Venice Beach Sign with Palm Tree Silhouette
Why I should Buy a Live Edge Sign
A live edge Calico Wood Sign leaves the natural tree edge in tact and has a more unique, natural and rustic look than a routed edge sign. Live edge really showcases the natural beauty of a redwood tree. Sometimes they still contain bark, big knots and branches, or have a beautiful golden edge. Live edge slabs are 2"x (2 inch thick) reclaimed old growth redwood slabs. They are great for indoors or outdoors, and are typically more durable than the classic routed edge sign as they are twice as thick. Each slab is unique and there are large variations in size, shape and character. Some contain large swathes of the red heart of the tree, while others have marbled swirls of red and yellow. They often contain surface cracks and other imperfections that add to their character and rustic look.
Live Edge Collection
All New!
Why I Should Buy A Routered Edge Sign
A routed edge Calico Wood Sign comes with the edge style of your choice engraved into the edges of the sign, creating a specific look or style. These are the classic signs we've been making for the last 40+ years. Routed edge signs are made on 1"x (3/4 inch thick) redwood, and are great for indoors and outdoors. Routed edge sign sizes, while approximate, are true to size, compared to live edge signs which have a lot of variation in shape and size.
Beach Collection
All New!
What Makes Live Edge So Special?
Natural Beauty
Live edge slabs showcase the natural beauty of a redwood tree. As sign carvers, we could not ask for a better medium. Redwood is a soft wood, which allows us to hand-carve the clean, straight lettering and detailed artwork we are known for. Because redwood ages so slowly, these slabs can last decades, and be handed down through generations in your family. And as no two slabs look exactly alike, each one is a new canvas for us to design your one-of-a-kind sign.
Sustainably Sourced
Our live edge slabs come from reclaimed, old-growth California redwoods—trees that can live for not just hundreds, but thousands of years. These monuments are an iconic part of California’s natural history, one deserving protection.
New-Growth vs. Old-Growth
This farmed, new-growth redwood is what we use to make our Classic Signs. Our live edge slabs come from old-growth trees that are responsibly removed from county and city properties throughout Northern California, whether they be at risk of falling, dredged from a river or an old telephone pole being replaced. Back in Bass Lake, Rich first learned to carve on the old-growth timber that was common at the time. We are so excited that after 20 years, we finally have access to this remarkable resource again. Knowing that it comes from sustainable sources and is being repurposed—given new life—is the icing on the cake. We are proud that when you order a Calico Live Edge Redwood Sign, you can get the very best wood sign, without hurting the forests from which it came.
For over 20 years, the Calico Carver has been hand-making wood signs inside southern California's original themed park, Knott's Berry Farm. Our signs have found homes all over the world! We began with a simple motto: High quality work made from the heart and complete satisfaction from our guests. Little has changed since.
