Recently the Onefastbuffalo family celebrated a new investor partnership for a brand we created from scratch and launched in 2011.... Warstic. We spent the afternoon scarfing down hotdogs at the Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees game followed by a small party held at Third Man Records Detroit.
Here is the official press release.
JACK WHITE AND IAN KINSLER TEAM UP WITH WARSTIC. GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNING ARTIST AND DETROIT TIGERS ALL-STAR SECOND BASEMAN. JOIN FORCES WITH TEXAS-BASED INDEPENDENT SPORTING GOODS COMPANY. WARSTIC MAKING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT IN 2016 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON WITH UNIQUE LINE OF PRO GRADE WOOD AND METAL BASEBALL BATS AND GEAR.
(Detroit, MI) Jack White and Detroit Tigers second baseman and four-time baseball All-Star Ian Kinsler are now co-investors and co-partners with founder Ben Jenkins in the independent sporting goods company, Warstic. Founded in 2011 by Dallas-based designer, entrepreneur, and former minor league baseball player Jenkins, Warstic designs Pro Grade wood and metal bats, gear and lifestyle apparel for baseball and softball players of any age who appreciate not only quality craftsmanship but unique design.
"I discovered the Warstic company through my love of design," says White. "I was drawn to what Ben Jenkins was doing at Warstic by the simplicity and harshness of the designs. Most baseball bats and equipment in the sports world do not impress me much, but I think that there is a lot of room to explore aesthetic ideas in just baseball alone that can bring beauty and purpose to the weapons that athletes use to accomplish their goals. This can be accomplished not only through form following function, but also to bring in outsider ideas into the zone of athletics steeped in history and sometimes bogged down by its own weight. Warstic is incredibly inspiring to me in this fashion, and I think we can make beautiful objects for not only professionals, but also young children just beginning to understand how important the tools of the trade are to their passion for competition."
"I was drawn to Warstic not only by its uncompromising quality but also what it represents," says Kinsler. "Ben and the team truly believe that a bat should be more than just a bat - it can be a tool, an attitude and at the same time, a personalized representation of who you are as an athlete. Nowadays, substance and style play a big role in baseball, but it's tough to get both. Warstic has managed to combine the two, allowing pros and kids alike to be on the same team - all playing with a fresh and relentlessly confident approach to the game."
Warstic offers American Ash, Maple, and Birch wood and metal bats, each uniquely emblazoned with the trademark Warstripe emblem branded into every bat. With a bold but minimal approach to performance design, they are turning the heads of baseball All-Stars and MVPs alike who are looking for not just top performance, but also a new aesthetic that stands apart from the norm. Ian Kinsler himself made history this year in his first official big league game of 2016 holding a Black on Black Maple Warstic with Gold embellishments. Kinsler collected not only the first official Warstic base hit but also its first home run, and his early spring training and opening week stats speak for themselves: He loves the bats. With Kinsler as the lead player, Warstic is currently hand selecting a team of Pro players that truly embody the warrior spirit of their brand and its lifestyle.
“Warstic is not trying to be a brand for everyone,” says Ben Jenkins, “it’s about more than sports in that it considers the deeper human connection behind why we play sports in such an intense and expressive manner. Over time we forget who won or lost. What we remember are the players, their style of play, and the great battles they fought. The concept of balance is crucial to everything we do. We care about life outside of our sport and have perspective that it's not about big we get but rather how good we get, and what matters is what we do with that success to make people loves better. Ian is a great representation of what our brand is about on the performance and character side and I’m excited to have his experience, knowledge, talent, and work ethic on our team. On the other side, Jack represents our love and appreciation of sports as fans, of not just making things, but our willingness to make new things that have never been seen before. We are excited to have his support and his tenacious appetite for pushing the boundaries of art, even within sports. That, after all, is what Warstic is about.”
Warstic also offers a diverse line of aesthetically pleasing training gear, headwear, and baseball lifestyle apparel, as well as a variety of specially designed equipment bags, batting gloves, and other accessories. For a complete catalogue and additional information, please visit www.warstic.com, instagram.com/warsticbaseball, facebook.com/WarsticBatCo, and twitter.com/warsticbatco.
Warstic founder Ben Jenkins is an American designer, brand strategist, entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of the Dallas-based Brand Strategy and Design firm, OneFastBuffalo.
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