Fall of 2026 was one for the books! And with snow already rolling into the PNW, we are definitely feeling the holiday season! The Firsthand Framebuilding school is set to open its doors in our new SW location next year. (We'll share some progress photos in the new year as we work through construction!) In the meantime, we wanted to give you a few options on which to spend your hard-earned dollars this season. Give the gift of inspiration and light up the holidays!
We’ve got a few bundles that might help you gift some essentials to those craftspeople out there: the folks that are so practical they are hard to find meaningful gifts for; the people who want tools, not ties; the ones that like to take working vacations; the folks who like to whittle away their idle hours in the garage and then appear late to the dinner table with dirty hands and chips in their hair. You get something to wrap... they get something they want.
Gift Card Goodness!
Gift Card + Shop-mate Bottles Bundle
First up, we have a couple of limited edition bundles for folks who like to ride their bikes and may want to join us for a class next fall. Each bundle includes some goodies from two of our current shop-mates (and future Firsthand instructors!): Tom La Marche and B Vivit. Check out the bundles for details.
Holiday-specific Bundles!
These will only be available during the holidays to get your craftsperson crankin' in the shop with some essentials. (They're a bit cheaper than buying the bits separately.) These sets are curated by our in-house builders.
“I don’t want to get my hands dirty” Carbide Set
We all know those folks. They seem to glide over grease and dirt, and can magically wear white shirts to work. They know how to get things done and they get them done FAST. Carbide bits scrub out the things that would take HOURS with files; use them in your favourite pneumatic or electric tool.
“I don’t mind getting my hands dirty” Abrasives Set
These are the folks that find zen in the art of shaping metal. They don’t mind the slow-going nature of files and abrasives, they want the perfect line and will take their time in getting there.
And last, but certainly not least, surprise them with a level-up for their brazing. Chris Blandford, the owner of Firsthand Framebuilding and our in-house brazing wizard, recommends this bundle for your craftsperson to try. Gasflux 38% silver + Type G flux is a combo not well-known, but any brazer should welcome it into their process. Tailor-made for silver fillets, it's also excellent for bridges, tricky braze-ons, and STAINLESS dropouts. Try it! We think you'll love it.
Other Tool Bundles:
One of the first and possibly most staggering costs of starting a new hobby are the “tool-up” costs. Show someone that you care about their passions by getting them something useful.
First up, we have two bundles that are available all year long and come with a discount vs. buying the items separately.
As their name implies, fine tooth hole saws have finer teeth than those typically found down at the hardware store. Fine teeth mean nicer cuts on thin walled material like bicycle tubing. Ideal for metal working in particular, but they could probably do well on plastic or thin wood as well.
A curated collection of four essential needle files for fine metal working. These can feather out an edge, blend out a bad weld (to be fixed), or carve fine lines. The different profiles give you a lot of options for use. Made from high quality materials, these files will level up that Husky set you bought at Home Depot last year.
Cheers! Happy Holidays and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year!