We're in this month's Louisville Magazine! You will see Heimerdinger Cutlery (and a picture of Carl Heimerdinger) on page 40 of the September issue.
The big cover story is "25 Shops worth the Stop" and Heimerdinger Cutlery is 17 on that list. To give you some idea of the company we're keeping, the list also includes wonderful places like Edenside Gallery, Lotsa Pasta, Clay & Cotton, and A Reader's Corner bookstore. (Those would be my favorites off that list, especially Lotsa Pasta. Yum.)
These are all shops that "provide merchandise that goes beyond the expected, making a stop... an entertainment in itself." In our case, the article mentions our straight razors and kitchen gadgets (though sadly not the asparagus peeler). Oh, and the giant twenty-six inch long, two handled knife that's for cutting cheese wheels.
The Store has all sorts of wonderful displays. When I was little, my favorites were the trays that hold the Swiss Army knives, each in their own little cubby. This was only topped by big Swiss Army knife in the window that has a motor and moving blades. When I started working there in high school, my favorite display was the kitchen gadget case-- learning what all the strangely shaped things did. Now, I just love going in to see what's new.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Huntin' the Beast, Take two!
Heimerdinger Cutlery will once again be at the Huntin' the Beast Expo. As before, it will be held at the Breckenridge County Fairgrounds in Hardinsburg, Kentucky. It's coming up soon, this weekend in fact-- August 29th from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm (that's Central time).
They'll have all sorts of things going on, with special guests (did you even know that the University of Louisville has a Bass Fishing Team?).
Go out and see them!
They'll have all sorts of things going on, with special guests (did you even know that the University of Louisville has a Bass Fishing Team?).
Go out and see them!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
A fully stocked kitchen
According to The Nest, sister website to The Knot, a kitchen is not complete without this list of kitchen tools. They say
Here's what I have to say about that.
The two big categories on that list that I'm looking at are knives and utensils. Here's all they had under knives:
KNIVES
Other than the point that kitchen shears (or scissors) aren't exactly knives, this is a pretty good list. Except for "Knife sharpener." That, my friends, is a potentially dangerous phrase. The quick explanation is that you would be far better off getting yourself a steel (sometimes called a sharpening steel or a butcher's steel) than you would getting a knife sharpener. A steel will help maintain a knife's edge and then you can get it professionally sharpened. No, that's not just a plug for our knife sharpening services. Most of you reading this probably don't live near enough for that, anyway. A "knife sharpener" will indeed sharpen your knives, but with no regard to angle or blade shape. It's imprecise and you can actually damage your edge instead of sharpening it.
If you want more info, check out this post I did before about sharpening knives. Please excuse the broken images, I'm trying to go back and replace them with ones from our new website.
Your registry items have been safely stashed. Now use our checklist to make sure you haven't missed any of the essentials -- because no kitchen is complete without these handy gadgets.
Here's what I have to say about that.
The two big categories on that list that I'm looking at are knives and utensils. Here's all they had under knives:
KNIVES
- Bread knife
- Chef's knife
- Kitchen shears
- Knife sharpener
- Knives
- Paring knife
- Steak knives
- Utility knife
Other than the point that kitchen shears (or scissors) aren't exactly knives, this is a pretty good list. Except for "Knife sharpener." That, my friends, is a potentially dangerous phrase. The quick explanation is that you would be far better off getting yourself a steel (sometimes called a sharpening steel or a butcher's steel) than you would getting a knife sharpener. A steel will help maintain a knife's edge and then you can get it professionally sharpened. No, that's not just a plug for our knife sharpening services. Most of you reading this probably don't live near enough for that, anyway. A "knife sharpener" will indeed sharpen your knives, but with no regard to angle or blade shape. It's imprecise and you can actually damage your edge instead of sharpening it.
If you want more info, check out this post I did before about sharpening knives. Please excuse the broken images, I'm trying to go back and replace them with ones from our new website.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Back to school ideas
It's that time of year again. Time to pack the little darlings off and set up the ironing board in their bedroom.
However, it's good to send them off prepared. This means buying sheets and towels, packing up crates and suitcases, digging out extra hangars and other necessities. One thing you don't want to neglect is food prep. College students (or anyone starting off on their own for the first time) are very food-centric, so it's important that they're prepared.
I have two categories of advice for you today: Dorms and Apartments. Most items will work for both, I'll let you know.
The problem with living in a dorm is that there are restrictions on what a person can and cannot have (example: candles and hotplates). Some of this changes from school to school, so I'd check your rules out.
Since dorm cooking can be very limited, you'd only need a few basic things past a can opener. If knives are permitted, I'd go with a good utility knife, but not an expensive one. Forschner has a whole bunch of good options, but I like the non-serrated one with a red handle best. It has a 4 inch blade, making it long enough to use for a lot of things, but still short enough to store easily. It has a hygienic nylon handle, in either red or black. It is also under $10, which is great for dorm living because things do have a tendency to walk off.
An essential for any place to live is a good pair of kitchen scissors. The Tricky is an excellent example. My favorite feature is that they come apart, which makes them very easy to clean. While some of our other kitchen scissors come apart, the Trickies can also be used as cap lifters, jar grippers, and wire cutters, and they have this great bone cutting notch which is perfect for chicken wings and flower stems. I have red ones, because those are easier to find, but you might prefer black.
A Swiss Army knife or Leatherman tool (the latter of which isn't up on the website yet, please call for information). For a Swiss Army knife, I'd recommend the Spartan or the Compact knife. Why? They both have a bottle opener and a corkscrew; the former has a can opener and the latter has scissors. The bottle opener is important; it is really hard (but possible!) to get a cork out of a bottle with a screwdriver.
If you're preparing someone for apartment living, I'd add three things to what I mentioned above, though the first is more of an elaboration on the utility knife above.
1) Knives.
My sunday gaming group has started having real food for dinner instead of just ordering out or getting fast food. The problem with this? The guy who hosts the games at his apartment doesn't even have a paring knife. Do you know how hard it is to chop up an onion with a butter knife?
If you only get one, get a utility knife. It's good for everything. If you're going for two, I'd say a paring knife and a chef's knife. The chef's knife is very useful for things like slicing up a whole chicken (if you catch them on sale it's the most economical thing, you can even make broth from the bones).
There are a lot of inexpensive options, which to be frank are better to get people who don't spend a lot of time cooking and are prone to putting knives in the dishwaster. Forschner (owned by the Swiss Army knife people) has a great line of inexpensive paring and utility knives, some with . Dexter Russell is a good choice for a durable chef's knife; the brand the oldest and one of the largest manufacturers of professional cutlery in the USA. Dexter Russell kitchen implements are used in commercial kitchens all over. They aren't the prettiest of knives, but they're affordable and tough. If you think these knives will be used by . The white Sanisafe handles are also good for people with big hands because they're a little larger.
2) Something to store knives in.
A knife block is great if you have a very well supplied kitchen (or inherited some older knives like I did), but it's a bit excessive for one or two knives. Not to mention taking up a large chunk of highly valuable counter space. There's The Swinger, or the Magnabar. Both are compact and space efficient, with The Swinger fitting up under a cabinet. Magnabars are also popular. You might feel a little leery about using nothing more than a magnet to hold sharp knives, but these are very strong magnets. We use them in the store (as you can see in the top picture on the right of the About Us page).
