Handle Construction: 

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.  Four wood options are available.

Indiana Reclaimed Barnwood: Walnut and Cherry

Early 1900s Reclaimed Walnut:  My small supply of reclaimed walnut was salvaged from an old Indiana barn several hours from my shop.  Marks from the sawblade used to plane the beams suggest that the barn was constructed in the early 1900s.  This beautiful walnut is an unusually dark burgundy/purplish color which makes for a unique and interesting handle.

Civil War Era (1850s) Reclaimed Cherry:  After months of searching I recently came across a 8′ long 8″ by 8″ beam of cherry salvaged from a barn built in the 1850s “just up the road” in Randolph County Indiana.  This Civil War Era find is rare given that few barns of that era were constructed with cherry beams.  I am excited to be able to offer this option.

American Chestnut: A Rare Piece of History (Two Options)

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.

Colonial Era (1700s) American Chestnut: In the summer of 2021, my brother-in-law invited me to take my pick of several pieces of old wood that had sat undisturbed in his North Carolina barn for over a half-century. The piece that immediately caught my eye was a rough-cut plank four feet long and 22″ wide. With the help of a local craftsman and the assistance of Brent Smith (a forest ecologist and Professor Emeritus of Botany at Earlham College) we soon discovered that what I had thought was nothing more than an old piece of oak was a primitive-cut piece of American Chestnut that dates back to before the American Revolution.

While authentic 100+ year-old “Wormy” American Chestnut is difficult to find (and expensive to purchase), a piece of primitive-cut Colonial Era American Chestnut is extremely rare.

Why I Construct My Knives With Treenails (Rather Than Brass Pins)

With rare exceptions virtually all knifemakers use some form of metal pin in the construction of their knife handles. After seeing that the barns from which I secure my wood where often constructed with very large wooden pegs, I did extensive research on the history of treenails (more 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.