This one is truly a special one for me. And I am not only saying this because of the external quality of this delightly crafted piece of wood. I have always been a big fan of Peter and his work with @pretedecks. I’ve always dreamt of having the pleasure to shred a 32mm Prete maple bottom ply with Nico Frank’s engraving on it. Simple, yet elegant. Yes, I know this is a very specific fantasy of mine. But I am certain that I am not the only one who has a similar thought in mind.

The marks of all the wear and tear on that natural maple bottom ply is truly one of the best things I have ever seen in fingerboarding. I think that is when the “Prete bug” bit me. I would watch the short clip on Instagram of Peter sanding one of the decks with a disk sander over and over again, and when I started seriously making boards around 2019~2020 Peter was one of the biggest inspirations for me. That clip was like a tutorial video of how to properly sand decks with a disk sander (not to mention, it is much harder than it looks).

So one day (I believe it was around mid~ end of 2019), I sent Peter a message. Back then I was a young boy who was purely an admirer of him and I wanted to ask him if he would be interested to trade a board with me. I didn’t have high hopes that he would reply to my message. because you know, I was just a kid and Peter was like a celebrity to me in the fingerboard community. But some time later, I got a DM. Before I checked the message, I could see the preview on my lock screen of who sent the message. And it had the Prete logo on the side. It was Peter. I could not believe it.

As a kid there is nothing more exiting than when you are talking with someone you admire. We had a good chat, and Peter was down to do a trade with me. It was an unbelievable moment for me. A few weeks have past, and I got a package in the mailbox. It was a package from Germany. I knew exactly who sent it, and what was in this package. I opened the package, and WOW… just wow… The classic Prete wood-printed graphic was glowing right in front of my eyes. Even the packaging was perfect. It was exactly what I have imagined. Actually, it was better. I carefully took the paper packaging off of the vinyl bag, and held the deck in my hands. The side of the deck was so smooth, the finishing was incredible. And I flipped it over. On the top ply, there was an engraving of ‘Prete’. But what I didn’t expect was on top of that. There was ‘Word’ engraved as well. ‘Word x Prete’.

I think this deck is the textbook definition of what qualities a fingerboard deck should possess. Craftsmanship, functionality, and unique characteristics that you can’t find in other decks. The combination of the maple veneer and the engraving of this deck couldn’t be more aesthetically pleasing . Along with the bright red middle plies in the curve of the infamous 6010 mold. The harmony of the red plies and the shape is just remarkable. These qualities and ingredients individually are not what makes a deck special or unique. This is similar to the field of specialty coffee. Any barista can use the best quality coffee beans, the perfect temperature of water, or the best coffee machine. But what differentiates great coffee from good coffee is the skills, knowledge, and the experience of the barista. Skills and knowledge cannot be acquired without experience. Any deck-maker can use red died veneer, wood-printing techniques, or an engraver. But where the specialty in the deck emerges is from the combination and harmony of these ingredients brewed by the deck-maker.

This deck is more than just 5 plies of veneer pressed and shaped into a popsicle. With no exaggeration, this deck for me meant an opportunity, a motivation, and a inspiration for my personal deck-making passion. It was a whole new way for me to perceive craftsmanship and appreciate the value of the time and effort that contributes to crafting such delicate (but at the same time, strong) piece of art to another level.

Again, thank you Peter.