Ring Care &middot; Bentwood Forge

Ring Care

A Bentwood Forge wooden ring is built to be beautiful for years upon years of daily wear. Even with that, there are some best practices you can do to ensure that your ring continues to look and feel fantastic throughout the ages.

Water

Wooden rings from Bentwood Forge are sealed and waterproofed. That said, it’s not recommended that you regularly submerge them in water. It’s really more about the time covered in water than the amount of that water. As a basic guideline, I take my ring off when swimming or showering, but I tend to leave it on when just washing my hands.

When your ring does get wet, it’s a good idea to make sure that it’s thoroughly dry afterward. Remove the ring from your finger and use a clean, dry cloth or paper towel to wipe off the surface.

Cleaning

Even metal jewelry is recommended to be cleaned on a regular schedule. Day after day of wear tends to build up grime from your hands, no matter how often you wash them. To ensure a long-lasting finish on your wooden ring, I recommend that you clean it twice a year. The cleaning process is very simple:

Using a soft, clean cloth or paper towel, gently scrub your ring (don’t submerge it!) with soapy water. Use a gentle liquid dish soap… like the stuff they use to clean off seagulls in oil spills, not anything harsh or abrasive. Make sure you clean both on the outer surface and on the inner surface of the ring.
Thoroughly dry your ring with a dry cloth or paper towel.
(Optional) With a soft cloth, apply a thin coat of oil over the entire surface of the ring. I prefer to use “butcher block” oil on my own rings, but simple mineral oil would work as well.

Of course, if you’re the sort of person who regularly gets your hands dirty, then you may want to go through this cleaning process more frequently.

Storage

If your ring isn’t the sort that you wear every day, then you’ll need to store it somehow. It’s fine to keep your wooden ring in a typical jewelry box. The key thing to remember is that your ring should not be stored at extreme temperatures or in direct sunlight. Even though your ring is sealed and protected, prolonged exposure to either condition could affect the finish.

Seeking Help

If you follow the guidelines covered above, your ring should last you a lifetime. However, I understand that “stuff happens.” It could be that your cat found your jewelry collection and decided to test everything as a chew toy. Or perhaps you had to fistfight a crocodile in a swamp during a hurricane. Whatever the situation, your ring may have suffered some damage that can’t be restored with just a simple cleaning.

In these cases, feel free to contact me. There may be chance that your ring’s previous luster (and dignity) may be restored with a professional refinishing and polish. Include a photo of your ring and the epic story in which it received damage. I’ll do my best to see what can be done from there.

About Bentwood Forge

Bentwood Forge makes custom wooden rings using a wood-bending technique that results in a badass piece of jewelry that’s beautiful, durable, and light. I work in all manner of wood types, common and exotic. Many designs are accented with inlays of stone or other types of wood. Every ring is unique and hand-made specifically for you. Choose from one of the designs shown on this page or contact me directly with your custom design idea. I’m always excited to try new things.