Or, if you don't want to put holes in your walls or counters, get some Edgeguards so that you can reach into drawers without slicing your fingers. They are a few dollars apiece and you can get them to suit any size knife. I'd definitely recommend these to college students as well.
3) A cutting board.
I'm bad to say it, but we're probably not the best place to get a cutting board for your average person starting out on their own. All of ours are handcrafted locally. These functional works of art would be better as a gift to someone with a new house, rather than a new apartment.
However, here are a couple of tips to use when looking for a cutting board. Look for a wooden or bamboo cutting board, not glass or plastic. Plastic might seem more hygienic, but scored plastic can trap bacteria. Some studies have shown that wooden cutting boards have natural anti-microbial qualities. Still, be sure to wash them after every use (particularly after chopping meat/poultry). Do not let your cutting board soak in the sink; that can cause warping and encourage slime. Using a wooden cutting board is also more forgiving to the edges of knives; glass and hard plastics can quickly dull a knife.
Well, that's all I have for now. Do you have any suggestions?
However, it's good to send them off prepared. This means buying sheets and towels, packing up crates and suitcases, digging out extra hangars and other necessities. One thing you don't want to neglect is food prep. College students (or anyone starting off on their own for the first time) are very food-centric, so it's important that they're prepared.
I have two categories of advice for you today: Dorms and Apartments. Most items will work for both, I'll let you know.
The problem with living in a dorm is that there are restrictions on what a person can and cannot have (example: candles and hotplates). Some of this changes from school to school, so I'd check your rules out.
Since dorm cooking can be very limited, you'd only need a few basic things past a can opener. If knives are permitted, I'd go with a good utility knife, but not an expensive one. Forschner has a whole bunch of good options, but I like the non-serrated one with a red handle best. It has a 4 inch blade, making it long enough to use for a lot of things, but still short enough to store easily. It has a hygienic nylon handle, in either red or black. It is also under $10, which is great for dorm living because things do have a tendency to walk off.
An essential for any place to live is a good pair of kitchen scissors. The Tricky is an excellent example. My favorite feature is that they come apart, which makes them very easy to clean. While some of our other kitchen scissors come apart, the Trickies can also be used as cap lifters, jar grippers, and wire cutters, and they have this great bone cutting notch which is perfect for chicken wings and flower stems. I have red ones, because those are easier to find, but you might prefer black.
A Swiss Army knife or Leatherman tool (the latter of which isn't up on the website yet, please call for information). For a Swiss Army knife, I'd recommend the Spartan or the Compact knife. Why? They both have a bottle opener and a corkscrew; the former has a can opener and the latter has scissors. The bottle opener is important; it is really hard (but possible!) to get a cork out of a bottle with a screwdriver.
If you're preparing someone for apartment living, I'd add three things to what I mentioned above, though the first is more of an elaboration on the utility knife above.
1) Knives.
My sunday gaming group has started having real food for dinner instead of just ordering out or getting fast food. The problem with this? The guy who hosts the games at his apartment doesn't even have a paring knife. Do you know how hard it is to chop up an onion with a butter knife?
If you only get one, get a utility knife. It's good for everything. If you're going for two, I'd say a paring knife and a chef's knife. The chef's knife is very useful for things like slicing up a whole chicken (if you catch them on sale it's the most economical thing, you can even make broth from the bones).
There are a lot of inexpensive options, which to be frank are better to get people who don't spend a lot of time cooking and are prone to putting knives in the dishwaster. Forschner (owned by the Swiss Army knife people) has a great line of inexpensive paring and utility knives, some with . Dexter Russell is a good choice for a durable chef's knife; the brand the oldest and one of the largest manufacturers of professional cutlery in the USA. Dexter Russell kitchen implements are used in commercial kitchens all over. They aren't the prettiest of knives, but they're affordable and tough. If you think these knives will be used by . The white Sanisafe handles are also good for people with big hands because they're a little larger.
2) Something to store knives in.
A knife block is great if you have a very well supplied kitchen (or inherited some older knives like I did), but it's a bit excessive for one or two knives. Not to mention taking up a large chunk of highly valuable counter space. There's The Swinger, or the Magnabar. Both are compact and space efficient, with The Swinger fitting up under a cabinet. Magnabars are also popular. You might feel a little leery about using nothing more than a magnet to hold sharp knives, but these are very strong magnets. We use them in the store (as you can see in the top picture on the right of the About Us page).
Or, if you don't want to put holes in your walls or counters, get some Edgeguards so that you can reach into drawers without slicing your fingers. They are a few dollars apiece and you can get them to suit any size knife. I'd definitely recommend these to college students as well.
3) A cutting board.
I'm bad to say it, but we're probably not the best place to get a cutting board for your average person starting out on their own. All of ours are handcrafted locally. These functional works of art would be better as a gift to someone with a new house, rather than a new apartment.
However, here are a couple of tips to use when looking for a cutting board. Look for a wooden or bamboo cutting board, not glass or plastic. Plastic might seem more hygienic, but scored plastic can trap bacteria. Some studies have shown that wooden cutting boards have natural anti-microbial qualities. Still, be sure to wash them after every use (particularly after chopping meat/poultry). Do not let your cutting board soak in the sink; that can cause warping and encourage slime. Using a wooden cutting board is also more forgiving to the edges of knives; glass and hard plastics can quickly dull a knife.
Well, that's all I have for now. Do you have any suggestions?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Congrats to Lone Wolf!
The 2009 Blade Show, which was held this year in Atlanta (May 29-31st), was billed as "the world's biggest knife show." National groups, including the American Bladesmith Society and Knifemaker Guild, meet every year at the Blade show.
The awards given at the show are prestigious, with categories for custom knives as well as manufactured. Lone Wolf had two knives that won awards: the Blackfoot won Best Buy of the Year, and the Paul Defender won Best Overall Knife of the Year. You might remember me talking about the latter of those in my last post.
All of the knives that garnered awards can be viewed in an upcoming issue of Blade Magazine. It's always a really fun issue; I highly recommend picking up a copy.
Speaking of the Knifemaker Guild, don't forget that their annual Guild Show is in Louisville this year. It'll be held at the Seelbach from September 18-20th. To see a list of table holders and print out a free pass, check out their website.
Friday, June 19, 2009
New in the Store
We have several new knives in from Lone Wolf Knives.
Dark Raven & Longhorn:
We have two new manual tatical/utility knives named the Dark Raven with a 3 inch blade and Longhorn with a 3.5 inch blade. These knives have either checkered Ebano wood or G-10 handles and the look and performance of a true custom knife. They are build to endure, with high quality CPM-S30V blades. The blades are heat treated, tempered and cryogenically frozen to maximize edge retention and toughness.
They feature a locking liner mechanism.
Heimerdinger Cutlery has the Raven and Longhorn available with Ebano wood handles with both plain and serrated blades; in G-10 handles with the same blade options.
