Brew Cutlery: a piece of stainless steel utensil craftsmanship that combines each fork, knife, and spoon with a bottle opener.

       

Company Name: Brew Cutlery
What is it? Brew Cutlery infuses the two finest pleasures in life: Beer & Food. A perfect bottle opener is integrate into each piece of cutlery. 
Kickstarter Link: http://kck.st/1efdNWF
Progress: 

Review of Borninfornia Statewide Apparel Collection

BACKGROUND:
Company: Borninfornia
Product; California Statewide Apparel
Value Proposition: High-Quality Clothing Made in California
Kickstarter Link: http://kck.st/14ED60N
Company Website: TBA
Kicktraq Profile: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/andrewneilsutton/borninfornia-high-quality-apparel-made-in-californ/

KICKSTARTER FUNDING:
With a funding goal of $5,000, Borninfornia's Kickstarter Campaign lasted for 30-days and brought in $5,395 from 97-backers. Borninfornia experienced a huge rush of support within the first two days that sort of tapered off but picked up against towards the end of the campaign that pushed them over the funding goal.

Borninfornia Founders

Review of Ayleth's Smithworks: Wrought Metal Jewelry

Ayleth's Smithworks' Kickstarter Campaign Photo

BACKGROUND:
Product Name: Wrought Metal Jewelry
Company: Ayleth's Smithworks
Value Proposition: "This is a line of hand-forged jewelry made form solid brass, stainless, and sterling. It's heavy, sturdy, and looks gray one anyone!"
Kickstarter Link: http://kck.st/140uhRu
Company Website: N/A
Kicktraq Profile: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/2124782228/ayleths-smithworks-wrought-metal-jewelry/

KICKSTARTER RESULT:
Ayelith's Smithworks Kickstarter campaigned lasted for 31-days and brought in $8,053 from 219-backers. The original goal was for only $400 so the fact that more than 20 times the funding goal was raised is pretty damn impressive.

This campaign ended on June 30th, 2013 and I am still waiting for my backing reward, a unpolished brass bracelet for my girlfriend. Since the product is not for myself, my review (once I receive the product) will be a combination of what I thought of the bracelet from a guy's point of view and what she thought of the bracelet from a girl's point of view. I don't consider myself to be all that fashionable so I recommend taking my opinion of the bracelet with a grain of salt.

Charlie Hustle: The Negro League Collection Review

 

BACKGROUND

Product Name: The Negro League Collection

Value Proposition: Perserving the old school... one t-shirt at a time!

Company: Charlie Hustle

Kickstarter Link: http://kck.st/1c736e9

Company Website: http://charliehustleshop.com/

Kicktraq Profile: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/charliehustle/charlie-hustle-the-negro-league-collection/

KICKSTARTER RESULTS

Charlie Hustle (Kansas City, MO) completed their 30-day Kickstarter Campaign successfully with over $23,000 from 385-backers. There was a short period there where it did not seem like the Charlie Hustle team was going to pull it off but they received a big boost in support and finished the campaign on September 30th, 2013 with $3,737 more than their original funding goal. 

I am still waiting to receive my shirt but am very excited to check it out. The photos make the shirts seem very high-quality with great attention to detail. The Charlie Hustle team posted an update a couple days ago that they have started shipping their products out. So hopefully I receive my package soon so that I can leave my review.  

CONCLUSION:

I was very excited when I finally received my shirt, Brooklyn in Triblend Royal Blue. The fabric is soft, print is bright and well done, and the fit is proper. I wear an XL typically and this shirt fits perfectly. The custom neck labels are also a nice touch. 

Overall, very happy with the entire process since backing the project several months ago. I was always well informed of the progress of shirt production via Kickstarter Updates that were well spaced out - not too many or too few. I look forward to adding some more Charlie Hustle shirts to wardrobe and recommend you do the same!

Review of RIDEBRO Shoes

REVIEW OF RIDEBRO SHOES

BACKGROUND:

Product Name: RIDEBRO Shirts

Product Value Proposition: Eco-friendly Vegan shoe with a barefoot feel.
Company Name: RIDEBRO: Ride | Surf| Live Simple
Company URL: http://www.ridebro.com/
Kickstarter Campaign URL: http://kck.st/12hGpIQ
Kicktraq Profile: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/1415842870/ridebro-eco-friendly-canvas-shoe-with-a-barefoot-f/

KICKSTARTER RESULT: 

RIDEBRO (Boca, Raton, FL) ended a 40-day Kickstarter campaign with $28,912 from 335-backers from around world. Their goal was $27,000 so they cut it pretty close but were ultimately successful.

PROS:

- shoe canvas is organic  - no animal products were used in the making of RIDEBRO shoes

shoe packaging is made from recycled material

- despite being made form organic materials, the shoe is very lightweight while also feeling very sturdy

- perfect for wearing on quick errands, walking to the store, to the beach, or any other place that you don’t want to throw on a bulky pair of shoes and socks

- the colors of the shoes are very bright and true. For some this might be a con but I enjoy the bright colors

CONS:

- the shoes run small, I would say about a size small. I wear a size 12 in EVERYTHING and the size 12 RIDEBRO shoes I got leave my toes feeling extremely squished

- the back heel of the shoe feels awkward against the back heel of my foot, almost like the back of the shoe isn’t high enough

- if I don’t wear socks with RIDEBROS, the edges of the shoe scrape/cut my heel. I hope this ceases once the shoes are broken in but that hasn’t happened yet

FINAL REVIEW:

7 out of 10: I love the idea behind the shoe, making shoes from organic materials and packaging them in recycled materials is a brilliant idea.  Not only are RIDEBRO shoes a brilliant concept but the execution was also done well.  I was very impressed by the look and feel of the shoes when I first opened the package and was excited to wear them but was extremely bummed out when I tried them on and realized how small they fit.  If you are looking for a nice looking, sturdy feeling pair of shoes that can be worn on the go (errands, beach, walk, etc) then RIDEBRO shoes are perfect for you, just be sure to order a size up!

