Why a Bespoke Weathervane Makes an Unforgettable Gift for Dad

Dads are notorious for being tricky to buy for! Especially if they’re retired, they often seem to already have everything they could possibly want, so you have to be creative in thinking of a really meaningful gift. It’s easy enough to come up with generic ideas, I know I’ve gone down the nice bottle of whisky route a few times when no better ideas are forthcoming, but if you’re looking for a gift for dad that will make him smile for years to come, read on…

Why custom weathervane makes a great gift

A custom weathervane can be a great way to reflect someone’s hobbies and interests; even display a little of their personality and sense of humour. It’s a talking point for visitors – a well designed weathervane can say so much about you. As well as being an effective tool for reading the wind direction, a weather vane is ideal for topping off a garage, workshop or carport. It can be quirky, funny or serious, but most of all it can be personal to you and your family. Black Fox Metalcraft have the skill & creativity to being any idea to life, and do not charge extra for bespoke designs.

You can combine forces with siblings or other family members and order a bespoke weathervane as a joint gift, sharing the cost and the ideas – we’re happy to work with multiple people, taking on board everyone’s ideas.

And, in ordering from a British craft business, you are supporting the UK economy. Every stage of the weathervane making process - the designing, cutting, forging, welding and finishing is all done in the UK to the highest standard.

How to personalise a weathervane

Commissioning a bespoke weather vane is nowhere near as difficult as you might imagine, and as Black Fox Metalcraft do not charge extra for this service, the costs for design time are not going to mount up and surprise you.

1.  Contact Black Fox Metalcraft to discuss your ideas. It doesn’t matter if you’re not totally sure of what you want; as experienced designers we know what to ask in order to guide you in working it out. Photos and sketches are always welcome, but equally we can begin from as little as a brief description over the phone. We can also advise on the best size of weathervane for the intended location, as well as the fixing – if the gift is a surprise, we know you obviously can’t ask dad!
2.  We produce an initial design and email it over to you. You then have chance to suggest alterations & improvements – we want to get it just right for you and won’t be in the least bit offended if changes need to be made. 
3.  That’s it – you don’t need to do anything else. We don’t take payment until you are completely happy with the final design, and from there we do the rest.

Gift Inspiration: Ideas for Every Kind of Dad

• The Classic Car Enthusiast – If your dad is a classic car enthusiast, a vintage car weathervane of his favourite make or model can be a wonderful gift. It can bring back memories of a specific time and place, and even evoke a feeling. At Black Fox Metalcraft we can work from photos of a specific vehicle, including passengers or details such as a registration number. We can even paint the weathervane in full colour to match your dad’s car for a truly personalised one off! A vintage car weathervane looks fantastic taking pride of place on top of a garage, workshop or carport – it could be a car your Dad has owned in the past, or a model that he has always dreamed of owning.

• The Gardener –  Black Fox Metalcraft’s gardener weathervanes make amazing gifts because there is so much scope to personalise the design & really make it your own. We can work directly from a photo of your dad, and if he has a pet, we can include that too. I love drawing from nature so it’s no trouble to even add in his favourite plants, or a bird that visits his garden regularly. A bespoke gardener weathervane will be the finishing touch to your gardening dad’s already pristine garden!
  

• The Farmer –  Farming is not just a job, it’s a way of life and an identity. Why not create a bespoke farming weathervane featuring your dad and his tractor or animals? We can work directly from photographs, producing custom designs based on any make or model of Tractor, and can include any (or all!) of his animals.
  

• The Golfer, Fisherman, or Cyclist – Every dad has a hobby, whether he’s a golfer, musician or fisherman, or enjoys going shooting with friends, we can create a bespoke weathervane to celebrate it. Black Fox Metalcraft’s skilled designer will take the time to get your bespoke weather vane design exactly as you had imagined it, creating a truly special personalised gift.

Customer story

The personalised weather vane below is a great example of a gift for Dad. It was created for a Dad who enjoys fishing and playing guitar, and loves his Border Collie and a nice bottle of wine. I created this completely personalised design for him; a scene featuring him playing guitar whilst fishing, with his dog lying at his feet. The inclusion fo the bottle of wine will have raised a smile I'm sure! When there are several elements to a design like this, it can be tricky to fit everything in while keeping in mind the functionality of the weathervane, but in creating this little scene, it works perfectly. It was a gift from his wife and grown up kids; this is what they had to say about it:

Thank you SO much. We received this tonight and my husband loves it. I’m so delighted with it. Absolutely perfect, thank you so much for all your hard work.

Order in time for Christmas

Custom orders finalised during November will be guaranteed Christmas delivery. Creating unique, built to last weathervanes can take several weeks, so make sure you allow plenty of time as it's not a process that can be rushed. Contact Black Fox Metalcraft today to discuss your ideas!

For orders not placed in time, we’re happy to send out vouchers so you have an image of the bespoke weathervane to put in a card on the day. Vouchers can also be a great idea if you think the recipient would like to be involved in the design process - they can liase with us after Christmas to create their own personalised weather vane!