Designed in Melbourne — How GoBlow is built
Designed in Melbourne. Honest about the rest.
Every GoBlow piece is designed in Melbourne — drawn, specced, prototyped, and finish-tested by the founder in our Abbotsford studio. Manufacturing of the steel and titanium parts happens offshore, against our spec, by partners we audit. Final QC and packaging happens back in Melbourne before anything ships to you.
Where each step happens
| Step | Where | Why there |
|---|---|---|
| Concept & CAD | Melbourne (Abbotsford) | Founder-led, in-house |
| Prototype iteration | Melbourne | Same-day spin between sketch and tactile model |
| 316L bar stock & Ti G5 sourcing | Audited supplier (offshore) | Aerospace-grade material certified to AS / EN spec |
| CNC machining | Audited factory (offshore) | 0.1mm threading tolerance, multi-axis, at a scale local boutique CNC can't match for the price |
| PVD coating (Black / Gold / Rose Gold) | Audited PVD facility (offshore) | Vacuum-chamber coating that meets industry scratch standards |
| Titanium oxide finishing (Rainbow variant) | Audited specialist (offshore) | Anodised colour via controlled voltage — different process from PVD |
| Engraving (custom orders) | Melbourne shortlist supplier | Fibre laser, local turnaround in days not weeks (see engraving supplier research in our records) |
| QC inspection | Melbourne (Abbotsford) | Every unit hand-checked for threading fit, finish defects, engraving accuracy |
| Packaging & assembly | Melbourne (Abbotsford) | Black recyclable mailer, FSC tissue, Melbourne saddlery leather pouch |
| Fulfilment & dispatch | Melbourne (Abbotsford) | Australia Post + DHL eCommerce, founder signs every order |
Why this split, honestly
A truly 100% Melbourne-machined pendant at our tolerance would retail at A$400-600, not A$150. The CNC capability + the PVD capability + the certified 316L bar stock + the volume to keep prices reasonable don't all live within 30km of our studio. Pretending otherwise is the kind of small-brand fib that lands in front of the ACCC.
What we can do here is the part that actually drives the customer experience: design, supplier audit, QC, finish-checking, engraving, packaging, founder-direct service. That's the work that determines whether the pendant survives 5 years of daily wear. That's what we keep local.
Carbon footprint — the honest version
An offshore-machined pendant shipped via consolidated sea freight to Melbourne has a higher embedded freight footprint than a Melbourne-machined pendant. Our offset: we ship sea-freight in bulk, not airfreight per order, and a single A$150 pendant designed to outlast a decade of disposable alternatives still beats a churn-cycle of A$15 plastic carries on lifetime emissions.
See our sustainability page for the maths in full — it's framed honestly, not greenwashed.
What "designed in Melbourne" actually buys you
- Founder accountability. One person signs off every spec change. Email founder@goblow.com.au and you get him.
- QC obsession. Every unit is hand-checked. Threading fit, finish defects, engraving accuracy — all caught before the box gets closed.
- Lifetime threading warranty. We re-thread your pendant forever. See terms.
- Local turnaround on custom work. Engraving done in Melbourne, not shipped to a factory and back.
- Australian Consumer Law protection. Buying from a Melbourne-registered company (ACN 697 903 165) means you have ACL coverage on every order.