Paul Defender
The Paul Defender is a Gentleman's’s-Tactical Paul Knife. Its 3.9 inch blade is built from premium 154CM steel and will handle everyday cutting tasks and also perform as a tactical defensive knife should the need arise. Heimerdinger Cutlery has the Defender available with handles that are checkered cocobolo wood or checkerd G-10, which give this knife a classy take on the tactical look and a secure grip.
The Paul Defender is a true cross-over gentleman’s tactical that is sure to set some industry trends. The patented Paul Axial locking mechanism that locks the blade closed and open makes this great looking knife easy to open & close, safe to carry and extremely safe to use. It also makes it ambidextrous. The Defender has a sleek handle shape with contours for a secure grip, while remaining slim in the pocket. It is sure to please anyone wanting a great looking and sophisticated tactical knife.
Heimerdinger's also has a very special knife, the Paul Executive Folder with mother of pearl handles (LM23740), of which only 100 were created.
The new Paul Executive knife is a beautiful balance of size, blade length, and comfort in a very compact gentleman’s knife. The Paul Executive is a wonderful evolution of classic Paul gentlemen’s knives and it destined to become possibly the best compact pocket knife Paul Poehlmann has ever designed.
This model features AAA grade mother of pearl handles; hand-fitted to each of these limited editions knives. Lone Wolf cuts, shapes & fits each piece of shell, mounting it onto the knife and then sanding and polishing the material to bring out its natural beauty. The Mother Of Pearl Paul Executive is a fusion of technology and natural materials to create a highly desirable and collectible gentlemen’s pocket knife. The Paul® Executive gentlemen’s knife from designer Paul W. Poehlmann is compact, rugged and great looking. This knife has a classic drop-point blade that is 2.5 inches long, providing plenty of cutting surface. The patented Axial locking mechanism (created by Poehlmann) locks the blade in both the open and closed positions for safety. The sleek handle shape provides a secure and comfortable grip. The Paul Executive is constructed entirely of stainless steel for easy maintenance and reliable service. It’s precise fit and finish assures that it operates smoothly, safely and looks great!
The Paul® Executive “Mother Of Pearl ” knife has a limited lifetime warranty. It is packaged in an attractive metal display box inside a nice Lone Wolf gift box. A certificate of authenticity is included.
Specifications: Blade Length: 2.5 in. Handles: AAA Grade Mother Of Pearl Overall Length: 5.8 in. Liners/Frame: Stainless Steel Weight: 1.6 oz. Blade Material: 400 Series high-carbon Stainless Steel
Proudly made in the USA
If you want more information about these knives, either check the website, or give us a call at 888-267-9572 (toll free) or 502-897-9552 (local). You can also order them the same way.
Dark Raven & Longhorn:
We have two new manual tatical/utility knives named the Dark Raven with a 3 inch blade and Longhorn with a 3.5 inch blade. These knives have either checkered Ebano wood or G-10 handles and the look and performance of a true custom knife. They are build to endure, with high quality CPM-S30V blades. The blades are heat treated, tempered and cryogenically frozen to maximize edge retention and toughness.
They feature a locking liner mechanism.
Heimerdinger Cutlery has the Raven and Longhorn available with Ebano wood handles with both plain and serrated blades; in G-10 handles with the same blade options.
Paul Defender
The Paul Defender is a Gentleman's’s-Tactical Paul Knife. Its 3.9 inch blade is built from premium 154CM steel and will handle everyday cutting tasks and also perform as a tactical defensive knife should the need arise. Heimerdinger Cutlery has the Defender available with handles that are checkered cocobolo wood or checkerd G-10, which give this knife a classy take on the tactical look and a secure grip.
The Paul Defender is a true cross-over gentleman’s tactical that is sure to set some industry trends. The patented Paul Axial locking mechanism that locks the blade closed and open makes this great looking knife easy to open & close, safe to carry and extremely safe to use. It also makes it ambidextrous. The Defender has a sleek handle shape with contours for a secure grip, while remaining slim in the pocket. It is sure to please anyone wanting a great looking and sophisticated tactical knife.
Heimerdinger's also has a very special knife, the Paul Executive Folder with mother of pearl handles (LM23740), of which only 100 were created.
The new Paul Executive knife is a beautiful balance of size, blade length, and comfort in a very compact gentleman’s knife. The Paul Executive is a wonderful evolution of classic Paul gentlemen’s knives and it destined to become possibly the best compact pocket knife Paul Poehlmann has ever designed.
This model features AAA grade mother of pearl handles; hand-fitted to each of these limited editions knives. Lone Wolf cuts, shapes & fits each piece of shell, mounting it onto the knife and then sanding and polishing the material to bring out its natural beauty. The Mother Of Pearl Paul Executive is a fusion of technology and natural materials to create a highly desirable and collectible gentlemen’s pocket knife. The Paul® Executive gentlemen’s knife from designer Paul W. Poehlmann is compact, rugged and great looking. This knife has a classic drop-point blade that is 2.5 inches long, providing plenty of cutting surface. The patented Axial locking mechanism (created by Poehlmann) locks the blade in both the open and closed positions for safety. The sleek handle shape provides a secure and comfortable grip. The Paul Executive is constructed entirely of stainless steel for easy maintenance and reliable service. It’s precise fit and finish assures that it operates smoothly, safely and looks great!
The Paul® Executive “Mother Of Pearl ” knife has a limited lifetime warranty. It is packaged in an attractive metal display box inside a nice Lone Wolf gift box. A certificate of authenticity is included.
Specifications: Blade Length: 2.5 in. Handles: AAA Grade Mother Of Pearl Overall Length: 5.8 in. Liners/Frame: Stainless Steel Weight: 1.6 oz. Blade Material: 400 Series high-carbon Stainless Steel
Proudly made in the USA
If you want more information about these knives, either check the website, or give us a call at 888-267-9572 (toll free) or 502-897-9552 (local). You can also order them the same way.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
It's alive!
The new website is live!
http://www.heimerdingercutlery.com/
Over the next month we'll be working to get all the problems ironed out. Please have patience, a lot of this has to be done to each product individually (changing the descriptions, updating pictures). But we're working on it.
Especially the Conditions of Use.
http://www.heimerdingercutlery.com/
Over the next month we'll be working to get all the problems ironed out. Please have patience, a lot of this has to be done to each product individually (changing the descriptions, updating pictures). But we're working on it.
Especially the Conditions of Use.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Rescheduling!
We'll be rescheduling the Shave In, due to an unexpected trip by our straight razor guy.
I'll keep you posted on that.
Also, if everything goes well, we'll have the new website live tonight! I'll be linking tomorrow. :D
I'll keep you posted on that.
Also, if everything goes well, we'll have the new website live tonight! I'll be linking tomorrow. :D
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Moon and June, Knife and... Spoon?
June is looking like a very busy month at the Cutlery.
New Website
On June first we will be going live with our new website design. The new site features more streamlined categories and a format that will be much easier to navigate. It will also be up-to-the-minute accurate about what items we have in stock (which will make both you and our shipping department much happier and prevent delays in you receiving your merchandise). The new website will also have a prettier URL, no more of this /catalog nonsense. I'll post a link as soon as we get it up.
