Leo of Sampson Boat Co. has just completed a mammoth seven-year-long task of restoring a mostly rotten gaff cutter yacht from 1910, called Tally Ho. He has not only built a magnificent boat, but built a team of incredible craftsmen, each with their own particular set of skills…

‘HEROS + RIVE’, pronounced hear-oss + Riv.

When identifying a brand and ultimately wanting customers to make a connection with that brand, it needs to be a very efficient way of telling a story and a symbol of what a brand is and what they are about. How much meaning can be placed into such a small emblem may be the struggle, especially when it needs to be used practically over many different mediums. In the regard of furniture, it mustn’t be too detailed as it will likely be used to brand a piece of furniture and printed onto a few clothing items, email signatures etc. The finer detail will certainly be lost when branding timber and so, to overcome this, my personal goal was for a logo to be as unambiguous as possible while still reflecting back over what I wanted the brand to resemble.

I was approached to build a custom hi-fi console for a repeat client. This was something I had always sought after as a project, with a peaked interest in all things vinyl and a shared vision with the client. A shared vision which led to pulling elements from mid-century modern furniture and using a local timber, Tasmanian Blackwood with brass accents.

Maxwell Hazan crafts pieces of mechanical art. The most beautiful pieces of mechanical art in the world. Everything is cut and milled and pieced together by hand. We appreciate the patience of the lad and appreciate that he shares his process with the world.

Natsuki Ishitani is a Japanese woodworker who, in collaboration with his filmmaker wife and fluffy dog, showcase the making of some of the most simple and beautiful handcrafted furniture. Every video is a visual and audio treat, hearing only the sounds of a highly skilled craftsman scraping, planing and chiselling away.

This is some high quality stuff..

I Love Ugly are a New Zealand brand who pioneered the Zespy pant. Their products defined by simple aesthetics and quality. They openly share their own highs and lows translating into solid advice about starting a company. Worth a follow on Instagram and a listen to their podcasts for wise advice on starting up and keeping at it.

George & Willy was started by two mates in New Zealand who have created simple and practical products now found all over the world. These lads harness everything about kiwi ingenuity and simple yet effective marketing which perfectly mirrors their product. They have built a culture as well as a brand.

Tyler Hays, the mastermind behind M.CROW and BDDW. He makes furniture, ceramics and clothing with a true handmade feel to them, exploiting the textures possible with the mediums he uses. With a focus on the use of locally sourced natural materials and organic forms, every piece has it’s own unique fingerprint.

A few years back, I rebuilt a motorcycle to get to work and back during summer. I found a (Japanese made) 1987 GN125, one of the least sexy motorcycles on the road. The brief - to make it cool.

At Heros+Rive, the tracks turn before the saw blade. Keep up with all our Spotify playlists and any new artists we are listening to in the workshop…

The Meads dining table is the mainstay of the Heros+Rive catalogue. With its traditional joinery techniques it is built to last. Here we go for a behind the scenes look at the construction of the table.