Carved Reconstituted Ebony Matte Black Case-best case I've owned

[JBryan84]

I'll start by saying I've owned many cases for my iPhones over the years, dozens if not hundreds of different styles and brands. I came across Carved when searching for wooden cases. I was impressed with their story and history of making cases by hand. They have a ton of really cool wood cases in different wood, colors, and styles but I settled on the Reconstituted Ebony with the Matte Black case. I love black cases that compliment the black/space grey iPhone and this does it better than any other I've used. It's just your standard snap on style case but it's very solid and well made with quality materials. The wood that Carved uses is also very high quality, it's slightly glossy and textured but very smooth. It's not grippy but it does not slide around on a table either. The case is slim and wraps around the iPhone perfectly. It does add a little weight because of the wood but it makes the iPhone feel more solid in the hand. There are no sharp edges or corners that irritate your hands/fingers while holding the phone for long periods of time which I have noticed on many other snap on styles cases. I have the Mime Ghost Glass with round edges which adds thickness but without it there is some lay on table design. Check them out and for $24 plus $2 for the Matte Black case it's a great deal as well. It comes standard with a clear case but I prefer and think the matte black case looks best, especially with the Reconstituted Ebony color.

http://www.carved.com/shop/iphone-5/wood-cases/ebony-iphone-5-clear-case.html

Here are some pics I took with my Mini Retina.

 

[JBryan84]

Not sure why I can't post multiple images in one post from my ipad.

 

[JBryan84]

Another pic

 

[JBryan84]

Another

 

[TheIntruder]

Dangit, I was just about to order a mundane TPU-based case, and this has made me reconsider again.

I've always liked the old world, low-tech connotation that fine wood brings, and thought it would make a nice ying/yang combo with a smartphone.

The clear cases look kinda cheap, but the matte black looks good. Hmmmm...Olive ash, Lacewood or Black Limba?

Does the matte case have any sort of texture/grip, or does it just feel like smooth plastic?

 

[JBryan84]

The Matte Black case definitely has some grip, not really any texture but certainly does not feel like smooth plastic.

Dangit, I was just about to order a mundane TPU-based case, and this has made me reconsider again.

I've always liked the old world, low-tech connotation that fine wood brings, and thought it would make a nice ying/yang combo with a smartphone.

The clear cases look kinda cheap, but the matte black looks good. Hmmmm...Olive ash, Lacewood or Black Limba?

Does the matte case have any sort of texture/grip, or does it just feel like smooth plastic?

 

[TheIntruder]

Thanks.

Ordered a Redwood Burl version. Didn't want to become another in the sea of plastic cases.

I like the sleek black look of the ebony, but I wanted something that "popped" more and highlighted the wood.

 

[AFDoc]

That's NOT a wooden case, it's a case with wood on it.

I'm not a fan of the "case" part but the wood is nice. I do like the look so I had a similar set up with a trunket back and the leverage case. Much better look IMHO.

 

[TheIntruder]

That's true, but at least there is some workmanship that goes into these cases, and they won't break the bank.

Some of the fully-encased wood cases out there are very nice, but either have issues of their own, or cost more than I'd want to spend.

I'm just trying to avoid the vast majority of mass-produced, injection-molded cases that probably cost pennies on the dollar to make, and get something less common if I can.

For me, this is an acceptable compromise.

But if this experiment with a case doesn't work out, I'll go back to naked and a nice leather sleeve from Etsy.

As always YMMV.