Shaving demo
June 4, 2009
We'll be hosting our "Shave In" on June 4th in the evening, at 6 pm. It will be an informational session for individuals who are interested in using a straight razor. There will be instruction in razor use and care, along with other information such as the history of the straight razor.
Reservations will be required. These can either be made in person, or by calling (502) 897-9552. There will be a fee of $50 due when you make your reservation. This fee will go to reserve your place for the Shave In; after the event you will receive a Heimerdinger Gift Card for the same amount that can be on any store products.
Jon Hart Trunkshow
June 1st through 16th
We will be hosting another Jon Hart Design trunkshow. Personalization will be available for items bought during this time, and any orders placed during the trunk show will receive monogramming for free (a $7.00 value).
This would be a good time to pick up a Father's Day gift. Don't forget, that's coming up on June 21st.
New Website
On June first we will be going live with our new website design. The new site features more streamlined categories and a format that will be much easier to navigate. It will also be up-to-the-minute accurate about what items we have in stock (which will make both you and our shipping department much happier and prevent delays in you receiving your merchandise). The new website will also have a prettier URL, no more of this /catalog nonsense. I'll post a link as soon as we get it up.
Shaving demo
June 4, 2009
We'll be hosting our "Shave In" on June 4th in the evening, at 6 pm. It will be an informational session for individuals who are interested in using a straight razor. There will be instruction in razor use and care, along with other information such as the history of the straight razor.Reservations will be required. These can either be made in person, or by calling (502) 897-9552. There will be a fee of $50 due when you make your reservation. This fee will go to reserve your place for the Shave In; after the event you will receive a Heimerdinger Gift Card for the same amount that can be on any store products.
Jon Hart Trunkshow
June 1st through 16th
We will be hosting another Jon Hart Design trunkshow. Personalization will be available for items bought during this time, and any orders placed during the trunk show will receive monogramming for free (a $7.00 value).
This would be a good time to pick up a Father's Day gift. Don't forget, that's coming up on June 21st.
Monday, April 20, 2009
News!
Changes in Store hoursHey guys, as you probably know, our regular store hours are Monday - Saturday, 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Please note that we will have alternate hours for the following days:
*May 2nd - Derby Day! We close at 2p.m.
*May 16th - We will close at noon (Wedding!)
*May 23rd through May 25th - We will be closed in observance of Memorial Day.
New Website
I've been wanting to tell you about this for a while now. We are in the process of building an entirely new website. I've seen the designs, and I think it's going to be great. It looks good and should be a lot easier to navigate, plus it'll fit in with our new inventory/sales software to help us keep all our numbers up to date. It should also make shipping faster, since we'll be able to know immediately whether your item is in stock or not.
Hopefully all this won't be causing problems with our current website, but you never know. Please bear with us. If you're having problems, give us a call or drop us an email.
Toll Free Number: 888-267-9572
Local Telephone: (502) 897-9552
Email: info@heimerdingercutlery.com
The new website will hopefully be up and running by mid-summer.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Trivia!
Heimerdinger Cutlery carries kitchen, butcher and chef knives from R.H.Forschner. R.H. Forschner is a division of Swiss Army Brands, Inc., maker of the Victorinox Original Swiss Army Knife. Their high carbon, stainless steel blades are hand finished by skilled craftsmen at Victorinox in Switzerland.
Another interesting bit? The -inox bit at the end. "Inox" means stainless steel, and you'll frequently see it stamped on items made in Europe.
Another interesting bit? The -inox bit at the end. "Inox" means stainless steel, and you'll frequently see it stamped on items made in Europe.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Weddings-- Bridesmaid gift ideas
Ok, now that we've figured out what to get the guys, you need attendant gifts for the girls. A lot of brides make the jewelry or makeup/hair a gift. Other options include getting perfectly lovely gifts, but ones that are purely ornamental. Personally, I ended up going with an ornamental gift for my junior bridesmaids, and more useful ones for my older ones.
This is usually way easier. Here at the Cutlery, we have two main options: cooking stuff and beauty stuff.
Kitchen Stuff
Knives are always useful and appreciated. Even if someone doesn't cook much, a paring knife is a good gift because it's a useful size. My absolute favorite affordable small knives ever are these nylon handled ones from Forschner. Why? Because they're very affordable (ranging from $6.99 to $8.50) and the knives still have and hold a good sharp edge. The nylon handles are very sanitary, dishwasher safe, and they also make this a knife that survives well being dropped. These smaller knives are great to pair with other gifts, maybe other kitchen tools, or a wooden spoon and a kitchen towel, or maybe a pot of herbs.
As far as other knives go, any Wustof knife makes a wonderful gift. It will last generations, literally. My favorite handle pattern is the Classic. Hard to go wrong there.
I can, and have gone on and on about about Kentucky Spring's tongs and cheese slicers. All I'll say here is that they're affordable, classy, and locally made. (Hint: That last bit makes it a great gift for out-of-state people).
Another fun gift idea is to give a bouquet of kitchen gadgets. What do I mean by a kitchen gadget? I mean orange peelers, melon ballers, ice tongs, and all sorts of other eccentric things.
If you only want one, I'd say go with a garlic press. This one has two different sized baskets so you can pick the texture of the final product. Love it, love it, love it (and garlic). If someone isn't a garlic fan, the Tricky 777s are the best kitchen shears ever.
An ulu mincing knife, complete with a block/bowl to chop things up in would make a nice gift for the chef who has everything.
Beauty Items
For in-store customers, I'd like to suggest ceramic nail files. The only problem is that they don't ship well; they have to be unwrapped very carefully or they get broken, so we don't ship them anymore. But other than that, they are wonderful products.
A nail file alone does not an attendant gift make. It needs a little something more. You could pair it with, for example, some hand cream from Caswell-Massey. My personal favorite is the rose scented one. Caswell-Massey also makes a lovely foot creme if you need a gift for a pedicure fiend.
Other ideas
These are gender neutral gifts that anyone would like.
If you have an avid gardener, we have a selection of Felco pruners.
I love my Leatherman Micra, it fits on my keychain and the main tool is scissors. It's one of the smaller multitools and very useful. (Who says says girls don't like tools as much as guys?)
Jon Hart Design also has some good products. Luggage tags are always useful, as are these little bags. Women can use them as makeup bags, or anyone can use one to keep toiletries in. A very nice gift along this line would be a monogrammed toiletries bag, which we're formally calling shave kit. It may be designed for a guy's shaving stuff, but it's perfect for a women. I don't know about you, but I have a lot of stuff. I can fit all my contact stuff, my hairbrush, vitamins, first aid-kit and all my other necessities inside, with room to spare. It also comes in much more interesting colors than the ones in the picture. The ocean blue, fuchsia, or lime are fun and springy.
This is usually way easier. Here at the Cutlery, we have two main options: cooking stuff and beauty stuff.
