[{"_1":2,"_173":-5,"_174":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_99":100},"root",{"_5":6,"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":12,"_85":86,"_13":87,"_88":89},"cart",["P",6],"isLoggedIn",["P",8],"footer",["P",10],"header",{"_13":14,"_32":33},"shop",{"_15":16,"_17":18,"_19":20,"_21":22,"_25":26},"id","gid://shopify/Shop/2725473","name","Kerf Case","description","KerfCase - Real wooden phone cases hand crafted in the USA for iPhone, Google Pixel + Samsung Galaxy. Shop Now - Fast, Free Shipping. Kerf® ","primaryDomain",{"_23":24},"url","https://kerfcase.com","brand",{"_27":28},"logo",{"_29":30},"image",{"_23":31},"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0272/5473/files/Group_12.png?v=1738633832","menu",{"_15":34,"_35":36},"gid://shopify/Menu/6770263","items",[37,49,56,63,70,78],{"_15":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_23":47,"_35":48},"gid://shopify/MenuItem/50114560","resourceId","gid://shopify/Page/127924740","tags",[],"title","Shop","type","PAGE","https://kerfcase.com/pages/shop",[],{"_15":50,"_39":51,"_41":52,"_43":53,"_45":46,"_23":54,"_35":55},"gid://shopify/MenuItem/419229700","gid://shopify/Page/11433529",[],"About","https://kerfcase.com/pages/about-us",[],{"_15":57,"_39":58,"_41":59,"_43":60,"_45":46,"_23":61,"_35":62},"gid://shopify/MenuItem/815792324","gid://shopify/Page/14737913",[],"Contact","https://kerfcase.com/pages/contact",[],{"_15":64,"_39":-5,"_41":65,"_43":66,"_45":67,"_23":68,"_35":69},"gid://shopify/MenuItem/815793028",[],"Search","SEARCH","https://kerfcase.com/search",[],{"_15":71,"_39":72,"_41":73,"_43":74,"_45":75,"_23":76,"_35":77},"gid://shopify/MenuItem/122120536138","gid://shopify/Blog/3089171",[],"Blog","BLOG","https://kerfcase.com/blogs/news",[],{"_15":79,"_39":80,"_41":81,"_43":82,"_45":46,"_23":83,"_35":84},"gid://shopify/MenuItem/270395703370","gid://shopify/Page/49419681866",[],"Covid Info","https://kerfcase.com/pages/covid19",[],"publicStoreDomain","kerf-case.myshopify.com",["P",87],"consent",{"_90":-7,"_91":92,"_93":94,"_95":96,"_97":98},"checkoutDomain","storefrontAccessToken","d8cfc671ff022ef71170041fcb915ab4","withPrivacyBanner",false,"country","US","language","EN","routes/blogs.$blogHandle._index",{"_101":102},"blog",{"_43":103,"_104":105,"_106":107,"_110":111},"Shop News","handle","news","seo",{"_43":108,"_19":109},"KerfCase | Wood Cases | Accessories | Blog","Learn more about our design process, materials, inspirations and aspirations. We make every wood phone case by hand, and here is a look inside our shop.","articles",{"_112":113,"_164":165},"nodes",[114,126,134,150],{"_115":116,"_118":119,"_104":120,"_15":121,"_29":-5,"_122":123,"_43":124,"_101":125},"author",{"_17":117},"Benjamin Saks","contentHtml","

Things have again been very busy the last month at Kerf. We are happy to announce that we have been working with a great Designer named Andrew Cruz.

Andrew is a talented UI/UX designer in Baltimore who built us this custom website from the ground up. He was awesome to work with and really knows his stuff.

Moving forward in 2014, we are excited about launching several new products as well as offering custom engraving on individual cases.

","12797405-website-redesign","gid://shopify/Article/12797405","publishedAt","2014-03-11T13:14:00Z","Website Redesign",{"_104":105},{"_115":127,"_118":128,"_104":129,"_15":130,"_29":-5,"_122":131,"_43":132,"_101":133},{"_17":117},"

$\"Wood$

After a long hiatus, we have brought our blog back. We plan to share things here that inspire us, along with an inside look at our process and workshop. We love what we do, and we want to share it with you.

","36537604-the-blog-is-back","gid://shopify/Article/36537604","2015-07-17T21:21:00Z","The Blog is Back",{"_104":105},{"_115":135,"_118":137,"_104":138,"_15":139,"_29":140,"_122":147,"_43":148,"_101":149},{"_17":136},"Phil Giammattei","

In a past life, I worked at an Apple Store. And when you work at an Apple Store, there are very strict rules for how to deal with questions about upcoming products. There’s an interesting dance that occurs during the summer months when intrigue starts to swirl about the latest and greatest from Cupertino, and people start to ask what the new iPhone will have and what it can do.

