Matt Conable remembers William Henry's first steps as a business.

Matt Conable speaks about the ancient Indian decorative art, and how we use it in William Henry's collections.

Matt Conable speaks about the polish and grind of William Henry's blades.

Click HERE to see Meteorite in our collections

Does it matter, really?  The world keeps getting smaller, and great work is great work, wherever its origin.  William Henry is a US company (not just designed in the US, designed and built in the US) but we’ve never draped ourselves in the Stars and Stripes.  Here’s why...

From the beginning, I wanted to build the best stuff I could, one piece and one day at a time.  If I, or our shop in Oregon, could do the best work, that's what we did.  If someone else, somewhere else, could bring talent and craftsmanship to an aspect of the design that was better than our internal work, we went wherever that was in the world to get the best we could find.  My objective has always been to build the best things I could, one piece and one day at a time. 

Many of our hand-engravings are done by master artisans scattered around the world; some of our gold and silver Koftgari inlay is done by a small shop in India practicing ancient techniques handed down thru generations. Many of our blades are beveled and polished by a master knifemaker in Japan whose ancestors crafted fine samurai swords. The list goes on. 

I’m proud of these amazing and talented makers, and I am honored to feature their work on our products because it is exceptional, and what they do for us is an integral part of what makes William Henry worthy of your attention and admiration. 

No ONE factory or shop can produce these exceptional pieces, it takes a village.  A global village, one draped in the flag of the planet, not any single identity beyond our shared DNA as humans.  No matter where or how, the goal is to build to the highest level that we can imagine.  Thanks for sharing in our journey...

Sincerely
Matt Conable
My passport has a lot of stamps – it’s a big and beautiful place we call home

For a long time, I’ve called WH the anti-commodity
brand.  Maybe there is a better way to
say it, but indulge me for a moment while I elaborate...

In the case of most branded goods out there, from Rolex to Gucci
to Apple and beyond, a piece is designed and then the production system is set
up to exactly replicate that piece every time. 
They are precise and identical. 
Nothing against these and other fine brands, they do great work.  So do we, but our approach is vastly
different. 

We design a product, and then choose techniques and materials
to ensure that every piece is not identical, but in fact substantially
different from the next.  Even within a
limited edition, number 11 of 25 is going to be different from number 12 of 25
and so on.  The rare organic materials we
use, the hand forged metals, and the individual hand craft we bring to each
step means that no two are alike. 
They’re damn fine, but not the same. 
Hence the ‘anti-commodity’ moniker. 
With most brands, your bag or garment or watch is identical to everyone
else who owns the same piece.  With WH,
your piece is the ONLY one like it in the world. 

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The Beatles got it right – ‘and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make’.  More than anything else we might accomplish, our legacy is tied to how we treat others.  The difference we make is best measured by the love we create and leave behind.  What does this have to do with William Henry?  Everything. 

I set out to build a company that could reflect my values and, in some small way, see those values manifest on a larger stage.  It starts with the employees and how they are treated – with respect and decency, with honor and integrity.  We are all in this together, and I’ve always encouraged everyone to bring their best to each task and each day, and built a system that ensures that we all rise as one and share the risks and rewards of inventing a small company that charts its own course.

Step outward to our vendors and suppliers, and WH is committed to building long relationships where everyone sees the upside – not relationships where we prosper at others’ expense.

Step further and you get to the core that makes it all work – our customers.  We try to provide service and support that matches the excellence of our products.  It’s personal, and it matters, and every person that loves WH, whether a long-time collector or an aspirational customer, deserves our respect and full attention. 

We work hard at maintaining those original values that I used as the foundation for WH over 20 years ago.  It’s not always easy, we don’t always get it right, but we never stop challenging ourselves to build and promote relationships, across the business, that are founded in respect, love, dignity, and integrity.  That has built this brand, and that will be the essential element that helps us continue to find a unique and successful path into the future.

Sincerely

Matt Conable
Definitely not Gordon Gekko