Children's Wooden Blocks
Quality Issues
Premium Maple
and Maple First and Seconds
American Hard Maple Blocks - "the real deal"
In general, unit building
blocks are a kind of industrial toy. Big, heavy, crude, indestructible
- a clunky aesthetic, more like a box of bolts than a feather boa.
Blocks beg abuse over the years. Making tall towers and toppling them,
throwing blocks out of the upstairs window on a parachute, beating them
with a hammer, using them to prop open the kitchen door, playing with
dirty hands - these things take a toll. Your blocks will last forever
in spite of this battering. They can take it. But this is not a
delicate toy - your kids are going to beat the stuffing out of their
blocks and they will still search for them in your attic about 30 years
from now because they were (in the words of numerous customers), " . .
. the best toy we ever had." What matters is their long term
durability: hardness, resilience, fine cell structure, and uniformity of
size. Kindergarten teachers will tell you that many fine toys last six
months or less in a classroom setting - but blocks last many, many
years. The hardness and resilience resist dents. The cell structure of
Maple eliminates splinters since the slivers are too tiny and weak.
The uniformity allows large buildings. Personally, we think a smaller
set of fine blocks beats a larger set of cheap ones every time. Our
blocks are tested by an independent laboratory to conform to the safety
standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the the
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). They are
recommended for children 3+.
We manufacture and sell two different levels of quality:
(1) Premium Hard Maple,
(2) Hard Maple First & Seconds.
In addition, we sell Basswood (Linden) Alphabet
Blocks manufactured by Uncle Goose Toys for us in Michigan. These blocks
are also fully tested and completely safe.
Our Premium Hard Maple Firsts
- Lumber is vulnerable to all sorts of enzymes
that produce stripes, spots, and other defects of color. We segregate
our blocks into those without color blemishes (firsts) and those with
darker spots or streaks (seconds). Our premium blocks are all firsts
and are hand picked to eliminate these cosmetic problems. There are no
color blemishes and they will last a lifetime. They are hand sanded on
the ends and the end edges and corners are rounded. This is the kit for
the parent or grandparent that wants the best quality. Your blocks will
last a long time and will get much more rough play than ordinary toys.
Blocks have always been expensive, but if you calculate the amount of
play for the dollar, they are very cheap indeed. Like good pots, good
tires, and good tools - often it pays to go high.
Our Hard Maple Firsts & Seconds
- Seconds are exactly like our premium blocks, but some of the blocks
may suffer from blemishes of color (only): natural spots, dark streaks,
etc. These blocks may vary from nearly perfect to some with marked
spotting or streaks. The problems are with color (only). Some
people like firsts and seconds and think they look more "natural." They
are a terrific bargain and a favorite of schools. There are no chips,
machine marks, digs, holes, inclusions, checking, splits, knots or other
surface defects. These blocks are large, heavy, hard maple school
size blocks and will shrug off generations of use. The blocks shown in
the pictures of the kits are actual seconds, and a close inspection of
the enlarged pictures will give you a pretty good idea of their
appearance. If you want American-Made, Hard Maple blocks - these will
save you a little money.
Our Alphabet Blocks
are made of Basswood (Linden) for us by Uncle Goose Blocks. Linden is
noted for it's smooth, creamy texture and fine grain. It is somewhat
softer than Maple which allows it to be squeezed in an embossing
machine. Embossing is a process in which the letters are pressed under
pressure into the end grain of the wood, allowing raised letters. These
classic blocks are then dyed and printed with inks from an American
Company. The inks are tested repeatedly by an independent laboratory
for safety and the blocks are also tested after manufacturing to assure
that no dangerous chemicals or heavy metals have been employed. These
fine alphabet blocks will last for years.