I started making knives when I was 19, as a grunt in a little knife shop in coastal California.  Not because I was a knife fanatic, but because I could see and feel what I did every day – and more than that, because what I did had a permanence in the world that I did not.  The knives I worked on back then were well-built tools that will, in most cases, be around long after I am gone.  And that remains true of every piece that WHS builds today – the form has changed a bit, the style evolved a lot, but I am still proud to be building pieces that can stand the test of time, out of materials that have (in many cases) already survived thousands of years!

 

I think about what we leave behind, especially what men leave behind, since I am one and WHS builds fine tools largely aimed at men as a customer base.  When I was about nine or ten, my dad gave me a pocket knife that he had been given by his father.  I was, unfortunately, maybe too young and careless to be entrusted with such an important piece of family history, and the knife was quickly lost in my various ramblings and adventures.  But I still think about it now, and realize that we have few possessions that are defining, masculine, and worthy of being part of our legacy handed on to the next generation.  So, what do we leave behind?

 

As it relates to my profession (I think the profession chose me, rather than vice-versa), I like the idea that WHS makes pieces of enduring value, and also that the pieces we make strike a chord in many people that fits their consideration of what they will leave behind, too.  So that our broad brand legacy becomes personal, individual, and part of a man’s legacy within his family, for his own reasons.  I have seen it happen many times already – people contacting our company to learn more about the WH piece that they were given by their father or grandfather, wanting to understand the significance of the piece and its place in the world.  And it makes us proud and humble at the same time.

 

We can’t always buy the coolest or the best or the longest lasting, at least I can’t.  But every now and then, it is absolutely worth investing in objects that are personal, immediately useful, yet timeless in their appeal and relevance – these rare pieces can become part of a living legacy.  And much to my surprise and delight, I have started a company that creates the real possibility of a legacy every day…

 

Thanks for checking in,

 

 

Matt Conable, Founder