I almost always make tefillin by order. I don’t prepare a stock of tefillin since every customer wants it a bit different. The differences are sometimes a bit confusing. The three main options that I offer are:
- Gassot Tefillin according to Rambam. These have totally separated compartments in the Shel Rosh – Tefillin worn on the head and are sewn with the thread going between the compartments. You need to inform me whether these are for a Left handed person.
- Gassot Tefillin with parchment written in regular klaf parchment. You need to inform me whether these are for a Left handed person.
- Peshutim Mehudarim Tefillin also with regular klaf parchment. These less expensive batim get worn out after just a few years. The Tefillin worn on the arm are same for right handed and left handed people, though the plastic cover is different. You can inform me at the end whether they are intended for left or right handed people, but earlier is always better.
I write the perashiot with three different kinds of lettering “fonts”. You need to tell me which you prefer.
- Sephardic
- Ashkenaz – Beis Yosef
- Ari-Zal – Hassidic
I write on two different kinds of parchment
- Klaf Meubad according Rambam and the gemara. This is treated with Oak Gall.
- Standard White Klaf parchment which is treated with Lime.
The two kinds of Gassot come in several different size groups. The smaller they are, the more difficult to make and more expensive they are.
- Tiny is 22-23.5 mm – Slightly Less Than 7/8 inch –
23mm Slightly More Than 7/8 inch - Medium 27-29 mm – between 1-1/16 inch to 1-5/32 inch
- Regular 32-34 mm – Betweent 1-1/4 inch to 1-11/32 inch
Peshutim Mehudarim are usually only one size of 32 mm – Slightly More Than 1-1/4 inch
I have several different grades of retzuot straps. They are usually, Avodat yad – hand made even when cheaper Peshutim Mehudarim are chosen. But the Gassot always come with Hand made.
Additionally,
- Peshutim Mehudarim usually have straps that are painted on one side
- For Gassot tefillin, you need to state whether you want black on both sides
- Rambam Tefillin always come with straps that are black on both sides, because Rambam states that this is preferable