Natty Industries, not to be confused with the world’s worst beer, is a UK 3D printing store with more personality than I’ve seen from any business we’ve covered so far. Offering a wide variety of customizable goods, the company is one that doesn’t seem to be afraid of just being itself. And, in so doing, has come up with a number of clever 3D printed goods, including 3D printed screws.
The company is the brainchild of Nathaniel Caird, who came across 3D printing a few years back when he needed some prototyping performed, saying, “I started with 3D printing when working on a project to build some rather eccentric musical instruments. I had to teach myself CAD and went to get some prototypes done at digits2widgets, which at the time was based in a dentist’s office.” Soon, the price of printers began to drop and he was able to purchase his own. He noticed that, in the mainstream market of manufactured goods, purchasing customized items was either too difficult or too costly: “If you wanted, for instance, dice with your initials on them, or guitar picks with your logo on them, you had to order a minimum of 100!” So, being self-taught in most things in life, it was natural for him to start his own business.
Using FlashForge 3D printers, Natty Industries has built itself up and expanded to include 3D-printed, customizable guitar picks, iPhone covers, door jams, keychains, buttons, cufflinks, and more. Most of the items are printed in dual colours, with the body of the object in one colour and your logo or inscription in another, using filaments from Faberdashery. Constantly developing new ideas for goods, the shop has even promised the sale of 3D-printed screws and bobbins. Oh, and the Natty Industries’ site has a built in currency converter so that you can display all of the shop’s prices in Euros, Pounds, Dollars or Yen!
The company has become essential for a number of local small businesses in London because business owners are able to purchase customized goods in small quantities or as one off orders. And, as Natty Industries expands, so does its presence in the world. In addition to a revamped website, the company will establish a brick-and-mortar shop in the near future, making it even easier for customers to find it and get their custom items made.
I hope that the Natty Industries brand doesn’t change too much with the website. As much as I’d love some 3D printed guitar picks with The RealityTM Institute logo on them, it’s definitely the fun, irreverent and whimsical vibe that draws me to their stuff.
Source: Natty Industries
