Our story

Let’s be clear: I don’t own hundreds of tools and I don’t own a truck. I’m not a veteran of the construction industry, but I know the feeling of accomplishment and take pleasure in knowing that I saved a ton of money simply by watching a few videos online and taking on a project myself.

My wife and I are new homeowners and don’t have a ton of storage space. We live in Church Hill and therefore: no garage, no basement, no shed. Just a few closets. We also didn’t have a lot of money to throw around. So when I decided to build our (small) deck myself, I assumed that there was a bit of a learning curve.

To help pick up some of the slack, I leaned on a couple incredible friends who had some experience. Out of the small amount of tools I had on my supply list, one item in particular stood out: the CAMO System — priced at $120. I would only use it once unless I decided I wanted to build decks for a living. Nevertheless, it helped build the deck I wanted so I bought it and now I have a rock solid deck that I use everyday, making new memories. 

A few takeaways from this experience:

1. I wish I didn’t have to buy tools that I only needed once. 

2. This project brought me closer to my friends than ever before and in many different ways. 

3. I saved thousands by building it myself vs. hiring a contractor – something that was incredibly gratifying and gave me an addictive sense of accomplishment.

With this same newly minted knowledge and purpose, I had the means to fix my neighbor’s fence, damaged by the previous owner. I repaired the side of my house after lugging a ladder from my friend down the street. And while I had it, I emptied my neighbor’s gutters too. 

Tools gave me the opportunity to form better relationships around me and contribute to my immediate community.

The only frustration was that I simply couldn’t own everything and after a while, felt like a pest always borrowing from people around me. Where was I going to keep a 22 ft. ladder or justify spending $200 on something I may only use once a year? 

This is why I started Raven Smith. Not everyone has a friend with tools, but everyone should have the opportunity to learn, feel accomplished and form better connections with folks in doing so. We want to make the means necessary to realize these benefits more equitable and accessible. 

I hope that you are able to make new memories, friends, and spend time learning something new with our tools. And if there is any way we can help you do it better, please let us know. 

Thanks!