\n
\n

If you work for Apple, especially in a retail capacity, you can truthfully answer that you have no idea. Watching Steve Jobs stand on stage and sell his shiny gadgets was exciting for us, precisely because we didn’t have advance notice of what he was talking about. If the tens of thousands of us knew, it wouldn’t be much of a secret. But we’d be pressed on it. “Surely you MUST have heard something, right?”

$\"Apple$

Apple Store (author not pictured)

Of course we did. Even if you weren’t a voracious Apple rumormonger like I am, you could get a pretty thorough overview of the latest gossip from exactly the people who were asking us to confirm the rumors we heard. But Apple wisely discouraged us from discussing rumors with store visitors, fearing any affirmative signal from us would be taken as official Apple confirmation of an upcoming product or feature. Each of us had our own grab bag of verbal tricks to weasel our way out of that particular discussion, saving it for the break room instead.

\n
\n

Nowadays, I don’t work for Apple. I find myself not only in a position to openly speculate about future Apple products online without getting in trouble (which feels very strange), but my current work requires us to be up to speed on the rumor pipeline so that we can be ready to roll when new products hit.

\n
\n

So if you’re curious about the next iPhone, let me be your guide through the rumors. Read on!

\n
\n

iPhone Releases: A Brief History

$\"All$

All iPhones so far. Not a lot has changed from the front. From left: iPhone (2007), iPhone 3G (2008), iPhone 3GS (2009), iPhone 4 (2010), iPhone 4S (2011), iPhone 5 (2012), iPhone 5c and 5s (2013), iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (2014), iPhone 6s and 6s Plus (2015), iPhone 7, 7 Plus and SE (2016)

\n
\n

Since 2011’s iPhone 4S, Apple has reliably released their new phones in September. Since 2010’s iPhone 4, they have followed a pattern: a new number and form factor in even-numbered years (4 to 5 to 6 to 7), and a repeat design with performance improvements in odd-numbered years (4S to 5s to 6s). This “tick-tock” pattern works well for Apple; those looking for a bleeding-edge look get their phones on the tick, and those who want the best specs and all the bugs squashed wait for the tock.

\n
\n

Just by looking at history, we could make an educated guess that the new iPhones will be “tock” phones; they would look exactly like the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus currently available (maybe with a new color thrown in for novelty-seekers). A better chip, a better camera, and some new feature (Siri, Touch ID, and 3D Touch all made their debut during S years) would be present, and case manufacturers like us would breathe a sigh of relief that we don’t have to redesign our signature cases from scratch.

\n
\n

There’s just one problem. This doesn’t square completely with the rumor mill.

\n
\n

Apple Rumors: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

$\"iPhone$

Every year someone predicts a projected keyboard on the new iPhone. Every year they’re wrong.

\n
\n

Before I get into the speculation swirling around a “Mystery iPhone” this year, it might be a good idea to share some tips on sniffing out the good intel from the duds. Apple speculation isn’t fortune-telling; many people reporting on the inner workings of the tech giant have sources well-placed to get reliable information about future products. Chief among them is Ming-Chi Kuo, who is so rarely wrong with his predictions that you can reliably bet on his analysis reports. Set up a Google News alert for him and you will almost never be led astray.

\n
\n

The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times will only publish if they have rock-solid intel, and many believe that these are the outlets that Apple directly leaks to if they feel the need to control wild rumors that would lead to disappointment if they don’t pan out.

\n
\n

Sites dedicated to Apple rumormongering vary in quality. I prefer MacRumors. While they engage in wild speculation at times, it’s always clearly marked as such, and their reporters have their own reliable sources for original journalism. If you’re looking for a one-stop gossip shop, it’s a good place to bookmark.

\n
\n

The further you get away from solid sources, the more likely you’ll be to get led astray. Less responsible blogs and publications value your clicks more than the truth, so take any news article you see laden with ads and a wild headline with a grain of salt.

To the Rumors!

Ming-Chi Kuo has been beating a drum for a while now that Apple is planning on releasing a third iPhone this year, alongside its expected 7s and 7s Plus models. There’s some interesting timing that may play into this: 10 years ago today, the original iPhone was released for sale, and the world witnessed the beginning of the Era of the Smartphone. Apple may want to celebrate this achievement with something special.

\n
\n

The big feature of this supposed third iPhone is a large wraparound display that takes up far more of the front of the phone than previous models. Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S8, gives us a clue as to what this would look like, and the fact that Samsung is one of the major display manufacturers for iPhones might not be a coincidence.

