Update (3/21 12:00pm): @RVDT_ and @chrislazattack are our winners. Thanks everyone for reading!
In a world full of throw away materials, it’s easy to get caught up buying another plastic iPhone case. But Northern Indiana’s Carved is taking extra steps to deliver a one-of-a-kind home for your device. While we’ve covered the company’s more traditional iPhone cases in the past, today we are taking a look at its Live Edge series. Made of raw pieces of wood, from a variety of locations across the United States, these cases truly blend the line between device and nature. Even more, the cases are all one-offs which means that the one you select is truly an original.
It is a very interesting process, the beginning of these cases start with a large slab of wood. From there, a combination of machinery and human assembly create a very unique case. The raw pieces of wood are cut into slabs, followed by a trip through the CNC machine to get the basic shape of the case. From a design standpoint, using solid woods means that the traditional slide over method of most iPhone cases is not an option. Carved solved this issue by cutting the case in half, so the top and bottom fit other the respective ends of the device meeting in the middle.
Because this is raw natural wood, there are imperfections within the grain, even holes in some areas. But this is where the magic of the Live Edge series occurs, Carved fills in these gaps with a resin allowing the iPhone to peak through the cracks. It is a true combination of technology and natural materials. The walnut case that I spent some time with has a very well placed knot that goes right over the Apple logo on the back of my iPhone. Because it is filled in with a clear resin, I can see the logo peaking through the gap. It’s almost mesmerizing to look at.
Carved has taken the time to create a product that pays attention to all the details. Inside the case you’ll find suede that protects the iPhone from the finished wood. On the outside, large brass buttons protrude from the case enabling sleep/wake and volume controls. Cut outs for speaker, Lightning cables and the headphone jack are in the expected locations. Since the cases are made of wood, there is a certain level of thickness that must be maintained to ensure a stable product. Because of that, some headphones may not fit into the 3.5mm jack, Carved has included a headphone extension cable to assist in those instances.
Ultimately, if you are in the market for a unique case option that will make you stand out from the crowd, I highly recommend checking out the Live Edge series. Although the price comes in at a premium in comparison to other options, you’ll be getting a higher quality product with a unique story to tell. The price is completely dependent on the design and value of the wood itself, as well as the the time put into the piece. It’s worth a look if you are in the market for something different than the standard issue.
This week, we are giving away one slim Carved case to a winner. Additionally, we’ll be offering another reader the chance to buy a Live Edge series case at a 50% discount. To enter our giveaway, simply follow @9to5Toys on twitter and retweet our article or Like us on Facebook and share with your friends. We will choose a winner next Saturday.
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