BoglerCo

I've always loved to make things with my hands, as a kid I started with LEGOS and plastic model cars and wooden ship models. Fast forward to an adult with two degrees in Mechanical Engineering and it's a very regular thing that I modify or make my own gear for biking, backpacking, and literally just about anything around my house or work. For example at one point I needed to carry a clipboard around all day every day at work so I made myself a super lightweight carbon fiber clipboard with special curves for exactly the way I used it. My coworkers called it an Astronaut clipboard. I'm also that goofy guy who regularly gives 3D Printed gifts to people I made with my own 3D printer.

I had bought a commonly used backpacking trowel and the first time I used it I was disappointed in the design and also visualized a better design of my own. So I made my own. I tested it, redesigned it, made another one, and another one....   pretty soon I had spreadsheets with stress analysis for different materials with different thicknesses and different bend angles, charts for strength to weight ratios of materials, and a pile of trowels of different shapes sizes and materials.

The final design is my attempt at the "perfect balance" of all the attributes. Size, strength, weight, cost, durability, features, and did I mention weight? Making it as lightweight as possible without sacrificing durability or effectiveness was key. This was also achieved with a lot of input from friends as well.

So next I put my design on Esty and just like that, BoglerCo was born. Things have ramped up fast. Response to my product and its design has been amazing. In 2022 I changed my day job to a part-time schedule so I could focus more on this amazing and rewarding opportunity. BoglerCo only has one product so far, but I always have my mind churning for a potential second product.

I believe in small flexible manufacturing. And I believe in the "Made in USA" ethos. I also love being efficient with resources. By doing all of the manufacturing myself, in my home shop, from bringing in the raw materials all the way to shipping out the finished product, I save all of the energy and packaging of intermittent steps. I'm very clear that the future of BoglerCo will never involve outsourcing anything. BoglerCo products will always be hand made from start to finish under one roof.

I'm proud to have a very energy and resource efficient tiny shop. Conservation of nature and the environment are important to me. I've also chosen not to do any processing involving harsh chemicals or dyes. This is why the trowels have an all natural aluminum finish. Luckily I have fun color choices for the ABS plastic "handle" to give it some flare.

Benjamin Bogler