Custom Sword Tap Handle: How We Built Next Quest Brewing's Handle From Render to Bar
Updated September 2026 by Brad Lugar
Quick answer: Steel City Tap Co. built a custom sword tap handle for Next Quest Brewing in Bay City, Michigan. It's a cast resin sword with a gold medallion in the pommel, a wrapped leather-brown grip carrying the brewery logo, and a silver blade with NEXT QUEST running down it. We designed, sculpted, painted, and printed it in our Birmingham, Alabama shop, and the finished handle matches the approved render.
What does the Next Quest sword tap handle look like?
It's a short sword, pommel up, blade down, sized to sit on a standard beer tower. Read it top to bottom the way a customer does from across the bar:
- Pommel. Silver, with a gold medallion carrying the brewery's dragon Q mark.
- Grip. A sculpted spiral wrap in leather brown, so it reads as a real hilt even up close.
- Nameplate. The full Next Quest logo set into the grip, where a hand naturally lands.
- Crossguard. Silver with a gold center gem.
- Blade. Silver, with NEXT QUEST running down its length.
The name does the heavy lifting. A brewery called Next Quest gets a weapon you'd carry on one, and nobody at the bar needs the joke explained.
How did the handle go from render to finished piece?
Every custom handle we build starts the same way, and this one followed the script:
- Snapshot. The brewery sends a logo and an idea. A phone picture is enough to start.
- Concept render. We draw the handle in four views (front, right, back, left) with every finish called out part by part.
- Approval. The brewery signs off on the render. That sheet becomes the build spec.
- Build. Every step happens in our shop, by the same crew that drew it.
- Check against the render. The finished handle gets held up to the drawing it was sold on.
That last step is the one that matters to a brewery marketer. The render is what you showed your owner and your distributor. If the handle that shows up looks like a cheaper cousin of it, you're the one who has to explain why. On Next Quest, the pommel size, grip length, crossguard position, and blade length all line up with the approved drawing.
What should a brewery ask a tap handle shop before ordering?
Four questions tell you most of what you need to know about a tap handle shop:
- Can I see a render next to the finished handle? Any shop can show you a pretty drawing. Ask for proof the product matches it.
- Can I call the person building my handle? When a color is off or a deadline moves, you want one phone call, not a ticket.
- What's the minimum, and what's the lead time from approval? Get both in writing before you commit to a launch date.
- What happens when I reorder? A good shop reruns your approved design without starting the process over.
Why do shaped tap handles stand out on a crowded tower?
A bar tower is a lineup of a dozen handles that are mostly rectangles with logos on them. A customer scanning that wall reads shape before they read type. A sword, a jet, or anything with a silhouette you can name from ten feet away wins that first glance, and the first glance is often the whole decision.
Shape also gives the bartender something to say. "The sword one" is easier to ask for than a beer name somebody half remembers. If your brand has a story baked into the name, put it in the silhouette. Save flat printed handles for the beers that don't have one.
Want more ways to approach the design itself? Read 7 Ways to Design a Beer Tap Handle.
How long does a custom sculpted tap handle take, and what's the minimum?
Fully custom tap handles like this one carry a 100 unit minimum, with price breaks at 100, 250, 500, and 1,000+. Lead time is 6 to 8 weeks after final design approval. Price depends on size, color count, and detail, so every sculpted handle gets its own quote.
If 100 is more than you need, our In-Stock tap handles take your logo at 12 units, and a blank stock handle ships at 1.
Drinking in Bay City? Look for the sword on the tower and follow Next Quest Brewing on Facebook for what's pouring.
How do I start a custom tap handle like this one?
Send us your logo and the idea, even if it's a phone snapshot of a napkin sketch. We'll come back with a concept render you can take to your team. Start on the custom tap handle quote page, or browse finished work in our resin tap handles.
Want to see what an early concept sheet looks like? Read our write-up on the fighter jet tap handle concept for Head Right Brewing.
Frequently asked questions
What thread size do custom tap handles use?
Our custom tap handles use a 3/8-16 thread, which fits standard US beer faucets, so they install without adapters.
What is the minimum order for a custom tap handle?
Fully custom tap handles have a 100 unit minimum. Stock handle shapes printed with your logo start at 12 units, and a blank stock handle with no print can be ordered as a single unit.
How long does a custom tap handle take to make?
Plan on 6 to 8 weeks after final design approval. The clock starts when you sign off on the concept render, so fast feedback on the drawing is the easiest way to get handles sooner.
Can a tap handle be shaped like a sword or another object?
Yes. A sculpted, cast resin handle can take almost any shape that fits on a beer tower and survives daily pulls. The trick is keeping the silhouette readable while making sure it still sits comfortably next to other handles on a standard tower.
Where are Steel City Tap Co. tap handles made?
Every handle is made in our shop in Birmingham, Alabama. We design, sculpt, paint, and print in-house, so a brewery can call and talk to the person building its handle.