$\"Samsung$

Samsung Galaxy S8 (not an iPhone)

Apple has patented a method of receiving Touch ID fingerprint information through the screen directly, and the home button on the iPhone 7 is already an inert area that simulates presses, so it’s possible that the home button itself, the main hardware feature of the iPhone since the very beginning, would disappear entirely. A display like this would mean getting almost a 7 Plus screen size on an iPhone 7-sized phone, an impressive feat and a boon for short-thumbed individuals like me.

\n
\n

$\"Led$

Mystery phone, artist’s render. These are almost always wrong.

\n
\n

The screen might be OLED, which is a big deal. Basically, on your normal LED smartphone screen, black pixels still give off light, while on OLED screens, they don’t. This means that the color black looks much nicer, plus a lot of power is saved. The Apple Watch uses this tech for its screen, and is designed so that you can’t tell where the screen ends and the bezel begins. I’ve been waiting for a while to see what this display tech could do on a smartphone display. Here’s hoping that a black-themed Night Mode for iOS comes with it!

\n
\n

Like the iPhone 7 Plus, the third iPhone is expected to have two cameras, useful for capturing artistic close-range shots that blur the background. The orientation is flipped, and the cameras are expected to be arranged in a vertical line this time. It’s possible that this orientation will open up new forms of photography; Apple’s acquisition history suggests that they’re only just getting started in seeing what a smartphone camera is capable of. We’ll have to adjust our cases to fit, but we have a lot of practice at that.

\n
\n

The use of glass as an enclosure material might make a comeback! The iPhone 4 was my first iPhone, and remains my favorite design. Seeing your reflection in polished black glass never gets old, and the mystery iPhone may bring back this design choice in a big way. iPhones have thinned to the point where the new iPhone may have almost an entirely glass exterior. If you’re prone to dropping your phone, a good case may be necessary!

\n
\n

The third iPhone may also support “wireless” charging, which is already present in several Apple products, from the Apple Watch to their new AirPods ( both come highly recommended by me). This technology is not “wireless” per se; the electricity is not traveling through the air. Instead, the iPhone could be placed on a surface that charges the battery without you having to plug a cable in. There are a few phones already on the market with this capability, so it wouldn’t be surprising to hear that Apple’s been working on this one for a while.

\n
\n

What’s in a name?

Millions of iPhones don’t suddenly appear for sale when Tim Cook announces the latest and greatest from California. The preparation and manufacturing process takes months, and what could be kept under lock and key in secure Apple design laboratories now has to be trusted with a lot of manufacturing partners, mostly overseas. This is why you start to see rumors solidify over the summer: the secrets are in more hands, and there are often solid incentives for sharing info or leaking parts to journalists and other interested parties (money talks!).

$\"Foxconn$

Hot off the presses!

\n
\n

But Apple’s marketing doesn’t leak quite as reliably. Things like the name of the product, the final look of the software, the packaging design, and the the price usually stay a mystery right up until the announcement because the secret is shared by so few people. Predictions in this area, especially about the name, can miss the mark spectacularly. (Remember the iWatch?) Combining Apple’s mostly predictable naming conventions for its products with its penchant for doing extremely wacky things sometimes (The third generation iPad was called simply “The New iPad” at launch. What?), there’s a good amount of speculation around what this mystery phone might actually be called.

\n
\n

It seems like most people have decided that it’s called the iPhone 8. I have serious doubts about this. It would send a clear message of superiority: “The 7s is this year’s phone, but the 8 is next year’s phone, a year early,” says my imaginary Tim Cook. But what would happen next year, then? The iPhone 7s would be replaced with….the iPhone 8? And then the 8 would be replaced with….the 8s? The 9? The 8 2? Something tells me that this convention would be tough to hold up over time, and that a phone called the iPhone 8 is coming out...next year.

$\"iPhone$ Why not get started on the baseless speculation early?

\n
\n

Going back to the 10th anniversary connection, Apple could call their new phone the iPhone X. This provides some separation from their usual numbered releases, and the meaning of the roman numeral would provide a nice throwback to their past in personal computing. In 2001, the same year that iPods and Apple Stores first made their appearance, Apple launched Mac OS X (pronounced Mac OS Ten), a forward-looking operating system for its Mac computers that drew upon the work Steve Jobs did at NeXT. Mac OS X was tweaked and improved in various software updates, and in fact is still the OS for all Mac computers, only it’s now called macOS. Apple had a big X as a part of their branding for over a decade, so maybe it’s time to bring that back.

