What is acceptable finishing for handmade products?

At Celtic WebMerchant, we adhere to the following guidelines for handmade products and natural materials:

• Seams and stitching: In leather products or clothing, seams may sometimes not be perfectly straight, or there may be slight color differences in the thread.
• Wood structure: In wooden items, such as shields or handles, knots, color variations, or irregularities in the wood grain may occur.
• Forging and casting marks: Light hammer marks, subtle asymmetry, or tiny air bubbles and casting seams in cast parts (such as pommels) are part of the authentic character.
• Light rust on steel: This is a natural property of unhardened steel and can be easily removed by yourself with black sandpaper and possibly Ballistol spray. 
• Visual deviations: The product looks slightly different than in the photo, or the lighting on the website is different.
• Finish and light scratches: A disappointing finish or the occurrence of light scratches is not recognized as damage.
• Products are not exactly the same: A drinking horn is a natural product and may be lighter or darker than in the photo. Also, when ordering multiple such products, you may receive variations, for example, a thicker shorter and a longer thinner specimen. 

Why is this acceptable?

Our products are handmade, which means that small differences between them are a feature of the production process and not a defect. You should also have realistic expectations that match the price of the product.

If you are dissatisfied with these aspects, you can (if residing in the EU) return the product to us within the 30-day reflection period via the normal route.