Grizzly Kinder Sleigh Is As Tough As Its Name

   

As many people know, InfoMommy likes to tell you about products that are unique & helpful and I love to share products that I think are great!

I reached out to Streamridge a couple of months back, inquiring about doing a review on their Grizzly Kinder Sleigh. I immediately liked it when perusing online as it was made in Canada, made of wood instead of plastic and seemed a lot sturdier that a typical stapled together sleigh would be. I also liked the price point for a Canadian-made wooden sleigh.

Sometimes I will get turned down and sometimes I get no response at all. Many times I will gladly get shipped the product for review. But only 2 companies have ever invited me to pop by and check out their behind the scenes operation. One of those companies was Medela Canada, the breastpump gurus, and the other was Bauman Sawmill, the makers of the Streamridge Grizzly Kinder Sleigh that I inquired about.

After carving out some time during our summer schedule, I took my kids down to visit them one morning at their sawmill operation just outside of Elmira, Ontario. The drive alone through the countryside was beautiful. Rolling hills, lush green landscape and crops of various produce at the height of their growing season. Horse drawn buggies being driven down the country roads, bringing to mind a much simpler time than today's hustle and bustle in large urban centres.

Mr. Bauman (part owner of Bauman Sawmill/Streamridge) is a tall friendly man with a warm take charge personality. He strikes me as a man who has educated and well thought out beliefs and ideas that he is not afraid to share. I believe that these qualities would make him a great leader! He warmly welcomed me and my children and brought us to their board room. Mr. Bauman was even kind enough to have the forethought to seek the assistance of Helena, one of his employees, to help out with my children while we chatted and completed our tour. As I said to her that morning, I was quite certain that child-minding and assisting with young children had not been part of her job description when she signed on there! I really appreciated that Mr. Bauman, Helena, and Myron Gascho, who is their Customer and Product Coordinator, were open to including my children in the tour. Even if they were eventually getting a bit rowdy in the board room! They are active boys after all! I loved the idea of my children seeing how sleighs are made, and seeing the craftsmanship behind the finished product. Craftsmanship that some would argue is close to becoming a lost art.

Bauman Sawmill was formed in 1995, and makes over 60 varieties of sleighs and toboggans. In fact, they are the exclusive manufacturer for LL Bean sleighs as well! The Streamridge brand name was inspired by their property which runs alongside the Conestoga River, and includes its own ridge along the waterway. Bauman Sawmill provides gainful employment to approximately 60 local residents within Waterloo Region.

Their sleighs are made of locally grown Ash wood, which is a type of wood that is known for its natural fiber strength, and is suited perfectly for bending during production of the sleighs. These trees are ethically harvested by being carefully selected and acquired from private landowners, and are not clear cut like many people might believe or envision. They are hand chosen. When removed, it assists in opening up the tree canopy within that particular forest, aiding in generating new growth, and encouraging further growth in pre-existing trees and other vegetation.

Once the trees have been processed into lumber, they are typically stacked for drying outside for approximately one year. Drying them in this slow manner, allows for the natural fiber strength to be preserved. Keeping the natural fiber strength is important, at it allows the lumber to be bent during the steam bending process.

Each component of these sleds are made in Waterloo Region and are made by hand, along with tools of the trade and some machinery. They are not fabricated in a factory, where robotic instruments do all the work. These are made from start to finish by real people here in Canada! Even the varnish type coating on them is not done by spraying, but done by hand dipping into troughs of water based finish. This method keeps dangerous particles out of the air and reduces waste, as the drippings go right back into the finish toughs for re-use on the next sleigh. They are then hung in rows to dry.

Walking through the production area, various areas are reminiscent of Santa's workshop. A number of partially finished sleighs hung in a perfect line waiting for their finish to be applies. Instead of elves, you have skilled craftsmen & craftswomen who are mindfully sanding wood to make sure that there are no splinters, screwing pieces together, bending wood for the sleigh runners, along with other tasks. Their product room featuring all of their accessories, sleigh pads and sleigh designs also has a warm feel to it. It really got me in the mood for winter... Almost!

Mr. Gascho then took us for a tour of the actual Sawmill which is offsite, and then to a harness & tack shop where they actually sew all the sleigh pads on the upper level. Imagine colourful bolts of fabric everywhere, ready to be used to make the sleigh pads, horse blankets and a number of other items they make there on a daily basis! Where a man was actually sewing leather for horse tack! Mr. Gascho's patience and humour when we temporarily lost one of my toddler's shoes was appreciated, as was his ability to tailor the tour to ensure that my kids were not hungry enough to start eating lumber for lunch!

With the small amount of wood waste that can occur with breakage, uneven ends or during the sawmilling itself, Bauman Sawmill uses this matter to make bedding for animals, and also uses it to fuel their wood burning heaters. These wood burning heaters also serve to heat their production area and warm up water for the steam that is essential to bending the wood for the sleighs. Examples of reduce, re-use and recycle at its finest! Their methods of making these sleighs, where at each individual stage are touched by real people - not just machines, and their apparent care taken to eliminate waste makes me believe that they really are trying and doing their part in leaving a small carbon footprint.

The Grizzly Kinder Sleigh is designed for kids aged 1-3 years of age. It has curled runners on the front, which I think makes for reducing the amount of times you get stuck in snow from the front when navigating through snow drifts, and blowing snow. This would have come in real handy with the winter we had last year! The metal wear bars on the runners give the sleigh not only extra gliding power, but also helps reduce wear and tear on the runners themselves. These Streamridge sleighs would be a hit not only for Christmas morning, but a fantastic investment for someone who is starting their family! These sleighs are built to last a lot longer than your typical stapled together sleigh and a sure bet that they will last for use with subsequent children and for generations to come if treated kindly!  You can almost be guaranteed a partial return on investment with these sleighs as well, if you are the type who likes to sell your no longer needed items on websites like Kijiji! How cool would you be as the Grandma and/or Grandpa who put that under the tree this year?! If you're small enough, you might even get a ride in it! And by small, I mean toddler sized!

As previously stated, they have a number of sleigh styles to meet your needs. For all of you parents or grandparents of multiples out there, they even have a dual version of the Grizzly Kinder Sleigh, called the Grizzly Dual Sleigh! This is perfect for twins or siblings that are close in age between 1 and 3 years of age!

The 1/2" thick rustic red and black lumberjack type polyester sleigh pad design are new to this year's models. It gives them an even more authentic look than their previous plain red pads. Having the sleigh pad helps to stop drafts from coming in and around the sides of the sleigh, and help provide more comfort and warmth on longer sleigh rides. The braided pull rope, which is also locally braided here in Ontario, is thicker than a lot of other sleighs out there, and adds comfort for the hands of the parents or whoever's pulling the sleigh. I was going to say that the only thing I'd change is to add a seatbelt, but they actually sell those too!

The Grizzly Kinder Sleigh retails for approximately $169.99CAN. At this price point, I think it's a great investment! You get a well-crafted Canadian handmade sled, made locally in Ontario. They are available for purchase from Home Hardware, online at Toys R Us Canada, and at various small retailers throughout the country. You can also purchase a selection of different accessories which are available for purchase online.

Sleigh dimensions are 33" long, 14 1/2" wide and 13 1/4" high. The Grizzly Kinder Sleigh weighs 9 1/2 pounds, which is great to help add extra traction when pulling through snow. And there's no assembly required.... Unless of course, you're making your own snow! :)

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****