About Us
Here at Zebra Splints our mission is simple: to make high quality custom sized metal ring splints affordable so that we can better the lives of those suffering with pain or disability.
Born and raised in upstate NY, I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in 2011 after fighting for answers for multiple chronic issues I had struggled with for most of my life, which with my pregnancy had become completely disabling. As I now know this is pretty common with us, pregnancy takes a grave toll on an EDS body and while some things did improve with time I never regained my ability to work. I spent a couple years practically bedridden between the intense pain that I was in 24/7, the fatigue, and multiple neurological and autonomic issues stemming from Chiari and POTS that I was later diagnosed with.
During this time I had picked up a few hobbies like crochet and beadwork, and started back up on my lifelong love of making jewelry in the form of wire wrapping. While it wasn't quite as intense as the high end goldsmithing I had been trained and worked in years prior to falling ill, it was something that allowed me to stay busy and fulfilled my need to create. Unfortunately with time my hands began to fail me again, just as they had when I was working as a goldsmith. The pain had gotten bad enough that I wasn't able to work with metals, and could barely get a few stitches in crocheting before I had to rest. Once again I could no longer do the things I loved to do. Thanks to some lovely folks in an EDS support group I was pointed in the direction of ring splints, but was shocked to discover how expensive they were. I drew upon my experience as a goldsmith to make my own set and after seeing how many others were struggling with the same issues decided to put my skills to good use so that I could help others, and so Zebra Splints was born.
It is as important to me now as it was then to keep prices as low as possible and to provide options that can't be found elsewhere without sacrificing comfort or quality. I have spent years finding the best vendors for the materials I work with to ensure that high standards of purity are met while buying in large bulk quantities to get the best possible price, savings that I pass on to you. I have also spent these years studying everything I can find on hand injuries and deformities as well as the proper design and fabrication of the splints to treat them, so you can be assured that your splints are being masterfully handcrafted by someone with the proper knowledge and experience to do so.
Here I believe in doing the right thing. I don't subscribe to the capitalist idea of "you get what you pay for", because to me knowing that I can help others-even if only in a small way-is worth much more than having a few extra dollars in my pockets. My pricing isn't a reflection of quality, but of my dedication to the communities I serve.
Corrin Barnum, Owner
Zebra Splints
About our splints
Each splint is carefully and precisely handcrafted to each individual's exact measurements. With 20 years experience you can be assured that your splints will be beautifully created with both design and function in mind and must meet high quality standards before leaving the facility. All pieces are carefully smoothed and shaped to ensure they will be comfortable and finished off to a high polish so they'll fit in inconspicuously with the rest of your jewelry, no one will be able to tell that you're actually wearing medical splints!
We also have the largest selection of metal types. While we of course have classic sterling silver we also have more budget friendly nickel free stainless steel, a full line in titanium for those with MCAS or severe metal allergies who can't tolerate other metal types, and choices in either 14k yellow or 14k rose gold fill if you want to get a little fancy! We can even provide niobium and solid 14k gold by special request. All of the metals we use are 100% lead and nickel free hypoallergenic, solid, and pure metals so you won't have to worry about any of our splints rusting, tarnishing, or the color "wearing off" and staining your skin. We can also create your splints in solid 14k gold or niobium by special order. All of our materials directly from the manufacturers so we can ensure the uniform purity and quality of our splints.
Whenever possible we ensure that our splints are adjustable to accommodate the different shape and size fingers can take throughout the course of a day, especially for those with issues such as POTS that cause considerable swelling. We use 3-4 different thicknesses of wire dependent on metal type and size to ensure that each splint is strong enough to provide proper support while still maintaining adjustability. We do our best to ensure that the splints are easy to adjust, but please keep in mind that some sizes-particularly very large or very small sizes-may take some finger strength to adjust. Overall most folks find them easy to adjust on their own as needed, and since we reply on tensile strength for the sturdiness of our splints rather than hardening the metal the splints can be adjusted as many times as you need without having to worry about the metal stressing and breaking!
To learn more about the different metal choices we have visit our page here: Metal Types
I have worked hard to lead the industry in innovation and design, and have become a trusted vendor by both patients and therapists worldwide.