company with an assembly line, you probably would. Since we do everything by hand from scratch, large orders of the same item are quite a challenge for us, mainly because we have to secure supply first, before we can fulfill a large order. Burning in a logo is still done with a pyro pen on each item, so the time it takes us to finish a large order is increasing linearly to the time it takes us to finish one single order.
If you have a large order, please contact us first so we can check our wood supply to ensure we can carry out the commission.
I put an item in the cart. How can I have it customized?
You can add the customization service in the same section from which you chose your item. For example if you want to purchase the cheese board "Wildhaus", stay in the kitchen section of the shop and add the service "customization" to the cart. Customization requires you to contact Hendrix Woodcraft before placing the order. We will help you realize your idea the best way possible. We will also tell you whether your wanted customization is doable or not. If your paragon is useable, we will tell you how much time it requires to be burnt into the wood. After you know that number, you can finalize your order and proceed to the check out.
Do you have every item in stock?
No, we don't. If you order an item, it will be built from scratch, after we receive the order. Our online shop settings say that every item for sale is in stock. That means we can build one upon request, it does not necessarily mean that this item is built and ready to ship before you order it. We are a small business with limited space conditions. Supply is subject to demand, that's why you might wait a little longer for your product compared to a large company that has warehouses full of stock. The upside of it is you will own a 100% handmade, local, unique wooden item that cannot be found elsewhere.
My uncle did not like his cutting board for his 70th birthday. He turned 60. Can I return the item?
Unfortunately, you cannot. Every item we make and ship out for you is built as a direct result of your order. We are a small business and can only operate successfully by keeping our space conditions under control. We have a limited amount of wood in stock. Once you order something and it is built, all sales are final. Thank you for your consideration. If there is evidential damage in one of our products before you can use them, you may return it. For details please consult our terms and conditions.
Are your toys safe for kids?
We do everything possible to make the toys safe for your kids. This starts with the building process. We use non-toxic glues and finishes for our toys. With a few exceptions we rarely use screws or nails, the solid wooden parts are usually joined with wooden pegs rather than metal material that could stick out and hurt a child.
How can you justify using hardwoods to build items that could as well be made from plastic? Don't you want to do something against forest decline?
We mostly purchase scrap wood from big companies that handle larger loads of wood than we do on a daily basis. This scrap wood is literally 'saved from the fire', re-cut, planed, glued and sanded to optimally stable boards. This process is very time-consuming, but it gives us the assurance that we did not have to cut down one single tree for our beautiful wooden products.
How come you sell toy swords?
As a long-standing educator I believe a wooden sword is still a toy, not a weapon. I think in today's society, mainly in the school systems, the fact that sometimes we have to fight in life, is often ignored. Some school policies pretend that fighting as an element of life does not even exist. So many youngsters, especially boys, grow up with the warped idea that fighting equals violence and is therefore unnecessary or even malicious. Well, I strongly disagree. Fighting is not the problem. It's fighting dirty that becomes a problem, and, strangely, it is the grown ups who never learnt how to fight, who are the ones who don't know how to fight fair. Our wooden swords can be excellent tools to teach a child how to fight by the rules. A fair fight accommodates the sense of competition that is often levered out in classrooms nowadays. A wooden sword teaches responsibility. It is a toy that might cause a bruise, if handled improperly, so in a way, a kid has to earn trust under the care of an adult, before it can use the play sword in a fair game.
The play swords are not meant to be a toy that is picked up when someone is bored. It is an interactive toy that needs a parent to be present. We strongly advise parents not to buy their kids a wooden play sword to go out and play alone. Play with your kids and make the wooden sword a tool to teach chivalry, responsibility and the difference between a fighting spirit and futile violence.
Why don't you offer overnight shipping?
After you place an order with us, we start building the wanted item from scratch. Depending on how big that order is and on the current workshop capacity, that might take a few days. That's why we don't offer overnight shipping.
Why don't you ship certain items?
Large and heavy items such as furniture cannot be packed properly for shipment. Once again, we are a small business and our logistics department is the same person as the master craftsman :-) The cost of shipping furniture to you would be too high. However, we deliver to your house or you can pick up your order. We don't do road trips to California, as much fun as this might be, our delivery is confined to the State of Georgia and the neighboring States. Please consult our terms and conditions for further information on this matter.
I agreed to pick up my order on a certain date. Now I can't make it. Can you hold it for three weeks?
Unfortunately not. Especially if it is something big, like a farm table or a shelf. We are a small business, our space conditions are very limited. If you cannot pick up your order at the agreed on time, we unfortunately have to charge you a daily fee for storage.
Why are your toys made of poplar wood?
What goes under poplar wood in America is actually the wood of the "Tulip Tree", also called "Tulip Poplar" or "Yellow Poplar" (Liriodendron Tulipifera) This hard wood has a natural grain color that ranges from greenish creme color to dark brown hues. It is a rather light weight hard wood and is therefore optimal for toys, since it offers good density, but is not too heavy at the same time. Another quality is that poplar wood hardly produces splinters. Unlike with oak, the possibility of getting a long and hard splinter in your finger is minute.