Co-Founder Of Taylor Guitars Launches Stella Falone Kitchen Woodcrafts With Premium Line Of Exotic, Ethically Sourced Ebony Cutting Boards
The stunning cutting boards make a unique statement for any kitchen while supporting steady jobs, living wages, and a groundbreaking ebony replanting initiative in the Congo Basin Rainforest
EL CAJON, Calif., Aug. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bob Taylor, co-founder and president of Taylor Guitars, the world's leading manufacturer of acoustic guitars – played by superstars like Taylor Swift, Jason Mraz, Shawn Mendes, Zac Brown and more – today launches Stella Falone Kitchen Woodcrafts. The new brand debuts with a line of reversible cutting boards featuring exotic ebony wood ethically sourced in Cameroon and processed at an ebony sawmill co-owned by Taylor in Cameroon'sCongo Basin in West Africa.
Small Stella Falone Cutting Board & Ebony Tree Seedlings Awaiting Planting
For centuries, instrument makers have used ebony wood for fingerboards on violins, guitars, piano keys and more because of its beautiful dark color, remarkable durability, and favorable tonal characteristics. However, ebony has not always been sourced using ethical and sustainable practices. To help change this, Taylor Guitars became the co-owner of a small ebony sawmill in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Their goal: create a more socially responsible and environmentally sustainable value chain for this ebony wood.
In the process of cutting ebony for musical instrument parts, there are pieces that don't fit the precise specifications for a guitar or violin, but whose exotic beauty and durability make them wonderfully suited for other types of products. Enter Stella Falone Kitchen Woodcrafts. As a longtime lover of food, cooking and quality kitchen products, Bob Taylor was inspired to use this ebony to develop a line of premium kitchen woodcrafts, starting with cutting boards.
"I've devoted my career to the pursuit of my passions—woodworking craftsmanship and guitars," says Taylor. "After more than four decades of crafting beautiful, high-performance guitars that have inspired generations of musicians all around the world, I'm excited to apply that same craftsmanship expertise to another passion of mine: food! I love quality kitchen tools, and I especially love the idea of blending beauty and function to create exceptional kitchenware products that support a more sustainable future."
Ebony's Exotic Beauty
The stunning ebony wood used to craft Stella Falone's cutting boards is unlike anything found in the marketplace. The unique aesthetic appeal includes:
Exotic Hardwood Beauty – Each side of this reversible cutting/serving board showcases the striking visual traits of ebony: black on one side with a marbled blend of light and dark hues on the other; The board's middle section is African sapele
Attractive Serving Board Design – This board makes a gorgeous display item on your countertop and a great gift to complement kitchen décor, serveware, dinnerware and other pantry items
Unique Selection Experience – On the Stella Falone website, customers have the opportunity to choose their own unique cutting board, each of which showcases a one-of-a-kind exotic hardwood grain pattern
Quality & Craftsmanship
Each Stella Falone cutting board is backed by over 45 years of Taylor Guitars' widely recognized woodworking and craftsmanship expertise. Stella Falone leverages Taylor's world-renowned manufacturing resources to produce cutting boards that raise the bar for quality and durability in the marketplace:
Premium Quality & Durable Construction – Premium design with 42mm thickness features a durable, knife-friendly surface that's naturally sanitary and withstands heavy-duty chopping, cutting and cleaning; Includes free conditioning oil to prevent drying out, warping or cracking
Two Board Sizes With Large Surfaces & Carved Grip Edges – The 11.4-inch x 11.4-inch (small, $129) and 18-inch x 11.4-inch (large, $199) surface areas are ideal for mincing, chopping and slicing, while the convenient carved grip edge enables easy handling during food prep, serving and cleaning; Total weight: 5.72 lbs (small), 9 lbs (large)
Free Conditioning Oil & Non-Slip Mat Included– Boards purchased from the Stella Falone website ship with free conditioning oil and a non-slip mat that provides extra stability and safety while cutting
A More Ethical Cutting Board
The West African ebony used for these cutting boards is legally and ethically sourced. The sale of each Stella Falone cutting board helps sustain steady jobs with living wages in Cameroon, along with better-quality tools and increased skills training. The launch of Stella Falone allows for even greater potential to enhance the lives of Cameroonians by providing a market for high-quality ebony kitchenware. The end result is greater prosperity and hope for Cameroonian families and the surrounding community.
"Stella Falone is an outgrowth of our commitment to the Cameroonian communities who contribute to the ebony trade," Bob Taylor continued. "After traveling to Cameroon for more than eight years and working with employees at the mill and others involved in sourcing ebony, I'm in love with the people. Their ability to add value to an important native natural resource with Stella Falone products gives them a greater stake in their future."
The purchase of Stella Falone products also supports the long-term preservation of Cameroon's rainforest through the replanting of ebony trees for future generations. A partnership with sister company Taylor Guitars and the Congo Basin Institute — an extension of UCLA — has led to a groundbreaking community-based ebony replanting program that's on track to plant more than 15,000 ebony trees by the end of 2020. It's called The Ebony Project.
For more information, and to view and purchase cutting boards, visit www.StellaFalone.com.
ABOUT STELLA FALONE
Stella Falone was born out of our passion for beautiful, high-quality kitchen tools and a desire to build a socially responsible business around ethically sourced West African ebony wood. Our reversible ebony cutting and serving boards combine stunning aesthetic beauty, durable construction, and versatile functionality. Each board displays ebony's exotic visual character in a unique way. Our ebony comes from the small Crelicam mill in Cameroon, co-owned by our sister company, Taylor Guitars, an industry-leading acoustic guitar manufacturer. The purchase of Stella Falone cutting boards supports steady jobs with living wages in Cameroon, along with a groundbreaking ebony replanting initiative in the Congo Basin Rainforest.
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