Kitchen Stuff
Knives are always useful and appreciated. Even if someone doesn't cook much, a paring knife is a good gift because it's a useful size. My absolute favorite affordable small knives ever are these nylon handled ones from Forschner. Why? Because they're very affordable (ranging from $6.99 to $8.50) and the knives still have and hold a good sharp edge. The nylon handles are very sanitary, dishwasher safe, and they also make this a knife that survives well being dropped. These smaller knives are great to pair with other gifts, maybe other kitchen tools, or a wooden spoon and a kitchen towel, or maybe a pot of herbs. As far as other knives go, any Wustof knife makes a wonderful gift. It will last generations, literally. My favorite handle pattern is the Classic. Hard to go wrong there.
I can, and have gone on and on about about Kentucky Spring's tongs and cheese slicers. All I'll say here is that they're affordable, classy, and locally made. (Hint: That last bit makes it a great gift for out-of-state people).
Another fun gift idea is to give a bouquet of kitchen gadgets. What do I mean by a kitchen gadget? I mean orange peelers, melon ballers, ice tongs, and all sorts of other eccentric things.
If you only want one, I'd say go with a garlic press. This one has two different sized baskets so you can pick the texture of the final product. Love it, love it, love it (and garlic). If someone isn't a garlic fan, the Tricky 777s are the best kitchen shears ever.
An ulu mincing knife, complete with a block/bowl to chop things up in would make a nice gift for the chef who has everything.
Beauty Items
For in-store customers, I'd like to suggest ceramic nail files. The only problem is that they don't ship well; they have to be unwrapped very carefully or they get broken, so we don't ship them anymore. But other than that, they are wonderful products.
A nail file alone does not an attendant gift make. It needs a little something more. You could pair it with, for example, some hand cream from Caswell-Massey. My personal favorite is the rose scented one. Caswell-Massey also makes a lovely foot creme if you need a gift for a pedicure fiend.
Other ideas
These are gender neutral gifts that anyone would like.
If you have an avid gardener, we have a selection of Felco pruners.
I love my Leatherman Micra, it fits on my keychain and the main tool is scissors. It's one of the smaller multitools and very useful. (Who says says girls don't like tools as much as guys?)
Jon Hart Design also has some good products. Luggage tags are always useful, as are these little bags. Women can use them as makeup bags, or anyone can use one to keep toiletries in. A very nice gift along this line would be a monogrammed toiletries bag, which we're formally calling shave kit. It may be designed for a guy's shaving stuff, but it's perfect for a women. I don't know about you, but I have a lot of stuff. I can fit all my contact stuff, my hairbrush, vitamins, first aid-kit and all my other necessities inside, with room to spare. It also comes in much more interesting colors than the ones in the picture. The ocean blue, fuchsia, or lime are fun and springy.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Weddings-- Groomsmen gift ideas
One of the more complicated details of planning a wedding is attendant gifts.
1)You have to get them something that's nice and is something they'd like/use.
2)You either have to get everyone the same thing, or spend about the same amount of money.
3)Depending on your budget, you might not be able to do 1 or 2.
So here are some suggestions, in a variety of price ranges, for groomsmen and best man gifts.
Guys, take my word for it, you will win BIG points if you tell your future spouse that you will handle buying the attendant gifts for the guys all by yourself. (Unless you're planning on giving them their ties or something, but what fun is that?)
Simply put, it's hard to buy GOOD gifts for people you don't know very well. And, generally, the groom will be spending less time with wedding related things so he'll have time.
If you look at all the bridal magazines and things, apparently pocket knives are very popular gifts for groomsmen. Fortunately, we carry a bunch of those, to give you a wide enough selection that you can find the right knife for the right person.
My favorite knife to get, if you're going for a nice basic knife that's ornamental as well as functional is a Buck knife. Specifically, the Buck Gent knife. They're entirely made of stainless steel, which means that the handles cam be engraved as well. (Heimerdinger Cutlery does complimentary engraving on items purchased from us, but it's only available in typewriter font. I believe that Things Remembered will engrave items not purchased there, for those in need of something more elaborate) If you want something equally affordable, but more visually interesting, I'd go with something from Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT). The K.I.S.S. (Keep It Surely Simple) and the P.E.C.K. (Precision Engineered Compact Knife) are interesting, affordable, and have names that make them hilarious attendant gifts.
We also have more traditional looking knives (Case) and more modern ones (Gerber or Spyderco). I particularly like the Spyderco Cricket for the Best Man, if you want to spend a little more.
Opinel has good basic utility knives that are nice gifts for guys who love to lose knives. They're inexpensive and have locking blades available in both carbon and stainless steel.
If you want to kick it up a notch from a knife, we also have a variety of multi-tools.
Maybe your guys aren't into sharp things or tools. For personal grooming we have variety of manicure sets (very manly, with some sturdy scissors and toenail clippers), mustache scissors, and nose hair trimmers. Well, maybe that last one isn't a great idea.
In terms of shaving materials, we carry items from Col. Ichabod Conk and Caswell Massey. Here's what I had to say about it before, when we first started carrying them. Not only do we have a wide variety of shave soaps from both, but we also have other products. Caswell Massey has has a wide variety of regular soaps(Can I mention that the rose soap smells absolutely wonderful? I love using it.)and aftershave stuff. You can get the same soap that George Washington and JFK enjoyed.
Another option would be a nice razor, one that will last a lifetime. We have straight razors with blades disposable and non, though generally a safety razor would probably be a safer bet. There are some lovely options in both traditional and more modern styles.
We also carry items from Jon Hart Design. The Jon Hart Design collection includes over 150 custom items for travel, home, business, fashion, and just plain fun. Things range from luggage tags to actual luggage (probably that would be overkill, though). These products are hand-crafted in Texas and are available in a variety of colors in coated canvas trimmed with the finest natural leather trim, in beautiful choices of all leather, in Denim trimmed in Acorn leather, or in Texas Mink with leather trim. All of the items can be monogrammed, with four styles available.
So, does anybody have any suggestions? Can you think of something else that would make a great groomsman gift?
I'll be posting female attendant gift ideas soon.
1)You have to get them something that's nice and is something they'd like/use.
2)You either have to get everyone the same thing, or spend about the same amount of money.
3)Depending on your budget, you might not be able to do 1 or 2.
So here are some suggestions, in a variety of price ranges, for groomsmen and best man gifts.
Guys, take my word for it, you will win BIG points if you tell your future spouse that you will handle buying the attendant gifts for the guys all by yourself. (Unless you're planning on giving them their ties or something, but what fun is that?)
Simply put, it's hard to buy GOOD gifts for people you don't know very well. And, generally, the groom will be spending less time with wedding related things so he'll have time.
If you look at all the bridal magazines and things, apparently pocket knives are very popular gifts for groomsmen. Fortunately, we carry a bunch of those, to give you a wide enough selection that you can find the right knife for the right person.
My favorite knife to get, if you're going for a nice basic knife that's ornamental as well as functional is a Buck knife. Specifically, the Buck Gent knife. They're entirely made of stainless steel, which means that the handles cam be engraved as well. (Heimerdinger Cutlery does complimentary engraving on items purchased from us, but it's only available in typewriter font. I believe that Things Remembered will engrave items not purchased there, for those in need of something more elaborate) If you want something equally affordable, but more visually interesting, I'd go with something from Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT). The K.I.S.S. (Keep It Surely Simple) and the P.E.C.K. (Precision Engineered Compact Knife) are interesting, affordable, and have names that make them hilarious attendant gifts.
