Page 17 - Feb 2020 Shave of the Day Monthly Magazine

“T h e sh av e c o m m u n ity h a s
re sp o n d e d lik e fa m ily. ”
A few days after, orders started coming in
for the remaining inventory. I remember
very well the first ten or so customers I
had, and you know who you are as well.
As time went on, Wild West Brushworks
grew into something far beyond what
I had ever imagined. I stopped work-
ing only in vendor sourced material and
moved to pouring my own resin blanks.
With that, the intrigue only grew, and now
seeing the patterns develop during turning
was even more addicting! While I still
consider this a hobby, I do hope to make it
my full time job (Looking at you in envy,
Rob!) once I can retire from my day job.
On December 20, 2019, as many of you
know, my family and I were displaced
by a fire in our home. The fire destroyed
the garage, our two vehicles, and the
front half of our home, which was where
my two children’s rooms were located.
The remainder of the home is covered in
soot, ash, sheet-rock, cellulose insulation,
and was doused with water during the
firefighting efforts. As a result, we were
informed the home is a total loss. While in
shock and still watching my home smol-
der, I shut down shop and hastily posted
a message about what was happening.
Immediately the wetshaving community
rallied around me. I had messages of con-
cern and support flooding my inbox.
Right: Hand made shave
brush from Wild West
Brushworks.
17
Ben from Mammoth Soaps jumped into ac-
tion and organized a GoFundMe, and then
other artisans and retailers began donating
items to drive donations to the GoFundMe.
My family and I have been so inspired by
the outpouring of support from the commu-
nity. It has gone far beyond what we could
have imagined, and made me realize just
how wonderful and like a family this com-
munity is. While I have tried to respond to
everyone who has messaged me, I know that
I have surely missed some. Please know that
we have read your messages, whether they
have been on instagram, facebook, or in the
Mammoth Soaps thread, but the scope of
replying to everyone is too large right now,
and that’s a wonderful thing if you think
about it. Most importantly, we are all safe,
uninjured, healthy, and with family while we
work out what’s next. I’ll be back to making
brushes as soon as I can, and when I do I
will surely be giving back in whatever way I
can.
Dereck Wheeler
wildwestbrushworks@yahoo.com