wh-insider

Ask Matt - Do you use any ivory material?

Ask Matt - Do you use any ivory material?

By Matt Conable September 23, 2019
Have a question about the William Henry multiverse? Email community@williamhenry.com and Matt will choose a couple to answer in this monthly forum... Question: Do you use any ivory material? Nope. OK, a little more info. We’ve never used new ivory in any form – I NEVER wanted to be part of an industry that has such awful stories connected to it. In the past, we used fossil ivories – these were fossil pieces from wooly mammoth, mastodon, and walrus ivory that ranged from 6000-10000 years old. They were amazing materials, gorgeously imbued with colors from minerals leeching into them over thousands of years under snow or under water. But over the last 10 years, state after state has passed laws prohibiting the use or sale of ANY ivory product regardless of history, origin, etc. Some states still allow fossil ivories like we once used, but it just looked too complicated to play a state by state game. Do I agree with the laws? Doesn’t matter, they are what they are. So we discontinued all fossil ivories, and the pieces we did make back in the day immediately shot up in collectability and value. Got one? Lucky you. Didn’t get one? No worries, we’re always finding amazing new storied materials to use at William Henry, so keep your eyes out for our next offering... Question: Who uses their WH and what for? This question is mostly about our knives. No one is afraid to use our beautiful writing instruments, or load their money clip, or stack up their favorite WH jewelry and walk out the door. But often people think of knives only as tools, and imagine that our knives, elevated to art, are somehow not for using. WRONG. When I started out, I designed knives I loved, then figured out how to make them to a standard that stood among the finest tools in the world. I knew if I made a great tool first, then I could adorn that tool while maintaining the foundational credibility of performance. WH delivers that performance across the board. And for many, that performance is appreciated at least as much as the art. People use WH knives for daily tasks like opening boxes, letter, peeling fruit, etc. People use WH knives in the line of duty, in law enforcement, the military, and first responders. People use WH knives in their pursuit of outdoor sports from hunting and fishing to trekking and climbing. People use WH to help them move thru and shape the world they occupy. And I’m proud that they do.
FEATURED William Henry CUSTOMER: Jim Atkinson

FEATURED William Henry CUSTOMER: Jim Atkinson

By William Henry September 21, 2019
The Tradition Continues... About 5 years ago, we lost my step-dad, Jim Shamblin, after a long battle with Post-Polio Syndrome. Luckily for me, Jim and I developed a special bond over the years that I will always treasure, and he sealed it with his beloved collection of William Henry knives. Jim Shamblin was a “man’s man” and had the kind of life you only read about in adventure novels. As a teenager, he joined the Merchant Marine during WWII, and was the sole survivor when the tanker he was serving on was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of India. After floating on a drum for a week, Jim was rescued by another US tanker. Jim and his stellar knife collection Jim ended up joining the Army and served in post-war Germany, and eventually in Vietnam, where he survived a helicopter crash. He became an engineer and worked on projects for the Department of Defense, NASA, the US Air Force, as well as international companies and foreign governments. And, in his retirement, Jim wrote 6 novels, largely autobiographical, about some of the amazing episodes in his life. Over the years, Jim had collected weapons, and especially exotic knives, from the many countries and cultures he experienced over his career. But, when my Mom got the great idea to give him William Henry knives for his birthday, that collection took on a new luster, and always put a twinkle in Jim’s eye. One of the most profound moments in my life, the day I truly understood just how much Jim cared about me and respected me, was on his deathbed, when he stated emphatically: “I want Jimmy to have my knife collection.” It’s an honor I take very seriously. The knife collection, featuring 9 William Henry knives, is one of my most prized possessions, and is the perfect reminder of a remarkable man who lived an epic life. Needless to say, they are displayed prominently in my home. And, the tradition continues: on my birthday, Mom adds to Jim’s knife collection. -Jim Atkinson Want to be a featured William Henry Fan, email community@williamhenry.com
Premier William Henry Dealer: Shannon Jewelers

Premier William Henry Dealer: Shannon Jewelers

By William Henry September 18, 2019
Debbie and Claude of Shannon Jewelers Shannon Jewelers in Spring, Texas has been carrying William Henry for a little over 6 months and they already have many great stories to share. One of our favorites is: "We have a long time customer here at Shannon's who has purchased many items of jewelry for his wife. But the only items he has liked in the past have been the high-end watches. As soon as we brought the WH line into the store, he was hooked! He loves them so much that he follows the line, watches for any new knives to come in, AND the couple accompanied us to Las Vegas for the JCK show and shopped the William Henry case while we were there. His wife is SO thankful that she finally has something other than high-end watches to give as gifts to her husband. She said he's running out of wrists but he always has room for fancy knives!" Thanks for sharing Shannon Jewelers! Visit Shannon Jewelers in Spring, Texas or online at http://shannonjewelers.com/ Follow Shannon Jewelers: facebook.com/ShannonJewelersLLC/ https://www.instagram.com/shannonjewelers/ http://shannonjewelers.com/
In service...

