HINESBURG, Vt. (WCAX) – Knives are relatively simple tools, but the process of making them is anything but dull.
“I’ve always loved things that can be beautiful, but also have a use as a tool,” says Phil Seeley. His small, Hinesburg workshop is where you can typically find him turning out knives. “There’s a lot of different aspects to the process of making one and in the end, you have something that always has a personal touch.”
It’s a hobby he picked up about eight years ago. Knives bring back vivid childhood memories for Seeley, recounting times spent with his grandfather who would pull out a pocket knife to whittle away at a stick.
“I saw someone that had made a handmade knife and I remember this feeling of just pure… it was almost jealousy,” he says with a smile. “I just had to do it. I had to try it. Started off with an old saw blade, just cut it out… and it never stopped from there.”
Seeley is no stranger to a tactile trade. He spent years as a sign-maker but wanted to cut out a new career. Some reading and a bit of time at YouTube University set up a new passion project.
“I noticed that I was starting to gain the audience to be able to do it and I just went for it,” he says.
Four years ago, that project became a new business — Barn and Brook Supply Co. Though the makers’ space is small, the opportunities for creation are big.
“Carbon steel in a chef’s knife has so much character and it will develop a patina over time, very unique to the user,” explains Seeley. “I love that.”
Carbon steel is the metal of choice for knives destined for the kitchen. Stainless steel is a more popular pick for those heading outdoors, like his “Creekhopper.”
“Could use it for fishing, hunting, or just hanging out at camp. You could even use it in the kitchen,” he says. He also offers a variety of folding knives, more suited for everyday carry.
Because Seeley is a one-man show, he can only turn out so many knives a week. But, he says, that gives him a chance to get creative and offer variety in his weekly drops. The best way to stay in the know for the next batch of limited-release knives is by checking his Instagram.
“I would love to someday have a much larger inventory on my website so everyone that wants one can get one. And I’m working on that. I’m working on that,” he says.
If you can get your hands on one, these knives are guaranteed to be one of a kind. And, aside from a good quality blade, the handles are what makes these knives sharp. Using something called micarta, or fabric fused together with resin, Seeley crafts his handles to be as colorful as possible.
While these knives go for a pretty penny, Seeley says they’ve got soul. That’s something you’d be hard-pressed to find from a big manufacturer.
“When I’m finished making a knife and I hold it, I can feel all the energy in it from all the work that went into it,” he says.