We also have more traditional looking knives (Case) and more modern ones (Gerber or Spyderco). I particularly like the Spyderco Cricket for the Best Man, if you want to spend a little more.
Opinel has good basic utility knives that are nice gifts for guys who love to lose knives. They're inexpensive and have locking blades available in both carbon and stainless steel.
If you want to kick it up a notch from a knife, we also have a variety of multi-tools.
Maybe your guys aren't into sharp things or tools. For personal grooming we have variety of manicure sets (very manly, with some sturdy scissors and toenail clippers), mustache scissors, and nose hair trimmers. Well, maybe that last one isn't a great idea.
In terms of shaving materials, we carry items from Col. Ichabod Conk and Caswell Massey. Here's what I had to say about it before, when we first started carrying them. Not only do we have a wide variety of shave soaps from both, but we also have other products. Caswell Massey has has a wide variety of regular soaps(Can I mention that the rose soap smells absolutely wonderful? I love using it.)and aftershave stuff. You can get the same soap that George Washington and JFK enjoyed.
Another option would be a nice razor, one that will last a lifetime. We have straight razors with blades disposable and non, though generally a safety razor would probably be a safer bet. There are some lovely options in both traditional and more modern styles.
We also carry items from Jon Hart Design. The Jon Hart Design collection includes over 150 custom items for travel, home, business, fashion, and just plain fun. Things range from luggage tags to actual luggage (probably that would be overkill, though). These products are hand-crafted in Texas and are available in a variety of colors in coated canvas trimmed with the finest natural leather trim, in beautiful choices of all leather, in Denim trimmed in Acorn leather, or in Texas Mink with leather trim. All of the items can be monogrammed, with four styles available.
So, does anybody have any suggestions? Can you think of something else that would make a great groomsman gift?
I'll be posting female attendant gift ideas soon.
Clean websites are our friends
Ok, the website is now safe again! Our host has reassured us that all is clear. We'll be getting in contact with Google ASAP to let them know things are better so the warning can be removed.
I've got some upcoming wedding-stuff posts (it is that season), but due to my own wedding in slightly over a month, things might be a bit slow around here.
In the meantime, let me remind you that Heimerdinger Cutlery has a wedding/gift registry. Not only do we keep track of things in the store, but we also make it shoppable on line. If you're planning on getting married next year, I'd say go ahead and register. If you wait until anywhere near the actual wedding date, you'll have no time. And who knows, people might get you something off the registry for a holiday or birthday gift.
If you need some ideas for what to register for, or ideas for what to get someone, here's an earlier post I did about that.
I've got some upcoming wedding-stuff posts (it is that season), but due to my own wedding in slightly over a month, things might be a bit slow around here.
In the meantime, let me remind you that Heimerdinger Cutlery has a wedding/gift registry. Not only do we keep track of things in the store, but we also make it shoppable on line. If you're planning on getting married next year, I'd say go ahead and register. If you wait until anywhere near the actual wedding date, you'll have no time. And who knows, people might get you something off the registry for a holiday or birthday gift.
If you need some ideas for what to register for, or ideas for what to get someone, here's an earlier post I did about that.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Uhoh!
We're having some technical problems with the website, so bear with us. Our host is having hacking problems, and it would be best to avoid the site for a while.
Though probably if you can't look at the website, you can't get at the blog, but oh well. Just in case, now you know! Don't click on any links to the website until I post an all clear.
We'll still be there to take phone orders, or answer any questions you might have.
Local calls: (502)-897-9552
Toll free number/Fax: (888)-267-9572
Hopefully things will be back on track soon.
Though probably if you can't look at the website, you can't get at the blog, but oh well. Just in case, now you know! Don't click on any links to the website until I post an all clear.
We'll still be there to take phone orders, or answer any questions you might have.
Local calls: (502)-897-9552
Toll free number/Fax: (888)-267-9572
Hopefully things will be back on track soon.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Preparation
It's not too soon to think about getting ready for the Kentucky Derby, at least if you live in Louisville it isn't.
Derby time is busy time for our sharpening department, so you'll want to drop off your knives early. We want to be sure that everyone has nice sharp knives for all the cooking they'll be doing.
My favorite part of the Festival is always Thunder Over Louisville, which is the largest annual pyrotechnic display in North America. It is absolutely amazing to attend. The Air Show is good, too, and apparently is very highly rated.
Derby time is busy time for our sharpening department, so you'll want to drop off your knives early. We want to be sure that everyone has nice sharp knives for all the cooking they'll be doing.
My favorite part of the Festival is always Thunder Over Louisville, which is the largest annual pyrotechnic display in North America. It is absolutely amazing to attend. The Air Show is good, too, and apparently is very highly rated.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
News! Get it while its... freezing.
Hey folks, just wanted to be sure you knew that we had recovered from the ice storm with no problems.
News!
We're starting the process to redesign our website. Any suggestions? Recommendations? You can either comment or send an email us directly. We really are interested in any feedback you have, so please let us know if there's anything you either really hate/love and if there's anything in particular that you'd like to see.
Here's the first website, here's the current one.
That's the really big news for you internet people, but there are a few things coming up that might be of interest to people who live around here.
March 10th, Carl will be at the Taste of Home Cooking School's Spring Sensations at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Unfortunately they say it's sold out, but if you're already going, drop in and say hi!
On April 11th, we'll be at the Huntin the Beast Outdoor Expo at the Meade County Fairgrounds, in Brandenburg, KY. There will be seminars on all sorts of things: fishing, introducing kids to hunting, gear and preparation, and bowfishing (which can't be shooting fish with arrows, can it?). There will be a big deer contest and a turkey calling contest, you'll have to check out their website for the complete information about prizes and the rest of this. Anyway, Heimerdinger Cutlery will be there as an exhibitor. Admission is only $8.00, so you don't have any excuse for not showing up if you're nearby.
News!
We're starting the process to redesign our website. Any suggestions? Recommendations? You can either comment or send an email us directly. We really are interested in any feedback you have, so please let us know if there's anything you either really hate/love and if there's anything in particular that you'd like to see.
Here's the first website, here's the current one.
That's the really big news for you internet people, but there are a few things coming up that might be of interest to people who live around here.
March 10th, Carl will be at the Taste of Home Cooking School's Spring Sensations at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Unfortunately they say it's sold out, but if you're already going, drop in and say hi!
On April 11th, we'll be at the Huntin the Beast Outdoor Expo at the Meade County Fairgrounds, in Brandenburg, KY. There will be seminars on all sorts of things: fishing, introducing kids to hunting, gear and preparation, and bowfishing (which can't be shooting fish with arrows, can it?). There will be a big deer contest and a turkey calling contest, you'll have to check out their website for the complete information about prizes and the rest of this. Anyway, Heimerdinger Cutlery will be there as an exhibitor. Admission is only $8.00, so you don't have any excuse for not showing up if you're nearby.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Power struggles
Hey folks, just thought I'd let you know that the power is out at the store. This means that we're a bit behind on processing orders. Never fear, Carl's going to try to run things off of a generator tomorrow (my parents are thawing pipes with it tonight), so we might be able to get things running.
