Bespoke Post is a monthly men’s subscription box. Unlike most subscription boxes, you get to preview the new Bespoke Post box offerings on the first of each month, and you can easily skip any month that doesn't interest you in your account section.
This is a review of the "Carve" box which is still available for purchase.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About Bespoke Post
The Subscription Box: Bespoke Post
The Cost: $45 a month for members, $55 if purchased without a membership.
The Products: Monthly lifestyle items curated around a theme.
Ships to: The lower 48 US states for $3.95, Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada for $10. All orders over $75 qualify for free shipping.
Bespoke Post "Carve" Review
I used to live in New England and I have always been fascinated by scrimshaw! Basically, whalers would get bored on ships and they would use their knives to carve scenes into whale bones. They would then rub these carvings down with ink to create permanent "tattoos" within the surface. Thankfully, using whale bones and ivory is now illegal, but modern scrimshanders use shells and other creative surfaces to keep this art alive.
1 of 4
Mollyjogger Bear & Son Scrimshaw Kit - Retail Value $80.00
Our knife is an incredibly handsome USA-made Bear & Son Cutlery One Arm Bandit Barlow Knife. This blade has a flat tip, meaning you can flick it open with one hand. I have yet to personally manage this. The handle is made of cow bone, which should be great for carving.
1 of 2
Here are our instructions. These are pretty straightforward and I will touch on them as we go along.
1 of 10
Here are the other included supplies: a vellum paper stencil with different designs, transfer paper, super fine steel wool, a wooden point, pencil, scrimshaw tool, Q-tips, and black ink.
I started out by combining two stencils because I can never just make anything remotely easy for myself. After rubbing my knife down with the included steel wool, I taped these down on top of the black transfer paper. I then used the wooden point tool to trace the design onto the handle. I had to do this twice because I didn't use enough pressure the first time.
Here is what it looks like after I removed the transfer paper. A little clunky, but it should give me a good starting point.
I used the sharp scrimshaw tool to carve into the bone. This took SO much more pressure than I was expecting, and I found I had to go over my work a few times which made it a lot more sketchy-looking since the lines were not always 100% in the same place. This was also a challenge because as I carved the lines, the black transfer pattern started to disappear.
I finally decided it was time to rub the carving down with ink. I used a Q-tip to apply the ink, then quickly wiped away the excess with a damp cloth. I had to do this a few times because a lot of the ink inside the grooves was also wiped away with each pass of my damp cloth.
Let me start out by saying I am a person who is generally pretty good right away at most crafts/artistic pursuits. I thought this kit would be a breeze. It wasn't. It is also a lot more time consuming than I would have guessed. After about an hour, I ended up with the carving above and some super soft hands. I am not totally impressed with my progress so far, but I intend to keep going when I find some additional spare time.
Verdict: This Bespoke Post was a challenge. I did really love this kit though, I think it's intricacies just caught me by surprise. How can I ever complain about getting a great value and a new experience? I plan on keeping the kit together and maybe practicing on some larger shells before I jump back into this tiny knife though.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes! This box is still in stock.
Value Breakdown: This box cost $45 + $3.95 shipping meaning this $80 kit cost me $48.95 with my membership. That is a savings of $31.05.
Check out all of our Bespoke Post reviews and the best men’s subscription boxes of 2020, as voted by our readers!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of the "Carve" Bespoke Post box?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.