Where are they made?

We make limited quantities of specialty sleds in our Crested Butte, Colorado workshop, including the following:

Elegant Flyer
Royal Flyer
Bambino Superior
Silverton Kicksled
Double Kicksled

Why aren't all of your sleds made in Crested Butte?

We doubled production in 2009, and then again in 2010, but we still can't keep up.

Where are they made?

Our imported Mountain Boy sleds, wagons, push carts and ornaments are designed in Colorado and made in Taizhou, China, by our good friend Mr. Yu and his crew (that's Mr. Yu below with sledmaker Brice Hoskin.)

In his small, family-run workshop, he makes sleds the same way we do - by hand, paying attention to the beauty of the wood, selecting the best materials, getting all the details right. He buys sustainably harvested birch logs, and has planks cut from them to just the right thickness. All the little pieces are used to make ornaments, and the sawdust is used to fire the wood-drying kiln, so there’s very little waste. In his shop, he carefully prepares all the materials: each plank is planed by hand, and each willow branch is peeled and sanded by his crew. When he assembles the sleds, he makes sure that all the parts match and have no flaws.

Mountain Boy sledmaker Brice Hoskin is fluent in Mandarin, and travels to China to inspect sleds several times a year. In our long relationship working with Mr. Yu, Brice has been able to closely monitor not just the quality of the product, but also working conditions and the way the workshop is run.

The 8 to 10 skilled craftsmen who work in Mr. Yu's shop have chosen his company because of its commitment to safe working conditions and dependable year-round employment. Mr. Yu provides housing for all of his workers and their families to ensure that both the work and living environments are as hospitable as possible. One of the most remarkable things we've noticed is that Mr. Yu's employee retention is incredible -- the craftsmen who started making sleds 7 years ago are the same ones making them today. 

Is there any lead in that paint? Definitely not.

All of our sleds are made with non-toxic finishes, and we have them regularly tested so we are sure that they are lead-free. We use wood dyes to bring out the color and figure of the wood, and then a clear lacquer or polyurethane on top. We put on four coats of lacquer or three coats of polyurethane to create a marine-grade finish. Please contact us if you'd like a copy of the test reports. At the same time, we have all of our products tested to make sure they meet child safety standards, and they do.

When will my order ship?

We work very hard to ensure that all orders ship within 48 hours. If you order an item that is not engraved, it will ship within 24 hours. If it is engraved, it will take just another 24 hours to process your order. Shipping time is 5 business days to the East Coast, 4 days to the West Coast and Midwest, 3 days to states adjoining Colorado, and 2 days within Colorado. Need express shipping? Please call us at (800) 989-5077 or email info@mountainboysleds.com.