Today we’d like to introduce you to Gwyndolyn Hammerson.
Hi Gwyndolyn, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Myself and my husband Justin Hammerson are a married couple who met in high school and eventually got together after culinary school. We go way back. We are originally from the culinary industry and have worked for some of Austin’s best restaurants and institutions. We opened a restaurant north of San Antonio called “Kindling Texas Kitchen” and went through trials and tribulations eventually landing us excellent reviews and articles but we weren’t happy even being successful chefs.
We left the industry in January of 2020 right before the pandemic with plans to just get by however we could that wasn’t cooking. Justin was gifted a forge by his Gramma to learn his hand at forging knives. He had been sharpening and refinishing knives for years as a part of cooking. He eventually picked up the hobby of refurbishing, reshaping and rehandling vintage knives and selling them for money on the side. He dove straight into the work and quickly became very good at his job. I had been making various forms of art since I was a kid but chose cooking as a ‘better’ career path. When I left cooking, I made all sorts of things but used pottery as a hobby and a way to relax. I eventually realized I was pretty good at making pottery and decided to throw myself into it. I bought a kiln and decided to go full-time as an artist.
We started to become a pillar in the community by attending weekly farmer’s markets when everyone needed to get out of the house and having pop-up events selling our wares and sharpening people’s knives for them. Through our various friends in the industry and around town, we have been able to make a real living making our art. Justin has since become a member of the Texas Knife Guild and plans to become a journeyman smith. I work with loads of great retailers, bars and restaurants to make lovely custom pottery and wares. Both of us have a lot of momentum going and are truly just loving the new life we get to live. We make our own schedule, make new friends at markets and through large shows and events and get to travel, do outdoor activities and relax on our 20-acre family farm. We are beyond happy that we made the decision to become full-time artists and hope to never run out of new ideas or people who want to enjoy them.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Leaving the industry came with a whole identity crisis but being embraced by our friends, loved ones, old coworkers and community has helped us out along the way. That and building a business from the ground up with no funding and no idea how to make Art a profitable business led to some skinny winters but nothing we wouldn’t do again in order to keep this lifestyle.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Justin Hand forges all of his knives out of carbon steel like the old days. They are quality pieces that have been torture tested by many great Austin chefs and hunters. He specializes in chef’s knives but makes all sorts of hunting, fishing and work knives and swords as well. I dabble with a lot of designs, working directly with retailers to come up with unique pieces that no one else will have. One of my proudest accomplishments has been making Tiki bowls for Nickel City and realizing that some of my more whimsical work like mushroom jars, colorful planters and shark Tikis are enjoyed and appreciated by others. My Shark Tikis were also a fundraiser during shark week which was a lot of fun.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Living life and not worrying about time. Making our own schedule. Being able to be present and work side by side without the stress and hardship. Being outside 24/7 soaking up the weather and all of nature’s bounties.
Pricing:
- Custom knives start at $40 per blade inch
- Retail inquiries must be made 3 months in advance
Contact Info:
- Email: g.hammerson17@gmail.com jhammerson19@gmail.com
- Website: www.hammersonco.com
- Instagram: @hammersoncraft @hammerson_forge
- Facebook: Hammersonco
Image Credits:
Lance Robbins – main picture and picture of justin with hammer
