A year ago, I purchased a Primo Ceramic Grill, but I did not want the standard metal stand. I found Rustic Woodworx via Etsy and contacted them. Their standard cabinet is made of Western Red Cedar, but I wanted a high-end BBQ cabinet to last for decades. Virtually all outdoor furniture makers will say Teak is the very best for outdoor use. I have teak furniture in my yard that, other than turning gray, is still in excellent condition after nearly 30 years.
Rustic Woodworx said they could make their cabinet in teak and sent me photos of some other teak cabinets they had made previously. Their price was $6,407.00, nearly double their price for Western Red Cedar but price was not my concern. The highest quality long-lasting cabinet was, and I made this quite clear when ordering my BBQ cabinet.
When their BBQ cabinet arrived in late May it looked great at first. However, when putting the cabinet on my pad, I found that one of the locking casters was broken and would not lock. Randy Hamblen of Rustic Woodworx sent me a new caster and said they had never had a problem before. When I went to install the new caster, I found the wood around one of the screw holes was cracked - because Rustic Woodworx did not predrill the holes. Note that teak is a hard wood while Red Cedar is a soft wood. Any screw holes must be predrilled in hardwood to prevent cracks - something I certainly expected Rustic Woodworx to know.
Then a few days later I noticed that the center panel on the largest door had developed a crack in it. Again, I contacted Randy, and he sent a replacement door. When I went to install the new door, I found the teak cracked around most of the screw holes for the hinges. I contacted Randy via email on 6/30/25 and noted these additional cracks. I also indicated that I was concerned about the quality of their construction.
Then on 7/1/25 I wrote to Randy again because I checked the hinges for the smaller doors and again found cracks in the teak around the screw holes. Trying to be polite and expecting Randy to be an honest businessman, I told him I did not receive a cabinet worth $6,400.00 - essentially indicating a refund was in order.
Randy wrote back asking for the dimensions of the doors, carefully avoiding any mention of my concerns about the quality of their cabinet. Then I found the lower beam of the cabinet had also cracked. I found one of the screws was not installed flush with the caster base. Instead, the screw was at an odd angle. If you don't pre-drill holes in hard wood before installing screws this is what can happen.
I wrote Randy on 7/9, 7/11, and 7/16 but did not hear anything until 7/18, when Randy offered an $825.00 discount. He went on to say the teak will expand and contract, hence it is not a good choice for outdoor furniture. Isn't that sweet, since they sent me photos of other teak cabinets they have built, and any outdoor furniture maker will tell you that teak is the best wood for this purpose. Further, the issue is not the teak wood. The issue is their poor construction. He also complained about his own costs, saying $825 was the best he could do.
I wrote back to him on 7/21 saying I expected a complete refund. His contract with me did not say they would sell me a defective teak cabinet for an $825 discount. I made it very clear from the start that I wanted the highest quality cabinet and was willing to pay for it. I wrote Randy again on 7/28 and 8/5. It's been crickets from Randy and Rustic Woodworx. CLEARLY RUSTIC WOODWORX, AND SPECIFICALLY RANDY HAMBLEN, DOES NOT BACK UP THEIR PRODUCTS. I've given them every opportunity to properly resolve my concerns. They have gone silent, apparently expecting me to disappear. I would suggest avoiding Rustic Woodworx and Randy Hamblen at all costs.
10/2/25 Update:
In Randy's response to my review, he states, "yet he demanded a replacement in Western Red Cedar plus a refund for his initial Teak special-ordered cabinet."
Here is what I actually said in my 7/21/25 email to him.
"Hence, I wish to offer you two alternatives to resolve the issue.
* Issue a full and complete refund. If you wish to have this cabinet returned, I will work with you to affect this result as you may be able to repair the cabinet and sell it as a blemish to recoup a portion of your costs.
* As you prefer to work with Western Red Cedar and I have already purchased a $500+ cover for this cabinet. I will also accept the same cabinet built in Western Red Cedar and a refund for the difference in value. Again, I'll work with you to return the teak cabinet if you wish. Additionally, if there is a way to reuse the current granite top in the new Cedar cabinet, I'm happy to do that also, to further mitigate your costs."
Doesn't sound like a demand does it. Again, I would suggest avoiding Rustic Woodworx, as Randy's business practices leave something to be desired. read more