Anyway, just thought we'd let you know that we're not just ignoring you and we will get to you as soon as possible.
I hope you have less ice than we do.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
History Lesson
I'm snowed in today, so I have plenty of time to write a post for you guys. I thought you might be interested in a little bit about the history of the cutlery. Maybe you've already checked out Uncle Carl's version from our original website or the newer version on the current website, ore you remember the tidbits I've mentioned before, but I thought I'd combine it all and give you my version.
August E. Heimerdinger was our founder, and my great-great-great grandfather. Heimerdinger's first appeared in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, sometime around 1861. That's the first on-paper mention my grandfather found of the store, which at that point was located at 110 Jefferson Street. There, he made scissors and butcher knives, and repaired sewing machines. August was born in Germany, and had just a ton of children from two different wives.
Family legend has it that August moved into a shop next to a woodworker by the name of Hillerich. Mr. Hillerich had a steam engine that he used used to run his woodworking tools. Old man August wanted to run his grinding wheels but didn't have a steam engine, and so the two of them worked out an arrangement. They cut a hole in the wall and ran a flat belt through the wall so that August could run his grinding wheels. That company became Hillerich and Bradsby, who is best known for making Louisville Slugger baseball bats.
After his death, his son W.C. Heimerdinger took control of the business. He added a full line of butcher supplies; branching out into barber and beauty supplies during the 1920's. The Droescher company, in Germany, manufactured scissors and grinding wheels for the store during this time period.
W.C. also held at least 5 patents, for various things from safety knives and razors to a machine for making shears. The most interesting, to me anyway, was a machine designed to sharpen razors, specifically what were then considered to be disposable razorblades. This got the attention of a certain Mister Gillette, whose company still sells razors today. The lawsuit he brought against W.C. was eventually settled, and the sharpeners were fairly widely produced. Just a few years ago, someone found one in an old shop. They thought we might like to have it; now it resides in my grandparents' basement, still able to sharpen razorblades even though it was designed over a century ago.
W.C.'s son, W.G. Heimerdinger, took over the business around 1920, though if W.C. was anything like my grandfather, he stuck around for years even though he had "retired." In 1922, W.G. incorporated the business and discontinued the scissor manufacturing. At that time he began manufacturing grass shears, pruning shears, hedge shears, mule shears, and sheep shears, which were sold through the Sears catalog. W.G. also held several patents, including the original patent on grass shears. My favorite is for an ice cream scoop, though I don't know that it was ever widely manufactured. Along with all of this, W.G.decided to start another division of Heimerdinger's and moved into hardware.
The manufacturing part of the business ended in the mid 1950’s, although we still re-manufacture and sharpen scissors, knives, and many other types of edged tools. The hardware part of the business ended during the mid 1960’s. (Remember all those bolts I told you about? Yeah, they've been sitting around for that long. Purely amazing.)
My grandfather attended what was then Speed Sceintific School, now the Speed School of Engineering. He finished his bachelors of engineering in two and a half years, interrupted by a stint in the Army during WWII. Henry w. Heimerdinger entered into the business in 1947, during the hardware phase. Throughout our history, the business has always sold many types of scissors as well as kitchen and pocket knives. This always interested my grandfather, so he spun a separate company off of W.C. Heimerdinger in 1969, forming Heimerdinger Cutlery Inc.
Around this time, Henry's older brother, Billy, took over the barber/beauty supply end of the business. You didn't think they'd gotten tired of naming everyone William ___ had you? Nope, in that generation the tradition held strong. After the death of his father, Billy left to pursue another line of business, eventually ending up down in sunny Florida.
While my grandfather never held any patents, he did have considerable ingenuity. He designed the grinding wheels that we use today to sharpen items that people bring into the store. Up until this past year, even after "retiring" in 1991, he still came into the store once or twice a week to putter around in the shop, sharpening knives and taking apart scissors.
In 1983, Heimerdinger Cutlery moved from downtown Louisville out to Shelbyville Road, just before I was born. As previously mentioned, my grandfather "retired" in 1991, leaving the business in the hands of the firth general, my uncle Carl E. Heimerdinger.
In 1993, my aunt, Glenna Fahle Heimerdinger, joined the company as Vice President. She took over a lot of the accounting-type stuff, which she did part-time while raising my cousin, Nicole (who has always been a full-time occupation).
You might ask where I fit into things. My father, David, was Henry's younger son (Carl's younger brother). While the engineering genes were strong with him, the desire to stay with the business wasn't. With Uncle Carl, my father grew up working at the store; starting at the youngest age with sweeping up and going on to being left in charge while my grandparents were on vacation. From what I hear, they only had to call an ambulance once before my grandparents came home. My father now has a career doing safety engineering, but he still remembers all the things one learns from working in a cutlery. (I'll have to do a post on that one...)
Anyway, I'm the oldest of the three of us in the sixth generation. (My brother doesn't like blood, so it's good that he never worked at the store). I started working at the store on the weekends, during my junior and senior year of high school. I worked closer to full time during the summers-- then, and later during college. And as you know, I started doing this blog a little over a year ago.
That brings us up to present. Hope that helped you kill a few minutes pleasantly on this grey, icky, freezing day.
Also, you better appreciate those pictures, because I had to climb up on a ladder to take them.
August E. Heimerdinger was our founder, and my great-great-great grandfather. Heimerdinger's first appeared in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, sometime around 1861. That's the first on-paper mention my grandfather found of the store, which at that point was located at 110 Jefferson Street. There, he made scissors and butcher knives, and repaired sewing machines. August was born in Germany, and had just a ton of children from two different wives. Family legend has it that August moved into a shop next to a woodworker by the name of Hillerich. Mr. Hillerich had a steam engine that he used used to run his woodworking tools. Old man August wanted to run his grinding wheels but didn't have a steam engine, and so the two of them worked out an arrangement. They cut a hole in the wall and ran a flat belt through the wall so that August could run his grinding wheels. That company became Hillerich and Bradsby, who is best known for making Louisville Slugger baseball bats.
After his death, his son W.C. Heimerdinger took control of the business. He added a full line of butcher supplies; branching out into barber and beauty supplies during the 1920's. The Droescher company, in Germany, manufactured scissors and grinding wheels for the store during this time period. W.C. also held at least 5 patents, for various things from safety knives and razors to a machine for making shears. The most interesting, to me anyway, was a machine designed to sharpen razors, specifically what were then considered to be disposable razorblades. This got the attention of a certain Mister Gillette, whose company still sells razors today. The lawsuit he brought against W.C. was eventually settled, and the sharpeners were fairly widely produced. Just a few years ago, someone found one in an old shop. They thought we might like to have it; now it resides in my grandparents' basement, still able to sharpen razorblades even though it was designed over a century ago.
