🌿 What Does Handmade Mean to Us?

It isn’t as easy as it first appears!

Ever wonder what happens when you combine 40+ years of woodworking wisdom, reclaimed materials with incredible stories, and two people who genuinely believe every piece should outlast them? You get our definition of handmade — and it’s nothing like what you’ll find in big box stores. At Sarkanys Rising, handmade isn’t just a marketing buzzword— it’s Rex getting up each morning, heading to the workshop, and turning pieces of rescued wood into something that’ll make you smile every time you use it. It’s Dawn perfecting her resin artistry until that finish is absolutely perfect. It’s both of us knowing that when you unwrap one of our pieces, you’re holding something no machine could ever create.

What Handmade Really Means (The Honest Truth)

Here’s what handmade means to us:

Rex’s hands guide every cut, every turn, every sanding session. Sure, we use power tools (we’re not martyrs), but it’s his eyes, instincts, and four decades of experience that determine when a piece is ready to move to the next step. When we say handmade, we mean:

No shortcuts, ever.

When Rex discovers a challenging grain pattern, he doesn’t work around it — he works with it, sometimes spending days figuring out how to honor what the wood wants to become. Dawn’s resin work follows the same philosophy: each pour is carefully planned, each color thoughtfully chosen.

One-of-a-kind actually means one-of-a-kind.

We’ve never made the same piece twice, and we never will. Even when we start with similar materials, the wood grain, the natural variations, and our artistic instincts ensure your piece is uniquely yours.

The Difference Between Handmade and Hand-Assembled

Let’s be honest about something: a lot of companies slap “handmade” on products that were manufactured elsewhere and simply assembled by hand. That’s not what we do. Our handmade process means we source the reclaimed wood ourselves, often from trees that were growing before we were born. Rex personally selects each piece, studies its grain, and decides what it wants to become. Every cut, every shaping pass, every finish application happens right here in our Arizona workshop. When you buy from us, you’re supporting veteran-owned, American-made craftsmanship that keeps traditional woodworking skills alive. You’re also choosing sustainable handmade art that gives new life to materials others might have discarded.

Why Choose Handmade? (Besides the Obvious Beauty)

Handmade means heirloom quality. These aren’t pieces you’ll replace in a few years. Rex builds every cutting board, bowl, and pen to last generations. We’re talking about functional art that gets better with age, develops character through use, and becomes part of your family’s story.

Handmade means supporting real artisans.

When you choose our work, you’re supporting Rex’s 40+ years of woodworking expertise and Dawn’s artistic vision. You’re keeping traditional craftsmanship alive in a world that’s increasingly automated. ‘

Handmade means conscious consumption.

Every piece we create is made from reclaimed wood and/or other sustainable materials. Your beautiful charcuterie board isn’t contributing to deforestation — it’s giving new purpose to wood that already lived a full life.

From Our Workshop to Your Home

Here’s what happens when you order a custom handcrafted wood piece from us: Rex heads to his wood storage (which looks like a museum of rescued trees and boards) and selects the perfect piece for your project. He studies the grain, plans his approach, and begins the careful process of transformation. Hours later — sometimes days or weeks for complex pieces — you receive something that carries the wood’s original story, Rex’s craftsmanship, and the promise that it’ll serve your family beautifully for decades to come. That’s what handmade means at Sarkanys Rising: authentic artistry, sustainable practices, and the kind of quality that makes every piece feel like a small treasure.

You’re Part of Our Story Now

Whether you’re browsing for that perfect gift for someone who “has everything” or looking to add something special to your own home, we’re grateful you found us. Thank you for supporting veteran-made handcrafted art and for believing that the best things in life are still made with hands, hearts, and a stubborn commitment to quality. Questions about our process? Curious about the story behind a specific piece? We love talking about wood, craftsmanship, and the pieces that become part of your everyday life. Drop us a message — we’re always here to chat. As always, thanks for being part of our story. We love sharing this journey with you.

Ready to Bring Handmade Art Home? Explore Our Current Collection Commission a Custom Piece