\n
\n

My money’s on iPhone Pro. Apple’s conditioned us to choose the product that best suits our needs as consumers with their MacBook and iPad lines: for basic everyday use, you get the MacBook or iPad, and for the tough, heavy stuff (like gaming, video editing, or programming), you get the Pro model. It’s a big leap in performance and capability, and it’s priced to match. Extending this model to the iPhone line would make some sense: there’s definitely a case to be made that iPhone “power users” out there that would benefit from having advanced features, and wouldn’t mind paying a lot more for them. This naming convention would be easy to update over the years as well: 2018 could be the iPhone Pro 2, launching alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus on the consumer side.

$\"iPhone$

A conceptual “iPhone Pro” design from 2012. This one did not age well.

One thing to keep in mind as you salivate at artist’s renders of this mystery phone, though, is it’s likely to be very expensive. There’s no such thing as a cheap iPhone in the first place (the least expensive iPhone in the latest line starts at $650), so expect a model that’s close to $1000 or more to own. You’ll be paying for the radical tech, the cutting-edge new look, and the privilege of being able to get the best of the best. Apple doesn’t mind cannibalizing sales of its products for different ones, but there will be compelling reasons to purchase their less expensive models, and people waiting until September to upgrade will want to make a well-reasoned decision between the iPhone 7s, the “iPhone 8”, or a less expensive iPhone 7 or SE.

$\"Walnut$

KerfCase Figured Walnut Wood Case for iPhone 7 Plus. We’re tweaking our designs so this beautiful grain can adorn every iPhone that gets announced this Fall.

It goes without saying that regardless of what phones are announced and which ones are launched, KerfCase will be selling cases for all of them. We've been adapting to new Apple designs since 2014, and we've gotten really good at it.

Unlike larger case companies that get advance notice of specs and dimensions, we’ll be waiting in line with the rest of you, hoping to grab a new phone on day 1 so we can get to work designing a case that fits perfectly and enrobes your new gadget with handmade style. You’ll be able to preorder your case soon, with shipments happening as quickly as we’re able.

\n
\n

What has you excited for September’s iPhone event? Reach out and let us know!

-Phil

$\"KerfCase$

\n
Update: Our cases are ready to sell! Order a plain or custom wood iPhone X Case today and it will ship within 5 business days.

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People shopping for a new phone case have a galaxy of options to adorn their most important piece of technology. There is a virtually endless array of styles, colors, materials, and patterns available online and in stores. With all that is available, what makes KerfCase stand out?

Three things set KerfCase apart from the crowd if you’re looking for a truly unique piece of craftsmanship, made with care and personalized for every customer. Read on to see if KerfCase is the right case for you.

$\"Woodi$

Wood Phone Case, iPhone 7 (spalted maple)

1. KerfCase creates handmade wooden phone cases from Natural Materials.

The vast majority of phone cases are made from plastic. Plastic is the preferred material for large case manufacturers due to its low cost, ability to be molded and cast, and durability. While plastic is a remarkable material, it is not a natural material by any definition. Manufacturing plastic is a dirty and fossil-fuel heavy process, and the end result is a material that isn’t biodegradable, is difficult to recycle, and is thrown away by the ton every day, filling up our landfills and oceans.

When KerfCase was founded, we knew that eschewing this cheap and plentiful material would require a lot of creativity and hard work, but that our products would be more special, and more sustainable, as a result.

Which brings us to wood.

$\"Barn$ \n

An Amish barn raising.

Wood has been humanity’s go-to resource for thousands of years due to its flexibility, sturdiness and beauty. Each tree grows differently, and the grain pattern of each board tells a story about the tree it was taken from. No two wood grains are alike, which makes it easy for us to guarantee that every case we make is one-of-a-kind.

We encourage our customers to contact us for pictures of our current wood stock, to help them pick the grain pattern that speaks to them. From our affordable walnut, cherry, and maple cuts, all the way up to our limited edition spalted and burl offerings, there are a dazzling variety of looks available to match your personal tastes. Say hi by email or on facebook, and we’ll show you what we have in stock.

$\"Wood$

\nWood Phone Case, iPhone 7; Wood card wallet (rosewood)\n

We’ve selected a deep orange mahogany for someone who wanted the best wooden phone case to match their basement bar, a maple case with just the right amount of spalting for a discerning woodworker, and a variety of branded sycamore cases for a young company focused on sustainability. No other material would give us the freedom to tailor our products for individual customers, and surprise us with new patterns and hues every time we saw through our raw lumber.

