Casket Styles

Perfection Couch: The top of the casket (or cap) is cut into two sections. Only one side is opened for the viewing of the deceased. It is the most common casket manufactured today.

Hinged Cap: One panel is attached to the top frame with hinges. The panel can be opened and closed. On this style casket, only one small top panel is opened for viewing. The other side of the top is stationary.

Full Couch: The top on this style casket is not cut into two sections. The entire top is opened for viewing. In most cases a small panel (foot panel - a small panel hinged onto the foot end of the casket) is installed to cover the lower body of the deceased.

Square Corner: The casket body is rectangular.

Round Corner: These caskets are usually 18 gauge, 16 gauge, copper, or bronze. The four corners of the casket are rounded.

Interior

The interiors of our caskets are made from crepe, velvet, or a combination of the two. The crepe and velvet used are available in many colors. Some of the colors for selection are pink, blue, rosetan, beige, and white.

The interior of a casket is made up of many different parts. The pillow, throwout (the L shaped material that is visible during viewing), overlay (the material that covers the closed section of the casket), lining (the material that lines the entire casket), and the cap (the material and design located in the top of the opened end of the casket). Most of our caps contain hand embroidered flowers or designs which are trapunto, (designs that are filled with thread) making them quite unique.
All of these parts can be hand-sewn as a plain, tailored, shirred (a stitching design that makes the material look gathered) or tufted (similar to that of a button tufted sofa or chair) interior.

As a custom manufacturer, we are able to combine any of the above features to accommodate our customers.

Exterior

Steel, Copper, Bronze, and Stainless Steel Caskets

The finishes applied to these caskets are much like the finishes applied to an automobile. The caskets are cleaned and sprayed with primer before the application of a color coat. The final step is to spray a clear top coat over the color coat. The casket is then placed into an oven in order to dry the finish. These caskets can be finished in one of three ways: painted a solid color, shaded, or brushed. The solid color casket is finished in one color. The shaded casket is finished in one color then shaded in a contrasting color on different areas of the casket. The brushed casket is first brushed on the top and sides to reveal the natural base material. The top and sides remain natural and the rest of the casket is then painted in a solid color or shaded.

Hardwood Caskets

These caskets are finished in the same fashion as fine furniture. The casket is first sanded and stained. A sealer coat is then applied. The casket is sanded once again and another sealer coat is applied. Lastly, two coats of a top coat lacquer are sprayed on the casket. If the casket is to have a polished finish, it is hand rubbed with a polishing compound.
The hand grained finish which we apply to our hardwood caskets is unique to our business. During this process the casket is sanded and then painted. It is then hand grained and shaded. A top coat lacquer is sprayed on the casket as the final step. This is a very popular and unique finish.

What is the Difference between a "sealer" and a "non-sealer" casket?

A "sealer" unit is submerged into a tank of water before leaving our plant to insure that the unit does not leak. A one-piece rubber gasket is attached to insure that the top (or cap) of the casket makes a complete seal with the body.

Steel
We manufacture our caskets in three gauges of steel: 20 (sealer and non-sealer), 18 (sealer only), and 16 gauge (sealer only) cold roll steal is used. The basic difference in the three gauges is the thickness of the steel. The thinnest steel we use in our manufacturing is 20 gauge. Our 18 gauge caskets are 60% stronger than our 20 gauge. Our 16 gauge caskets are 130% stronger than our 20 gauge caskets. It is the preference of the consumer as to what gauge casket they purchase. Since 16 gauge is thicker than 20 gauge steel, it will resist rust, corrosion, and decomposition for a longer period of time. However, all steel caskets will eventually succumb to the rusting process.

Copper
In casket manufacturing, one of the finest materials used in construction is copper. Because copper is non-rusting, it is the perfect material to use for a premium casket.

Bronze
These caskets are made from a copper-zinc alloy which is rust resistant. With its rust resistant quality, bronze is a perfect material to use for a premium casket. Copper and bronze have almost equal qualities, but bronze units are usually more expensive.

Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is a iron-nickel alloy. In today's modern world, stainless steel has become one of the most popular metals to be manufactured into caskets. Like its bronze and copper counterparts, it is also rust resistant. Although it is not as precious as copper or bronze, it makes an excellent material for casket construction.We are proud of our line of stainless steel caskets because they too are manufactured to the highest standards of excellence in our profession.

Hardwood
Poplar, pine, and cypress* are soft, flexible woods. Oak, maple, and cherry, are very hard, dense woods. All of these woods are used in the production of our caskets. The warmth and beauty of our hardwoods is difficult to describe. Our craftsmen hand rub each unit and the finishes are the best on the market.

*We are one of the few companies that manufactures cypress caskets.

Cloth Covered
A cloth covered casket consists of a partical board shell covered with cloth. They are manufactured with the same casket shell hardware as our hardwood caskets. The particle board used in our caskets is the same type board that is used in home and counter top construction.