Sample policy in one paragraph
Samples take 5–7 working days on existing tooling, 10–25 days for a new profile or jig, and we charge the sample at cost plus freight, fully credited against your first production order. No sample is free; no sample cost is kept.
Samples are built on the production machines, by the people who will build your order, and photographed on every face before they are couriered. You get a real indication of tolerance, colour and finish, not a hand-made showpiece that the line cannot repeat.
| Sample type | Time | Credit | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock item, your colour/engraving | 3–5 days | 100% at first PO | 1–2 pcs + photo pack |
| Your dimensions on existing profile | 5–7 days | 100% at first PO | 1 pc + spec sheet + moisture reading |
| New profile or jig (L3) | 10–14 days | 100% at 500 pcs | 2 pcs + knife/jig ownership letter |
| Full ODM prototype (L4) | 15–25 days | 50% at 1,000 pcs | 2 pcs + CAD file + assembly drawing |
| Pre-production sample | 3 days | n/a | 1 pc from the first production batch, signed before we run |
| Counter-sample of your original | 7 days | n/a | We match your mailed sample and return it |
Tooling: who pays, who owns it
| Tooling | Lead | Credited at | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moulder knife (new profile) | 7–10 d | 3,000–5,000 pcs | Yours in your market, on written exclusivity |
| Assembly jig | 10–15 d | 1,000–3,000 pcs | Held for you; returnable on request |
| Carton / box die | 8–12 d | 5,000 pcs | Yours; artwork files returned |
| Foil stamping die | 10 d | 5,000 pcs | Yours |
| UV print / screen films | 3–5 d | 1,000 pcs | Yours |
| Steel cutting die (ornaments) | 12–18 d | 10,000 pcs | Yours |
The proof-first workflow for engraved and printed goods
- Artwork spec: vector AI/SVG/PDF preferred; raster only at 300 dpi or better at 1:1 size. We will vectorise simple logos free of charge.
- Material proof: we engrave or print on the actual timber, not a paper mock-up, and photograph it under diffuse and raking light. 3 working days.
- You sign: one email approval, one photo, locked as the first article for the campaign.
- Variable data: 300 different names is a normal order. Send a spreadsheet; we pack 1:1 with a name-matched label.
- Reorders: the approved proof stays on your job number, so a repeat in six months looks like the first one.
What we will not sample
We will not build a sample of a product we cannot manufacture compliantly for your market, a rosewood keepsake box for the EU, a CCA-treated fence, kitchen cabinets destined for the US under current trade remedies, or an FSC-claimed SKU outside our chain of custody. If you ask, we will tell you why in writing and propose the nearest build that ships cleanly. That costs us the odd trial order and saves us every one of the arguments that follow a seized container.