Stoic Bear Woodworks

Stoic Bear is a traditionally-minded woodworking shop in Portland, Oregon, founded in 2012. Being a young studio in one of the world's oldest crafts, their brand had to have weight, strength, and a sense of permanence.

The logo

With rugged linework, frontier-inspired type, and a subtle reference to the head craftsman's love of tools, this mark is one of my favorite pieces of work.

Here are the full brand guidelines, if you’re curious.

The application

Since establishing the new look, Stoic Bear has experimented with laser etching and brands (the hot metal kind).  Now sneaky little bear snouts are showing up on hard-to-reach spots of commissioned furniture.

The presentation

Even an artisan woodworking shop needs an online presence, especially when the owner’s background is in tech.  And a bold, monochrome icon makes for a perfect video watermark or signature when the physical work is the real centerpiece.