Henry Freeman, Quaker Knifemaker
I am a 78-year-old Quaker raised in a family where simplicity, durability, and concern for the environment were highly valued whereas fashions and trends were not. My old-style reclaimed barnwood knives reflect those same values. They are highly functional by design; made to be used daily; and reminiscent of the knives you might have found in your great-grandmother’s kitchen 100+ years ago.
I make each knife one at a time in my Richmond, Indiana shop.
1682 Penn Charter Knives
By one estimate 2.7 billion virgin forest trees greeted William Penn when he arrived on the shores of what is now the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Fewer than 100 survived into the 21st Century. Among them a tree deeply embedded with 350+ years of Quaker history: the Penn Charter Champion Oak. Available for Purchase: October 3, 9:00 am.
With your order you will receive a letter and gift envelope with details about your new knife including how it was crafted and a history of the wood selected for the handle.
History-Filled Wood in Your Hands
I craft each knife handle from “scratch” starting with a large beam of 100+ year-old reclaimed timber. Rather than cover up or discard signs of each beam’s rich legacy–such as patterns left on the wood by a burrowing beetle or marks from a square nail crafted by a local blacksmith–I incorporate whenever possible these rich “bits of history” into each of my knives. Three wood options are available.
American Chestnut: A Rare Piece of History
100+ Year-Old “Wormy” American Chestnut: “Wormy Chestnut” is the term used for wood salvaged from the more than four billion American Chestnuts killed off by a blight fungus which brought America’s “King of the Hardwoods” to the brink of extinction in the late 1800 and early 1900s. The small holes that are a defining characteristic of this difficult-to-find wood are the work of beetles and other insects that attacked the dead and dying trees 100+ years ago.
Reclaimed Barnwood: Walnut and Cherry
Mid-1800s Reclaimed Walnut: This beautiful walnut is an unusually dark burgundy/purplish color which makes for a unique and interesting handle. It was salvaged from a local, Wayne County Indiana structure built in the 1840s.
Civil War Era (1840s-1850s) Reclaimed Cherry: I recently acquired a 8′ long 8″ by 8″ beam of cherry salvaged from a barn built in 1852 in Randolph County Indiana approximately 15 miles from my shop. This Civil War Era find is rare given that few barns of that era were constructed with cherry beams. I also have a new supply of reclaimed Wayne County cherry salvaged from a local structure built in the 1840s (the same source as my 1840s reclaimed walnut).
Why I Construct My Knives With Treenails (Hardwood Pins)
Virtually all modern-day knifemakers use some form of metal pin to make their knife handles. After seeing that the 100+ year-old barns from which I secure my wood where constructed with very large wooden pegs, I did extensive research on the history of treenails (commonly known today as handcrafted hardwood pegs) and decided to make the use of treenails a signature feature of my knives.
I made the decision to construct my knife handles using treenails rather than brass pins for two very practical reasons. First, as experienced woodworkers will tell you, hardwood joinery results in a stronger and longer-lasting seal than screws and brass pins. Second, I like the unique look of treenail pins and the fact that they enable me to make a one-of-a-kind knife that can be used daily and also handed down to future generations.
I handcraft each treenail one-at-a-time from a block of Brazilian Cherry: a wood I find provides a strong seal (which is critical) and is a joy to work with. While the use of treenails in construction of my knife handles is a signature feature of my work, I also offer the option of standard brass pins if requested.
Forged Finish (Drop Points and Kitchen Cleavers)
My 100+ year old Fisher-Norris anvil and decades old hammer proudly display the many hairline cracks, pot-marks and worn edges accumulated over time. Each imperfection is the result of a former owner pursuing their craft as a blacksmith shoeing a neighbor’s mule; making a tool for the family farm; or repairing a wagon wheel for a stranger passing through town.
The lost memories and life experiences embedded in my tools over the past 100+ years are passed on through the markings which I intentionally leave on each of my rustic-style hammered blades. Like a human fingerprint, they are a unique feature of each individual knife that can only be formed with my vintage hammer and anvil.
1095 High-Carbon Steel Blades: What You Need to Know
High carbon steel knives have long had a reputation for being the “blade of choice” by professional chefs, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. The reason is simple. First, they “maintain their edge” better and longer than stainless steel blades. Second, a high carbon steel knife is easier to sharpen to a razor-sharp edge.
Caring for Your High-Carbon Steel Knife: 3 Simple Steps
Like your grandmother’s cast iron skillet, a high carbon steel knife requires more care and attention than a stainless steel blade. If, however, you take the following three steps to care for your knife it will serve you and your family well for many generations to come.
100% Lifetime Warranty
If, for any reason, you are not completely satisfied with the knife when it is received please feel free to return it within 90 days for a full “no questions asked” refund. Each knife you purchase is also backed by a 100% Life-Time Warranty that covers any breakage or damage due to a defect in material or workmanship. Note: Return policy does not apply to engraved or personalized items.