Air Partner Magazine Spring Summer 2025 UK - Magazine - Page 91
S/S 2025
Savernake’s founder,
Laurie Timpson.
AFRICA, AXES, AND THE
hand and eye, by feel, and by experience.
MAKING OF A KNIFESMITH
When asked for an analogy to put this level
Savernake’s story begins with its enigmatic
of precision into perspective, Laurie said,
founder, Laurie Timpson. After serving six
“What sets our process apart is that we do
years as an o昀케cer in the Scots Guards,
not compromise. Our knives are like Aston
of self-discovery. Along the way, he worked
and the veneer have all been applied by
with the HALO Trust clearing landmines
hand, and you can’t beat that for feel or
in war-torn regions, studied at Cape Town
for aesthetics, and that’s the same for our
University, prospected for gold in Libya (sadly
handles. But the actual main part of the car,
station in Nairobi. When it was 昀椀nally time
– that’s not made in a shed with a hammer
Laurie spent a decade in Africa on a journey
Martin’s – for them, the leather, the stitching,
without great success), and even ran a power
the chassis, the engine – or for us, the steel
to return to the UK, Laurie found an idyllic
and an anvil, that’s been made using
plot of land in the ancient Savernake Forest,
cutting-edge technology.”
deep in the English countryside,
and fell in love. When asked
how Savernake came to be,
Laurie explained, "Living o昀昀
grid in Savernake Forest,
Over 40 processes
go into making a
Savernake knife.
understandably, I needed an axe,
so I made one. I also needed a
chef’s knife, so I made that too.
Found in the kitchens of
Michelin-starred chefs, celebrities,
aristocrats, and discerning home
cooks, Savernake knives are some of
the very 昀椀nest in the world. What sets
them apart? The di昀昀erence is quite
literally in the detail. At a time when
craftsmanship and truly bespoke
designs are becoming ever rarer,
Savernake o昀昀ers the perfect antidote:
one-of-a-kind, painstakingly crafted
creations built to last a lifetime and
beyond. A unique masterpiece
of precision, performance, and
impeccable quality, once you’ve had
the joy of using one, nothing else
quite measures up.
From there, I noticed a gap in the
market for beautifully crafted
knives, and Savernake was born.
To this day, I believe we are still
the only company in the world
capable of creating a bespoke
knife of this standard.”
PRECISION MAKES
PERFECT
Each of the 42 or so processes
that go into making a Savernake
knife are undertaken in-house,
in an impressive converted
sawmill in Laurie’s beloved
Savernake Forest. The steel
processes utilise state-of-the-art
aerospace technology, while
the handles are all crafted by
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