Wood is flexible and repairable, which comes in handy if your case takes a fall or starts to crack. We offer free lifetime repairs on every wood phone case. Simply ship your case back to us and our repair team will carefully restore the wood with a mixture of glue, sawdust, and years of woodworking experience. Plus, with a composition of 90% wood, our cases are extremely sustainable and biodegradable!

2. KerfCase Makes Cases by Hand.

Wood can be temperamental: it expands and contracts depending on the temperature, there are variations in grain pattern and imperfections like knots and checks. For this reason, it’s very unlikely that a large phone case manufacturer could mass-produce quality wood phone cases. Our cases are always handmade and triple checked for fit and quality.

At KerfCase, we’ve turned these imperfections into strengths. After making thousands of cases over the years, we’ve really nailed how to make a wooden phone case, and we’ve come to discover that the imperfections that would get tossed from a factory line create some of our most beautiful pieces of work. Want to work with us to see our wood selection and select the perfect grain pattern? We’re just a message away.

$\"Yellow$

Yellow box burl from our shop

When you buy a KerfCase, you’re not buying a mass-produced unit off a factory line overseas. From lumber to lining, we use elbow grease and state-of-the art technology to craft handmade wooden phone cases every step of the way, including the buttons, the lining, and the packaging.

We do not take any shortcuts during the production process. We do all of our wood processing in our shop, then feed our boards into a cutting-edge CNC machine. Once our robots have carved the basic shape, we install the friction lining and laser-cut holes for ports and buttons.

$\"Dagan$

Our elusive production manager, Dagan, with our trusty laser machine

Each case is lined with a patented layer of laser-cut wood veneer around the edges to keep your phone firmly held in place, but easily removable. Over that is a lining of Ultra-Suede to prevent scratching on your iPhone. Clickable wood buttons are laser-cut from the same wood the case is made from and installed by hand.

Finally, we hand-finish our cases twice with an oil-wax blend that seals the case and protects it, while saturating vivifying the colors in the grain. All told, making a case takes a week and over 30 separate steps.

$\"Handmade$

\nWood Phone Case, iPhone 6 Plus (spalted maple), Wood Card Wallet (bulletwood)\n

3. KerfCase Puts Design First.

We recognize that our cases aren’t for everyone. It is impossible to compete with $5 plastic cases hanging on a rack at a gas station, so we don’t try to. People who rely on a bulky box to protect their phone are unlikely to be swayed away.\\

But for those of us who appreciate good design and good craftsmanship, who admire the beauty of their surroundings and possessions and feel enriched by owning unique, quality work, it’s really tough to beat KerfCase.

$\"Wood$

KerfCase for Google Pixel XL in Rosewood. Hand model: yours truly.

There is a large demand for stylish phone cases using unique materials, and many business strategies for meeting that need. Before clicking on the first wooden phone case Amazon brings up, know your options in this space and choose the case that’s right for you.

Many wood phone cases are simply wood veneer or bamboo wrapped around a plastic case, imported from overseas. While giving the appearance of a wood finish, the feel and impossible thinness of these cases give them away.

Some companies advertise a “real wood” case, but simply apply a wood surface to a plastic fixture. These strategies allow for a low selling cost and easier quality control, but we think this is a missed opportunity to show some real craftsmanship.

Other companies provide handmade wood cases, but rely on several interlocking pieces or adhesive to give the feel of an all-around wood phone case, without actually being one. While many of these cases are well-designed and well-made, we’ve put a lot of thought, and more than a few prototypes, toward a one-piece, all-around design with no seams or separate parts, with consistent grain and coloring. You can reach out to us after ordering a case to pick the perfect grain for you, and trust in our lifetime repair policy to keep your case in pristine condition for as long as you own it.

\n $\"Wood$

\nWood Phone Case, iPhone 7 (various species)\n

When you own a KerfCase, you own a unique object, crafted with care and personalized to your preferences. From the type of wood, to the individual grain pattern, to the variety of personal engraving options (a favorite quote, a company logo, a funny doodle), the case you receive will be yours in every imaginable way. Each of our cases has a story, and each is lovingly crafted to deliver a message of sustainability and style. Order now, or contact us by email or social media, and we can start a new story just for you.

Phil Giammattei likes to wear lots of different hats. Formerly employed at Apple, Google and Oracle, he loves applying his technical knowledge to making the best possible custom wooden phone cases. In addition to writing the Kerf Blog, Phil’s duties at KerfCase include customer service, sales, production, shipping and fulfillment, and anywhere else he can be helpful. Reach Out to say hi and find out what choice cuts we have in stock!

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Shop News

Website Redesign

The Blog is Back

What Can We Expect from the "iPhone 8"?

What Makes KerfCase Unique?