Review of Sioux City Wood & Leather Watch

           
Product Name: Sioux City Wood & Leather Watches
Company Name: Sioux City Watch
Company URL: http://siouxcitywatch.myshopify.com/
Kickstarter Campaign URL: http://www.kickstarter.com/watches-made-from-all-natural-bamboo-and-oil-stain
Kicktraq Profile: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/1647389569/watches-made-from-all-natural-bamboo-and-oil-stain/

KICKSTARTER RESULT:
After a 39-day Kickstarter Campaign that ended on July 9th, Sioux City Wood & Leather Watches was successfully funded after receiving $30,760 from 325 backers, $18,760 more than their original goal.

REVIEW:
Score: 9 out of 10. I love, love, love this watch. I have owned wood watches and I have owned leather watches, but this is the first time I have owned a wood AND leather watch. The concept is beautiful and the design flawless. I wear my 52 mm Bull Sioux City Watch a few times a week and receive compliments on the watch often. Every once and a while a person is amazed by the wood and leather concept, which is exactly how I felt when I first stumbled across the Sioux City Watch Kickstarter page.

I have now had this watch in my possession for a little over two months month and there is very little wear and tear, mainly on the leather which is totally fine because I think leather products look better with some aging. You can tell by the feel of the leather band and bamboo wood body along with the design on the watch face that they took their time in designing the watch. The clock mechanisms are accurate and I only had to change the time once but that was due to the time-change.

Overall, I am very happy with this watch. I am a big proponent of guy's wearing watches and I am very happy I added this watch to my collection. I have backed other watch products on Kickstarter and have been very disappointed with the product I received in the mail, such as the Big Face Woody by NFNT, but the Sioux City Watch did not disappoint one bit.

I actually met some of the Sioux City Watch team at the 2013 Surf Expo in Orlando, FL. Everybody at their booth was extremely friendly and you could easily sense their passion behind their product. Even though it was a bit of a surprise to see Sioux City watches at Surf Expo, I was not the least bit surprised to see they have been successful so far because they offer a very high-quality watch that is unlike anything else out there on the market right now.

Crabby Wallet Review

Product Name: Crabby Wallet
                 
Product Value Proposition: A minimalist wallet that holds everything you need and nothing more.
Company Name: Crabby Gear
Company URL: http://www.crabbygear.com/
Kickstarter Campaign URL: http://www.kickstarter.com/the-crabby-wallet
Kicktraq Profile: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/1369622196/the-crabby-wallet-a-wallet-that-is-not-for-everyon/

KICKSTARTER RESULT:
The Crabby Wallet funded successfully with a final amount that was $298,000 more than their original goal of $10,000. Yes, you read that right, Crabby's team received over $308,000 from 15,129 backers over a 36-day Kickstarter campaign.

PROS:
- the design features a minimalist's wallet in every sense of the definition
- the strap keeps the cards and cash in place while also being able to hold an iPhone. this was a big selling point for me
- loop on the side of the wallet allows for a keyring to be attached
- cool crab logo stitched into the wallet


CONS:
- basically everything
- not built to last
- falls apart quickly
- not sure what cards they were using in photos but it does not hold up to 10 cards
- the price. this wallet is not worth $16.95. hell, I wouldn't even pay $5 for it



FINAL RATING:
- UPDATED - 2 out of 10. I originally gave the Crabby Wallet a 9 out of 10 but I was greatly mistaken. I posted the original review the day I received the wallet in the mail and that was a huge mistake on my part. The only thing that brought down the rating originally was the extreme delay in receiving the product but now looking back the delayed delivery is the least of my concerns. The Crabby Wallet is simply not built to last. The Kickstarter Campaign showed images of the Crabby Wallet holding up to 10-cards but my wallet lasted less than 4 weeks after only carrying 2-3 cards, some cash, and occasionally my iPhone in the strap.

The presentation on Kickstarter was awesome and the video was spectacular but the wallet I received in the mail was much different than the wallet I thought I would receive when backing the project on Kickstarter. I actually pledged for two Crabby Wallets, one was supposed to be for me and one for a friends. But my first wallet deteriorated so quickly that I refuse to give the second wallet to a friends knowing that it will simply fall apart in a matter of weeks. It appears that the Crabby Wallet team was not ready for the immense support they received on Kickstarter and produced a subpar product. I understand that the delivery of the wallets was delayed due to this immense support but to make the backers wait a couple months longer than expected and then send them a subpar product is inexcusable.

The only reason I gave the Crabby Wallet a 2 out of 10 instead of a 1 is because of the concept. The idea is excellent but the execution is far from satisfactory. Despite the poor rating, I do believe it is fair to call the Crabby Wallet a "minimalist" wallet because you will in fact use it for a minimal amount of time. If you are looking for a high quality wallet, look elsewhere.