W.C.'s son, W.G. Heimerdinger, took over the business around 1920, though if W.C. was anything like my grandfather, he stuck around for years even though he had "retired." In 1922, W.G. incorporated the business and discontinued the scissor manufacturing. At that time he began manufacturing grass shears, pruning shears, hedge shears, mule shears, and sheep shears, which were sold through the Sears catalog. W.G. also held several patents, including the original patent on grass shears. My favorite is for an ice cream scoop, though I don't know that it was ever widely manufactured. Along with all of this, W.G.decided to start another division of Heimerdinger's and moved into hardware. The manufacturing part of the business ended in the mid 1950’s, although we still re-manufacture and sharpen scissors, knives, and many other types of edged tools. The hardware part of the business ended during the mid 1960’s. (Remember all those bolts I told you about? Yeah, they've been sitting around for that long. Purely amazing.)
My grandfather attended what was then Speed Sceintific School, now the Speed School of Engineering. He finished his bachelors of engineering in two and a half years, interrupted by a stint in the Army during WWII. Henry w. Heimerdinger entered into the business in 1947, during the hardware phase. Throughout our history, the business has always sold many types of scissors as well as kitchen and pocket knives. This always interested my grandfather, so he spun a separate company off of W.C. Heimerdinger in 1969, forming Heimerdinger Cutlery Inc. Around this time, Henry's older brother, Billy, took over the barber/beauty supply end of the business. You didn't think they'd gotten tired of naming everyone William ___ had you? Nope, in that generation the tradition held strong. After the death of his father, Billy left to pursue another line of business, eventually ending up down in sunny Florida.
While my grandfather never held any patents, he did have considerable ingenuity. He designed the grinding wheels that we use today to sharpen items that people bring into the store. Up until this past year, even after "retiring" in 1991, he still came into the store once or twice a week to putter around in the shop, sharpening knives and taking apart scissors.
In 1983, Heimerdinger Cutlery moved from downtown Louisville out to Shelbyville Road, just before I was born. As previously mentioned, my grandfather "retired" in 1991, leaving the business in the hands of the firth general, my uncle Carl E. Heimerdinger.
In 1993, my aunt, Glenna Fahle Heimerdinger, joined the company as Vice President. She took over a lot of the accounting-type stuff, which she did part-time while raising my cousin, Nicole (who has always been a full-time occupation).
You might ask where I fit into things. My father, David, was Henry's younger son (Carl's younger brother). While the engineering genes were strong with him, the desire to stay with the business wasn't. With Uncle Carl, my father grew up working at the store; starting at the youngest age with sweeping up and going on to being left in charge while my grandparents were on vacation. From what I hear, they only had to call an ambulance once before my grandparents came home. My father now has a career doing safety engineering, but he still remembers all the things one learns from working in a cutlery. (I'll have to do a post on that one...)
Anyway, I'm the oldest of the three of us in the sixth generation. (My brother doesn't like blood, so it's good that he never worked at the store). I started working at the store on the weekends, during my junior and senior year of high school. I worked closer to full time during the summers-- then, and later during college. And as you know, I started doing this blog a little over a year ago.
That brings us up to present. Hope that helped you kill a few minutes pleasantly on this grey, icky, freezing day.
Also, you better appreciate those pictures, because I had to climb up on a ladder to take them.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The Year Past, and the Year to Come
This has been a busy year at Heimerdinger's. You might have noticed that we started carrying some new products, but there's also been a lot more than that going on.
On the home front, Carl and his daughter redesigned part of our sales display area, to better display our expanding line of men's shaving supply, which has continued to grow.
We have also just completed a re-arrangement of some of our grinding shop and storage area, to make room for our shipping department to expand, and to make our grinding shop more efficient. Although invisible to you the customer, you should be starting to enjoy the fruits of this organizational effort! We also have a new employee working in the shop, who is some odd sort of cousin. I'll have to see if people will let me do a who's who blog post. That'd be fun.
This was also a year for networking. Carl and Glenna went to the NHMA Housewares show in Chicago. They also hooked-up with the Embroiders Guild at their annual convention, which was held in Louisville this past year.
In 2008 we really kick started our newsletter and this blog. (Ok, technically I was working on this some in December of 2007, but mostly it was this past year.)
But the really big news (the biggest news, in fact) is our new Point-of-Sale system that we started at the beginning of December. Ladies and Gentlemen, we can now use barcodes.
Oh, this might not seem like a big step, but it has helped in many ways. For those of you who visit us in store, it should make check-out faster since we don't have to write out receipts by hand. For those of you who only see us online, we're working to incorporate the system to the website, so that inventory is kept up to date. That means no more waiting for items that we have to backorder.
The system isn't perfect yet. I don't think every product we have has been barcoded yet, but progress is steady. There were a couple months of concerted data entry by a couple of our newer (and more computer savvy) employees to get this going.
The year 2009 should also be a busy one for us. It's inventory season, and you can bet I'm glad I won't be in Louisville to count paring knives. As the year progresses, we'll be working on the website some, as we always do.
Another thing of interest is that the Kifemakers Guild is having their annual show in Louisville, on Sept 17th - 20th, 2009. These folks make knives from scratch, and their items must pass a battery of tests before the individual can be voted into the Guild. I'll be posting more on this later as info becomes available, but you can rest assured that my uncle and grandfather will be attending.
Well, that's all I can think of right now. I'm sure Uncle Carl will has a lot more that I've left off, but those're the highlights.
Happy New Year, folks!
On the home front, Carl and his daughter redesigned part of our sales display area, to better display our expanding line of men's shaving supply, which has continued to grow.
We have also just completed a re-arrangement of some of our grinding shop and storage area, to make room for our shipping department to expand, and to make our grinding shop more efficient. Although invisible to you the customer, you should be starting to enjoy the fruits of this organizational effort! We also have a new employee working in the shop, who is some odd sort of cousin. I'll have to see if people will let me do a who's who blog post. That'd be fun.
This was also a year for networking. Carl and Glenna went to the NHMA Housewares show in Chicago. They also hooked-up with the Embroiders Guild at their annual convention, which was held in Louisville this past year.
In 2008 we really kick started our newsletter and this blog. (Ok, technically I was working on this some in December of 2007, but mostly it was this past year.)
But the really big news (the biggest news, in fact) is our new Point-of-Sale system that we started at the beginning of December. Ladies and Gentlemen, we can now use barcodes.
Oh, this might not seem like a big step, but it has helped in many ways. For those of you who visit us in store, it should make check-out faster since we don't have to write out receipts by hand. For those of you who only see us online, we're working to incorporate the system to the website, so that inventory is kept up to date. That means no more waiting for items that we have to backorder.The system isn't perfect yet. I don't think every product we have has been barcoded yet, but progress is steady. There were a couple months of concerted data entry by a couple of our newer (and more computer savvy) employees to get this going.
The year 2009 should also be a busy one for us. It's inventory season, and you can bet I'm glad I won't be in Louisville to count paring knives. As the year progresses, we'll be working on the website some, as we always do.
Another thing of interest is that the Kifemakers Guild is having their annual show in Louisville, on Sept 17th - 20th, 2009. These folks make knives from scratch, and their items must pass a battery of tests before the individual can be voted into the Guild. I'll be posting more on this later as info becomes available, but you can rest assured that my uncle and grandfather will be attending.
Well, that's all I can think of right now. I'm sure Uncle Carl will has a lot more that I've left off, but those're the highlights.
Happy New Year, folks!
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