In service...

By Matt Conable August 29, 2019
The Beatles got it right – ‘and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make’. More than anything else we might accomplish, our legacy is tied to how we treat others. The difference we make is best measured by the love we create and leave behind. What does this have to do with William Henry? Everything. I set out to build a company that could reflect my values and, in some small way, see those values manifest on a larger stage. It starts with the employees and how they are treated – with respect and decency, with honor and integrity. We are all in this together, and I’ve always encouraged everyone to bring their best to each task and each day, and built a system that ensures that we all rise as one and share the risks and rewards of inventing a small company that charts its own course. Step outward to our vendors and suppliers, and WH is committed to building long relationships where everyone sees the upside – not relationships where we prosper at others’ expense. Step further and you get to the core that makes it all work – our customers. We try to provide service and support that matches the excellence of our products. It’s personal, and it matters, and every person that loves WH, whether a long-time collector or an aspirational customer, deserves our respect and full attention. We work hard at maintaining those original values that I used as the foundation for WH over 20 years ago. It’s not always easy, we don’t always get it right, but we never stop challenging ourselves to build and promote relationships, across the business, that are founded in respect, love, dignity, and integrity. That has built this brand, and that will be the essential element that helps us continue to find a unique and successful path into the future. Sincerely Matt ConableDefinitely not Gordon Gekko
FEATURED William Henry CUSTOMER: Juan

FEATURED William Henry CUSTOMER: Juan

By William Henry August 27, 2019
I am not one to wear jewelry just for the sake of it; I need meaningful symbolism reflecting my very core. The quality and design of William Henry's bracelets are a perfect match for me, and they serve as bold reminders of who I want to be. They also are fully functional meditation aids and stress relievers.The Lava Sanctum rides at the top of the stack, stating in no uncertain terms who comes first. It is followed by the Sodalite Tether, which wraps around the wrist twice, and is a perfect representation of my soul-tethers to my better half and my son. The Tether is made magnitudes stronger by the Sanctum. The Sodalite Dauntless is the chunkiest piece in the stack, serving as a powerful reminder that this is a warrior's life and armor and weaponry are required. It connects nicely to my viking heritage as well. When I discovered this piece, it was already out of production, but William Henry kindly created one for me regardless. Finally, the Shaman completes the stack at the bottom. Each of the 13 skulls is a family member or close friend I have lost. It also depicts that mortality is a certainty no matter how hard I fight, and really closes the circle with the Sanctum.- Juan I. Want to be a featured William Henry Fan, email community@williamhenry.com
Premier William Henry Dealer: Renee Taylor Gallery

Premier William Henry Dealer: Renee Taylor Gallery

By Renee Taylor August 24, 2019
“Hey everyone, we’re super excited to tell you about some knives we are going to be carrying” Summer of 2017 I still laugh thinking about the reaction with our staff during that meeting. They had no idea what I was talking about or what in the world was waiting for them. Over the past 20 years, we have built up a pretty diverse collection of artists and jewelers who all bring something different to the table. If you had told me sometime in the prior 18 years that I would somehow end up becoming addicted to collecting knives, I would have looked at you as strangely as the rest of the staff that day. In short order, most of them owned at least one knife for themselves as well. Once in a great while, you come across something so unique, so well made, and so dang cool that you can’t help but fall in love with it Renee Taylor Gallery Sedona, Arizona And then we went through the same process with the writing instruments, the money clips, and then the jewelry. All of it has such a broad range of materials and techniques that you can’t help but start up a conversation with complete strangers while holding it. Whether around a camp fire, signing a piece of paperwork, or pulling out your credit card and cash to buy something, people stop and ask what you have in your hand more than you would think. But it’s worse than that…you become a walking, talking ad for the craft. Not because you want to sell it, but because it’s a borderline love affair. Every piece has so many stories, so many things to consider. Every time you think you have a handle on it, William Henry invents something else and it starts all over again. It’s impossible for me to define my favorite piece, although I’ve been carrying a B12-Flagstaff knife for almost two years now and have tried my best to destroy it through everyday use. The only way you would know it’s so heavily used is the patina on the edges where the handle meets the leather case. Holster wear essentially. Everyday use is going to do that, and I like it that way more than when I bought it. It's always fun to be out on a hike somewhere and open up the knife to take care of something and someone with me does a double-take and asks about the knife. Our customers (aka fellow addicts) tend to feel the same way. Once you get a sense of all the individual craftspeople involved in every single component, the precision in the execution, and the impact of it all together you find it hard to choose just one. We’ve run into a ton of collectors since carrying the line; I can only imagine the ways they store and display them. One of the coolest things I’ve seen is two young boys come into the store with their parents. The parents were looking for gifts for them for an upcoming holiday. They were probably about 11 and 13 and were engrossed with the knives. After dad distracted them for a bit, mom came up to us and went through the collection and picked out a few. Dad came back, they traded places, and ended up settling on a couple of knives and discreetly purchasing them. Those kids had to be thrilled to receive them. The funniest thing that happens on a fairly regular basis is when the woman gets excited about collecting knives after seeing the collection and learning about all the artistry. More than once, a husband, partner, whatever just stands there with their jaw open while she goes crazy over them and adopts one. I’ve had to completely throw out all my preconceived notions of what a knife collector is and frame it for what they are, functional art collectors. Renee Taylor Gallery - Sedona, Arizona www.reneetaylorgallery.com
Ask Matt - Where do you make your products?

