Before anything else, I was an angler
VDM began with a personal need. I have fished since childhood and started making my own lures because I could not find exactly what I wanted to use in the shops.
As an angler, I know what it feels like to buy a lure without really knowing which materials or components it contains, only to discover shortcomings through use that were not apparent on the first day.
That experience does not make a lure better in itself, but it does shape how I approach making one. Before making lures for other people, I was already on the other side: choosing, paying, testing and expecting every part to meet the same standard.
The first lure
My first design was the Eging Master V1, a squid jig made using resin 3D printing.
It worked. It performed well in the water and caught a good-sized squid. Proving that an idea of my own could become a lure capable of doing its job is something I am still proud of.
But I was not entirely satisfied with the result.
The process depended too heavily on temperature, and sanding the resin produced dust that required considerable precautions. I also discovered that the photopolymer I was using could be too brittle under certain impacts. One of the topwater lures from that period struck a rock and shattered. I still keep its remains as part of the process that brought me here.
Although I had designed and assembled those lures and done much of the work myself, they never felt entirely mine. The body came out of a printer, and I felt it belonged more to the machine than to me.
That stage taught me something important: getting a lure to catch fish is not enough to make it the product I want to offer.
Finding my own way of making lures
I taught myself to make wooden lures. I watched videos, researched the subject, listened to advice from people I knew and, above all, learned through trial and error.
Basilisk was my first wooden lure. With it, I found something I had missed in the resin designs: a more hands-on role in creating each piece and a feeling of solidity that better matched what I wanted to build.
I had not just designed its shape. I had also transferred that idea to wood, shaped the body and personally refined every detail until I achieved the result I was looking for. For the first time, the lure felt truly mine.
I use machines and tools because they are part of the work and help me achieve precision. But I do not want a machine to carve the lure for me. To me, the difference is whether the tool helps my hands or replaces them in the essential part of the construction.
Nor do I believe this knowledge should be kept secret out of fear of competition. Much of what I know comes from watching, asking questions and learning from others. If one day I can help someone develop their own lures and build their own project, I will be willing to do so. Ultimately, each product has to prove its own worth.
From the first idea to dispatch
There is no production line behind VDM. I make each lure from start to finish.
I develop the design, transfer it to wood, shape the body, fit the internal wire and ballast, adjust the balance and work on the finish. Once the lure is complete, I also fit the split rings and hooks and personally pack it for dispatch.
Working in small batches lets me review every stage and know what has passed through my hands before a lure reaches yours. I do not use limited production to create a false sense of exclusivity. It is the natural result of making everything myself and refusing to rush a process when doing so could compromise the result.
To me, handmade does not mean accepting that two lures of the same model perform differently. It means taking control of, and responsibility for, each one.
Quality is in the whole lure
A lure can have a good action and still fall short as a product.
Saying that it “catches fish” is not enough if the paint does not last, the hooks deteriorate too soon or another component becomes the weak point of the whole lure. The body, internal wire, split rings, hooks, adhesives, sealing and protective coatings must all meet a consistent standard.
The paint is not a separate decorative feature, either. Before and after painting, preparation, sealing and protection affect the strength of the body and how well the finish lasts.
Appearance is also part of the product. I want every lure to look carefully finished, with that attention to appearance supported by strength and quality of construction.
I am not trying to make an indestructible lure. Use, impacts, salt water and maintenance always affect its lifespan. My responsibility is to choose a suitable construction and avoid poor decisions that unnecessarily shorten its useful life.
If a lure's construction, finish or action does not meet the standard intended for that model, it is not sold as a finished product.
A price you can understand
I do not want to justify a lure's price simply because it is handmade, because it takes hours of work or because there is a personal story behind it.
Its price should make sense when you know the materials used, the quality of its components, the manufacturing process and the checks carried out on each lure.
That is why each model will have two levels of information. The lure specification will explain its dimensions, weight, floating or sinking behaviour and intended action. The construction specification will identify the materials and components used in the lure.
I want anyone buying a VDM lure to have enough information to judge for themselves what they are buying and whether the product justifies its price.
What I want VDM to become
I want VDM to let me earn a living one day from work I enjoy. That is my motivation for turning this project into a business, but it is not a reason for anyone to buy one of my lures. The reason has to lie in the product itself.
VDM is still getting started. I do not want to pretend to have a track record that does not exist or present models still in development as finished products. I would rather show clearly what is available, what is being tested and the decisions behind each lure.
Before calling a lure finished, I ask myself a simple question:
“If I were the customer, would I buy it?”
If the answer is not yes, there is still work to do.
I do not want anyone to trust VDM solely because of an image, the word “handmade” or a brand promise. I want that trust to come from explaining the product, showing it as it really is and taking personal responsibility for what I deliver.
Trust is earned, not asked for.