We recently connected with Ed and have shared our conversation below.
Ed, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
I grew up the only son of my father, he was an old school hippie who handmade wood pipes for himself and friends as a hobby. I always admired the woods and ways that went into making them. Got older thinking I could make some one day also. One day came when I was older, and my friends really liked what I had done. A few years went by, I was married, had a couple sons, had a shop out back wasn’t much to it but had a chop saw and drill press. I started making pipes again and realized I had publisher on my PC learned how to make a website, so I did. My wife thought it was a hobby for me but after many days it was more than a hobby, I was out there every day I could be as much as I could. I was honing my skills, learning how to get better here and there. I wasn’t making any sales but really enjoyed what I was doing and how it was getting better and better every day. I had my site up edstnt.com was learning how to make it flow and getting it listed in search engines doing SEO and all that fun stuff ugh not really, but it was part of it. No one is gonna buy what they don’t know is out there so had to figure out how to get the word out. I had also wanted to make dugout/one hitters to add to my offerings. One day had turned into weeks, weeks had turned into months. My wife asked me saying “Are you stupid, you are out in the shop at all hours of the day and night making wood crack pipes that no one is going to buy”. Keep in mind I make products for cannabis use lol. She’s not into it and just couldn’t understand why I was putting so much effort into it no matter how much I told her I loved and enjoyed what I was able to create. Months turned into many months, I was still giving it hell getting the word out on the internet getting better in the shop then 18 months later I had my first sale, it was a small at a little over $10 but hey a sale is a sale right. One sale turned into another before I knew I was making money. I was able to buy more tools and machines, 3 years into it I bought a larger shop. February 2023 will be 16 years later, I transitioned more into the vaporization part of the industry making vape stems for popular devices as well as making my own log style vaporizer the WoodScents. Now I do what I want, when I want as hard as I want as much as I want or don’t want. After a few years into it my 1st wife never said anything more negative about what I loved to do.
Ed, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I got into to the cannabis industry making wood pipes and dugouts in 07′. In 09′ a guy reached out to me about making a vapor stem. I had never heard of vaping back then had no clue what it was. Quickly learned about doing so and the benefits of vaping over combustion being so much healthier for consuming it for medical/recreational purposes. I had a wood lathe I purchased a few months before being asked. Used it a few times without a whole lot of success. Back then there wasn’t many videos of such on the internet. Gave it a try made a couple vape stems for the AromaZap, a niche log style vaporizer. Was a lot of trial and error with much more error than success but stuck with it to make those stems. Joined a vape forum began making stems for other devices like the Magic Flight Launch Box that turned into 100’s of pieces every six weeks to a years’ worth of several 1000’s. Keep in mind these and all that come out of Ed’s TnT are hand turned there is no automation here. All pieces are made to spec with a slight tolerance of a few .001″ either way being as close to spec as possible. There was no one making any alternatives for the glass stems that came with every vape back then. What do we know about glass, it breaks and that’s not cool. I have adapted SS for tips fitting on wood stems from the world’s finest and rarest woods. Wood is such a beautiful material to work with, each and every piece is different, no two people will have the same looking piece. As beautiful as it is it can be very tough to work and turn. It can be going great, turned almost to spec then take off just a tiny bit more to true it up then it goes all to hell in a split second. Typically, I work straight grained species but do work a lot of burls which is an abnormal growth created by the tree. These growths are some of the most beautiful wood grains you will ever see but are the most unpredictable pieces to turn, they can make a great day bad really quick. In making the alternatives to the glass stems users get a unique stem that will outlast the glass and possibly the device its paired with. I offer them for the Arizer Air & Solo, Tiny Might, Dynavap, E-Nano, Flowerpot, & Vapman.
I wanted to make my own log style vaporizer soon after I got into that industry but hit a snag after roadblock in the process. I was still learning a lot about turning then didn’t know what I do now. My skill level was nowhere near where it is today. I would give an idea a try to find out that was a bust then think of another but would get buried in other work having to put the new idea on the back burner. Hard to make ideas pay the bills when there is plenty of proven that do. It was 10 years before all the ideas came together and the WoodScents was a reality. It’s a log style vaporizer with a titanium medical grade 2 airpath seated in the top portion, a heater core within it that can reach temps of 760F. It’s powered by a 12v1A power supply with a rotary voltage controller in line that adjusts the amount of power to it for controlling the temperature to the core. Grind your flower in the palm of your hand or what have you, suck some of that material into the Ti tip that is within a stem glass or wood, place over the top of the air path after it’s been heating for a few minutes then slowly with a steady draw inhale through the load vaping it. Ambient air travels down the outside of the air path through inlets holes in the base then up over the core where its heated. WoodScents is a convection style vape giving you some of the most flavorful and enjoyable vapor that can be experienced. It doesn’t take a lot of cannabis to easily medicate when using the WoodScents. It’s a great unit for micro dosing. It can also be quite a powerhouse when paired with your favorite water tool.
I take pride in what I do, I love what I do and that others do also. I always say if my customers are happy, I am thrilled, that’s what it’s all about. There is a lot of work that goes into this biz, from emails to admin work, to shop work, to packing and shipping there is always something to do. I feel it utmost to answer every question, be email, DM or, however. If someone took a moment to have a look at what I do I need to respect that taking a moment to respond. Some answers take more than a moment and that’s ok. If I can help educate others about various products I offer and how they may benefit from their experiences to enhance or alleviate their lives that’s a big deal. Customer service is the #1 most priority for me, if that’s crummy then you got nothing never will have anything. I have met a lot of great people doing what I do and have made friends all over the world, most all will never see in person but that’s ok the relationships I have made are priceless.
As I have said I love what I do and that others do too. I do what I do to give my family what I didn’t have coming up. My 4 sons are my world, I am a dad first and foremost, they are my drive my heart and at the end of the day my strength. I can’t begin to tell you all I have lost in my life but when it comes to my sons all else ceases, it’s their time. Starting and running a business isn’t easy if it was everyone would do it, it takes a shit ton of work, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of long days and frustrating moments but is all worth it. Ed’s TnT has grown far beyond what I thought in the beginning where all I wanted was to make enough money to buy more tools to further my passion to where I am still wanting to buy more tools lol while supplying the best hand-crafted highest quality vapes and accessories to the entire world.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I do so enjoy hearing how something I made with my own two hands has made someones life better. Hearing how they are able to use their device or one that I made to help them deal with issues in their lives. I make tools, tools that can relieve stress, tools that can help them keep food down when dealing with cancer, tools that make their lives easier.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Be you, be true to yourself and stick with who you are. Be personable, show respect you get respect, if you don’t wish em well and walk away. Be honest above all own that and be accountable for the ups and the downs there will be a lot of them both. I was blown away by the # of likes I got for a bowl of cereal. Show who you are share your passion by saying how it feels in your heart and your gut. Show what you see to the finest detail in a way that others may never see with the feeling they may never know. You know what you do many don’t you have to be able to share that and do it a lot. The more you do it the easier it will get.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://edstnt.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eds_tnt_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Eds-TnTwwwedstntcom-267685303268614/