Ask Matt - Where do you make your products?

By William Henry August 14, 2019
Have a question about the William Henry multiverse? Email community@williamhenry.com and Matt will choose a couple to answer in this monthly forum... Question: Where do you make your products? We design and build virtually every WH piece, across all categories, in our studio in Oregon. We have three separate shops – one for knives and money clips, one for pens, and one for jewelry. While we work with outside partners on specific processes and techniques, in the end every piece is built and finished in the studio. In some cases, we make every single part, 100% internal. In other cases, we source certain parts to our design, with our materials, and add the handwork and fine craft that elevates each finished piece. Each WH piece has a minimum of 50, and up to 500, separate hand-craft steps that we execute in the studio. It takes a village, and the angels are in the details... Question: What is your favorite material? That’s a moving target. I love the PROCESS of designing cool stuff and seeing that manifest thru a lot of hard work and dedication in our system. So I love the PROCESS of finding that next crazy cool material and figuring out if we can work with it, how we work with it, and how to finish it to capture the imagination. I love hand-forged metals, where no two pieces are ever the same. I love organic materials, current or fossil, that reveal the majesty of nature in unique pattern and color. The basics, like titanium and carbon fiber, are great as well but they are more predictable and hence a little less alluring. Great for performance and durability, but closer to a commodity. I love the stuff that is anti-commodity, that tells a distinct story, that separates us from other brands and gives our customers the chance to create their own truly personal style. Favorite material? With all we have found and continue to explore at WH, it changes every day...
One World...

One World...

By Matt Conable July 17, 2019
July 2019 Journal William Henry has a simple mission – imagine the best stuff we possibly can, figure out how to make it, and challenge ourselves to keep getting better. The rest tends to sort itself out if we keep our eye on the ball... So how do we do that? We go wherever we have to go in the world to get the best craftsmanship, source the finest materials, and deliver enduring value one piece at a time. A lot of that ‘best in the world’ work happens right in our studio in Oregon – but if someone else can do something better than us, I’ll happily sign up. While we’re proud of our American heritage and studio, we don’t drape ourselves in the flag – seems disingenuous and misses the point. I’d rather drape WH with an image of the planet than any one flag. I’m proud of what we do, and who we work with to achieve our goals. Some pieces are 100% made in our studio, others are 100% made in the USA, and still others are made using other artisans and skill sets from around the world. India, Indonesia, Japan, China, various countries in Europe, New Zealand, Mexico, Taiwan, and other countries all house masters of techniques that we cannot replicate at any price – so I humbly show up at their doorsteps with my designs, my ideas, my parts, and my intention to build the finest stuff I can imagine. And they deliver durable beauty, across a wide spectrum of artistry, style, and craftsmanship that is a rare commodity these days. Wherever the best work is being done, at the best value, that’s where I want to be. If I find an embellishing style that could work on a WH product, I go to that artisan or shop and ask them to bring their very best to my canvas, be that a knife, pen, money clip, bracelet, or other piece. Some companies wear a flag, some falsely claim authorship or origin, some are locked into a specific definition that they believe in. That’s fine, no judgment here. I grew up all over the world, a global citizen, and I see William Henry as an equally global citizen, making the connections that tie us all together as one species with a shared history and destiny on this planet... Sincerely Matt Conable Current resident of USA Former resident of Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea Visitor to over 40 countries, humble citizen of this remarkable world Matt and family, India circa 1990