This is the question we’re asked more than any other. Why start a company that designs and sells men’s wedding bands? Aren’t there plenty of companies already servicing that market? In short yes, there are many options to find a men’s band, but the truth requires we dig a bit deeper in the story. A story that predates our company founding by over half a century.
My grandfather was in many ways a second father. Until he passed away in 1999, Grandpa Fred and I spent every summer together for the first twenty-one years of my life. He was not a complicated man – very conservative, very traditional – he had very high expectations for everyone in his life. He honorably served the United States in WWII. Following the war, he was an engineer for a number of companies, before rising through the ranks and becoming a CEO for a good sized manufacturer. In the 1970s, he purchased a small, struggling engineering and manufacturing company, and rebuilt that company from the ground up into a large and very successful company that still is growing today.
The simplicity of Grandpa Fred was evident in nearly every area of his life. While he died a rich man, after his passing, I was sad at how few physical possessions he actually owned. One cousin was given his hat. Another received a lucky coin. I was given his tiny pocket knife from when he served as an engineer and bridge builder in the war. While his material items were few, one thing he taught everyone in our family was the importance of family legacy…of passing on knowledge, wealth, values and stories from one generation to the next, and on and on.
His concept of legacy made a big imprint on my life. It inspired me to explore my genealogy. To scan in old and yellowing photographs for my children and their children to enjoy. To save early and often in my kids’ college funds so they’d be able to attend college and graduate school, just as I was. This concept of legacy made me very invested in my wedding day. Which brings us to the original question – why start a men’s wedding band company?
Fifteen years ago, when I went shopping for my wedding band, I wanted something that captured the simplicity of my grandfather’s ring, and combined it with modern materials and design. What I found was an industry completely tilted towards women, with men just an afterthought. Many of the rings I liked were embarrassingly inexpensive. Others looked cheap and tacky. It took me months to find a suitable ring, and I found the buying experience lacking any of the meaning it should have. Think about it. I’m buying the one thing I’ll wear every day for the rest of my life – that symbol that is supposed to capture commitment and love – that symbol that will remind me the importance of legacy, commitment, a father’s strength, and yet that symbol arrives in a cheap, velvet box.
We knew we could do better. Men appreciate the importance of symbols as much as women. So we assembled some of the best designers in the country, people whose aesthetics would have fit in 100 years ago, and will still feel fresh 100 years from now. We built this company to provide men with a better experience, a better designed product, from the finest materials on earth.
My grandfather’s stories will be handed down to my children, just as my Støberi ring will one day be handed down to a grandchild. These rings are meant to last many lifetimes – and symbolize the commitment you’ll make to your children and grandchildren. Your love deserves more – it symbolizes a promise to your significant other – we’re here to help deliver on that promise.