“It is the time you have spent on your rose that makes her so important.  …. The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched. They are felt with the heart.”    

-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The next time you give someone a rose, make it forever.

Our handmade, copper and steel roses are the perfect gift for that special someone in your life. Whether you’re celebrating a 6th, 7th or 11th anniversary or you just want to say “I love you” this rose will serve as a reminder of your thoughts for decades to come.

Please notice the sequence of photos.  The first photo shows a rose just as it completes the heat coloring process.  Subsequent photos show the exact rose one year after it’s “birth date.”  While the blues and purples do tend to fade over time, the copper develops a beautiful, unique patina that continues to evolve year after year. The remaining photos show some of the steps throughout the build sequence.    

What separates this rose from the others? There are more than twenty different sequences of work and over three- and one-half hours of labor that go into each piece.  We’ve experimented with eliminating the forged leaf and substituting a straight stem, but it drastically changes the overall appearance of the rose.  An abbreviated summary of the sequence is highlighted below.  Feel free to contact us via email should you have any questions.    

The Birth of a Copper and Steel Rose

• A solid 1/4” diameter steel rod is cut to form the stem. A custom base is welded to the end of the stem to secure the petals in place. The weld is shaped and blended into the top of the stem.

• Thorns are cut/shaped and welded to the stem.

• A leaf is hand forged from a length of ½” solid square steel and carefully welded to the stem.

• The stem is bent by hand in a shop fabricated bending jig.

• A custom set of templates are used to mark the shape of the rose petals on a sheet of 16 oz commercial grade copper.  Each of the seven layers of petals are of are cut by hand.

• The centers of each petal layer are punched and then textured on the anvil by hammer and hand.

• Once the texture is applied to each petal, the copper is annealed and descaled.

• The initials of your loved one are stamped to the underside of the bottom petal (if you choose to do so).

• Each petal is stacked, aligned and fastened to the steel stem.    

• The rose bloom is carefully shaped into its final form.

• The petals are cleaned, and wire wheeled before beginning the “heat coloring” process.

• A torch is used to slowly heat the copper petals.  Red, blue and purple colors emerge as the flame oxidizes the surface of the copper.  The rose bloom is left unfinished and will develop a patina all its own over time. 

• The stem is finished with a high quality, spray lacquer.

• A few drops of rose oil are placed within the center of the bloom ensuring that the fragrance is as pleasant as the appearance.   

• Life for this rose begins when it is neatly packed in a box and shipped to you.

Size:

Overall Length: +-14”L

Bloom: +-4”-0 – 4.5” W

Color: Raw steel with a clear spray lacquer finish on the stem. Due to the nature of copper and mild steel, no two roses will ever appear the same guaranteeing a truly one of a kind gift. Variations may occur between the items pictured and the item you receive. 

Maintenance: No maintenance is required other than an occasional dusting.  The copper will develop a unique patina over time.  A few drops of rose oil in the center of the bloom is all it takes to revive the fragrance.

Customization:
We will custom hand stamp the initials of your choice on the underside of the bottom petal (see photo). Initials are limited to three (3) characters.

Please note that all initials are stamped by hand. The letters may not be perfectly aligned and show some slight variations in depth and spacing. No two pieces will ever appear the same guaranteeing that you will receive a one of a kind item.

Shipping: Price includes shipping within the continental United States.