Teach your tablet a thing or two about durability with these 100-year-old steel stands

By Malarie Gokey Published November 18, 2014

Popular mobile case accessory maker Griffin teamed up with Nashville-based Rail Yard Studios to create two gorgeous tablet stands: the Rail Slice and Rail Artifact. Both are built from reclaimed railroad steel first installed on the original Louisville and Nashville Railroad between 1906 and 1908, and can support small and full-size tablets in either landscape or portrait mode.

There’s nothing quite like the charm of old railway steel and the steel spikes used to bolt down the tracks. Just take a look at any flea market or shop in Brooklyn and you’ll find exposed brick, steel with great patina, and bare light bulbs hanging from copper wire. Industrial chic is in vogue. Now you can incorporate a bit of that rustic charm into your own life with these tablet stands.

The two stands are made of the sturdy and beautifully aged railroad steel, but there are slight differences in design. The Rail Slice Tablet Stand is made out of a piece of decommissioned rail and sports a milled hole where you can connect your charging cable. The hole also ensures that the tablet’s speakers don’t get muffled. Meanwhile, the Rail Artifact Stand is created out of two antique railroad spikes and a tie plate that once held the railroad together. The spikes give added texture to the piece and make it a real work of art.

“We know consumers are looking for unique and interesting gifts for the tech-lover in their lives so we partnered with Rail Yard Studios to offer hand-made pieces they can’t find anywhere else,” said Scott Naylor, VP of Product Development at Griffin Technology. “These rare tablet stands are American-made and the perfect way to preserve a piece of history in the digital age.”

The steel used to make both stands is more than a century old. It’s pitted in places and has a nice patina. Even when your tablet isn’t in the stand, it will look like a gorgeous sculpture.The stands are made by hand, so each piece is unique. Rail Yard Studios warns against setting your tablet in the stand unprotected, though, as the forged steel may scratch the tablet’s edges. Luckily, if you buy a Rail Yard Studio tablet stand, you’ll get your choice of a Griffin tablet cover for free.

The Rail Slice Tablet Stand and the Rail Artifact Stand cost $130 and are available for order on Griffin’s website.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…

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