THE RAZOR'S EDGE

Collectors are taking note of William Henry's nextlevel pocket knives, the ultimate in luxury cutting tools

- BEAU HAYHOE

The best ideas are sometimes born out of an unexpected crossover in a Venn diagram, so to speak. Take the pocket knife, a humble and downright useful piece with real-world origins in the field. Trusty versions packed with multi-tools crowd the market, but William Henry’s USA-made pocket knives, and a full array of daily-carry essentials, blur the line between useful, stylish and downright luxurious in a way few brands can achieve.

The Pacific Northwest brand boasts nearly 30 years of knife-making heritage, having been founded in 1997 by custom knifemaker and musician Matt Conable in northern California (the company moved to McMinnville, Oregon, in the early 2000s). Conable recognized the difference between custom one-off knives and pieces produced in larger quantities, and decided to take advantage of both old-world knifemaking hand craft and modern technology to create pieces that are wholly singular and eye-catching.

From the outset, William Henry knives, complete with beautiful engraving and ornamentation straight out of a “Lord of the Rings” film, gained a devoted following and appealed to collectors. Damascus steel is a particularly notable material across the William Henry product line, with vivid colors and embellishments finishing each knife in an extremely handsome fashion. The most difficult-to-make versions with the most painstaking ornamentation and precious materials can cost up to $70,000 apiece.