[ The Araw Bolo Tie ]

The collaboration name comes from the two flags representing our native ancestries: the Araw is the Filipino Sun, and the Hong Kong Orchid (and national flower) is the Bauhinia x Blakeana.

Usually, these are boards I get from a specialty craft store, like Woodcraft or Woodworker’s Source. They’re typically non-domestic species, or species specifically chosen for their peculiar grain pattern. This being the case, they usually cost me more than the kind of wood I’d get from a big box store.

Non-exotic/specialty woods that I get are typically going to be maple, red oak, birch, and sometimes walnut or mahogany. It depends on what’s available. These are also the species that I usually use to laminate with.

This is really only an option if you want your bolo to look as much like a solid piece of wood from the same board as possible, and it only applies to exotic/specialty species.

Cross lamination is the process of taking two pieces of wood and gluing them face-to-face, perpendicular to each other. The opposing grain directions provide strength to each other, meaning the rays of the Araw pendant are much less like to fracture/break off. This was a problem I had in my early prototypes of the Araw Bolo Tie.

The reason it costs so much is because I usually cross laminate the back of the pendant with less expensive domestic/non-specialty species, which is a way I can get the most out of my exotic/specialty boards. When I monolaminate, it means that I lose out on the opportunity to make an entire bolo tie out of whatever species has been monolaminated (because I use what would be a face as a back, instead).

Mortising is the process of recessing a hole in the face of a piece of wood that can accept another object, which can fit precisely in said hole. I mortise the premium button slides that I get because it 1) makes the slide look better, 2) prevents the pendant from feeling extra thick, 3) it strengthens the positioning of the slide on the rear of the pendant. This process is done manually with a palm router and a set of chisels.

My on-hand inventory will naturally change over time, but I can usually get a hold of many of the species I’ve used, previously. I can also make a bolo tie out of a piece of wood that is special/sentimental to you if you send it to me. If you want me to return the offcuts, it’ll just cost you shipping and handling.

Absolutely! There’s a form at the bottom of this page where you can get in touch about a project you’d like to have created. I do more than just bolo ties—I can make boxes, interment flag holders, and pretty much anything that a small-to-medium sized woodshop can make.

The only thing I am not yet equipped to make is full-scale furniture (one day!)

Yeah, of course! Send me a message using the custom commissions form, below, or send me an email directly at AlexBasaCreative@gmail.com