Slice of life: Meet Nashville's expert bladesmith
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Duncan Stephenson, owner of Horn & Heel. Photo: courtesy of Stephenson
The process of craft knife-making is equal parts science and art.
- A red-hot piece of steel must be hammered in precisely the right way in order to properly shape a blade.
Why it matters: Duncan Stephenson has turned his craft knife business, Horn & Heel, into one that is uniquely Nashville. His knives begin as hand-crafted kitchen tools and, over time, become cherished family heirlooms.
The big picture: Stephenson's knives are so well regarded that some of Nashville's top restaurants and chefs use them in their kitchens.
- Chefs from across the country go to Horn & Heel for their knives. Stephenson singled out Sean Brock at June, Michael Hanna at St. Vito, Chris Biard at S.S. Gai, Rooney at Black Dynast Ramen and Nick Guidry at Pelican & Pig as a few of his local clients.
What he's saying: "I get distracted. So I really like the problem solving aspect," Stephenson tells Axios. "It keeps me honed. I'm locked into what the customer has requested of me, and how I create that, but also in my voice."
- Speaking to the science of blademaking, Stephenson says "the metallurgy behind the heat treatment is a whole other thing. If you don't heat-treat steel well, it is a knife-shaped object, but it won't function."
- Then there's the artful aspect, which comes in as he adds finishing touches to create the aesthetic of the wooden handle.
Zoom in: For instance, a customer, who happened to be a Green Bay Packers fan, requested a custom-made pizza cutter. Stephenson fashioned the circular slicer, and then added green-and-yellow stripes made from small pieces of metal on the handle.
Flashback: Stephenson says knife-making is at the Venn diagram of his interests and personal background. His father is a cabinetmaker. Stephenson went to art school, where he got a degree in fine arts with a concentration in small metals.
- "Utilitarianism is a massive thing for me. I like to create something that goes out in the world and serves a purpose and makes someone's life better," he says.
- His knives aren't cheap because they're made to last a lifetime and even be passed down as heirlooms. The cost is generally several hundred dollars. In some instances, professional chefs have come back to order more knives, the ultimate compliment.
Zoom out: Horn & Heel is nestled into The Forge, a maker's space off of Hermitage Avenue south of downtown where artists, screen printers, sculptors and woodworkers have micro businesses.
- "The energy here is really palpable," he says. "I feed off of being around the people here, even if their area of interest is completely different than mine."
- In addition to his blademaking, a few times per year Stephenson leads small workshops where he teaches small groups of students the entire process from finish.
Bonus: Because of Stephenson's love of food, his restaurant recommendations carry extra weight. He mentioned Thai-chicken joint SS Gai, Black Dynasty Ramen (both are clients) and James Beard-nominated Peninsula as some of his current faves.
- As for what home cooks get wrong with their knives, Stephenson says they don't keep them sharpened and don't know how to sharpen them correctly.