Here’s the truth instead:
Wood. Resin. Metal. Acrylic. Electronics. 3D printing. Whatever makes sense for the idea.
Sometimes it’s a tap handle. Sometimes it’s a sign, a bar piece, a puzzle box, a game, jewelry, or something that didn’t exist before somebody walked into the shop with a half-formed idea and said, “So… what if?”
That’s kind of my thing.
I love making things — the planning, problem-solving, mistakes, fixes, and figuring-it-out-as-you-go part. Custom tap handles for small breweries are a huge part of VonKemp Designs, but I also like building the pieces people actually touch, use, point at, and talk about.
If you’ve got an idea and you’re not totally sure how to pull it off, that’s usually where the fun starts. We can sketch it, break it, rethink it, and build it right.
VonKemp Designs isn’t a factory. It isn’t mass-produced, outsourced, or pumped through a boardroom full of people who’ve never picked up a chisel.
It’s one guy, a small shop, a lot of sawdust, and about 26 years in the corporate IT world — experience that still shapes how I solve problems and build things today.
I like small businesses. I like small breweries. I like supporting local people and making work that feels like it belongs to them — not something pulled from page 47 of a catalog.
What I care about is solid, honest work that holds up, looks right, and feels intentional. Stuff you’re proud to put your name on.
If you’re looking for slick marketing language and empty promises, I’m probably not your guy.
If you’re looking for something custom, real, and built with intention — let’s talk.
Worst case? We drink a beer and kick around ideas.
Best case? We build something badass.
— Keith
VonKemp Designs
