I checked in with db clay founder Garett Stenson yesterday afternoon. He’s something of an inspiration, given that he’s around my age, and went from a kid making wallets out of duct tape in college to managing a growing business that produces unique beauties like these:

All of those are from the newest line, Version 3, which should be available for preorder on the website any second now, considering said website declares that pre-ordering started on Tuesday. They also feature a new eco-friendlier material called Tope, specially engineered for the line.

Much of my interest in Stenson’s entrepreneurial pursuits is, to borrow a term from the news department, a little “wonky,” and perhaps better saved for a pitch to Oregon Business Magazine, but you, dear rowdy BlogTown readers, may be interested in checking out their latest internet venture, Evil Backwards. Similar to Urban Honking, it’s a host of various blogs by people the company has recruited/edited for quality and active content, etc. While current topics range from guacamole to Stevie Wonder, the idea is that once people (particularly people who are interested in the intersection of art and technology) get in there and dig around a bit, they’ll be led to the db clay product. Clever, these kids and their internets.

OK, one more thing. Any entrepreneurs reading this might be interested in a software program they’ve developed, which they’re callung marcellus. In the near future, it will become “freeware” (thanks, Ezra, for my vocab word of the day), and it runs nearly every aspect of their business, from updating the web site to buyers being able to make wholesale orders—still somewhat uncommon for small businesses. Pretty nice of them. Also stay tuned for the grand opening in mid-August of db clay’s awesome new space out tucked away in a quiet, insustrial corner of NE: