Cartographer EDC beads (Grail drop #17)

Handmade in California by Tim Markel, the Cartographer EDC beads are the 106th shop-drop by the Orange County maker and the 17th Copper Wagon Grail Drop. The Cartographer beads are the first CW drop to feature the new Copper Wagon Halo, a glowing ring inlay positioned independently from the center lanyard tube. This new design preserves more of the top cap material while adding a subtle yet striking glow accent to the cap of the beads.

The idea for the Halo came from a problem I’ve been wanting to solve for a while. The traditional 1/2" glow cores require removing a large amount of material, which can be especially unfortunate when working with rare or expensive stock. The solution is the new Copper Wagon Halo, which will begin appearing on many future CW drops. The Jewelers Blue Halo included in the Cartographer beads is powered by Skur Composites Hyperglow.

Each cap of the Cartographer beads features vintage Westinghouse late-era Ivorite (paper Micarta), circa 1991–1992. Featured on the non-glow Halo cap is double-blue-line Westinghouse Ivorite with a carved, recessed ring that intersects the internal blue layer, revealing it as a circular accent within the cap. The cut exposes that beautiful blue layer while maximizing the amount of visible blue from the underside of the bead. 

Late era Westinghouse Ivorite has become highly sought after and increasingly difficult to find as collectors stash it away or reserve it for custom grail builds, particularly the double blue variant. As time passes, more of this material disappears into private collections and one off builds, making it harder to come across in the wild. One of the things that makes the late-era Ivorite so desirable is the way it ages. Late era Ivorite slowly develops a subtle gray patina over time, giving it a refined and understated look without dramatically altering its appearance. This differs from early era Ivorite, which gradually shifts toward a warmer golden yellow tone and takes on a more well worn character as the years pass.

Born from a passion for craftsmanship, every Copper Wagon EDC bead is carefully designed, assembled, turned, and polished in very small batches. Every Copper Wagon EDC bead is one-of-a-kind. Past drops/themes are not repeated.

Attach your Copper Wagon EDC beads to your favorite pieces of EDC gear as additional grip points while also elevating their presence in your loadout. Each meticulously crafted bead possesses a unique, evolving character and enduring charm, designed to withstand the test of time and the rigors of everyday life, ensuring it becomes a cherished heirloom for generations to come.

A total of 11 Cartographer beads were made, but only 10 are available through the shop-drop. There is a one-off that features a “flooded” glow cap where the glow dominates most of the cap, rather than the new CW Halo.

Materials:

-Vintage Westinghouse Ivorite, late era (91-92)

-Vintage Westinghouse Double Blue line Ivorite, late era

-Halo (Skur Composites Hyperglow)

-Lab opal

-Titanium-Copper

-Copper lanyard tube

Approximate dimensions:

H: 0.8” (21mm)

W:0.6”(17mm)

Free U.S. shipping