NEW to JHT Kitchen is this Super sharp VG-10 Japanese stainless steel knife is clad with 67-layer Damascus dragon pattern on both sides (33 Layers on each side). Design increases toughness, improves stain resistance, and prolongs knife life. Mirror polished stainless steel bolster and butt end design have made this knife even better.
The perfect weight balanced full length handle is made in our shop of River Reclaimed Sappodilla which is durable, non-slip, easy to clean, waterproof, comfortable, and beautiful.
Every Zhen Premium knife comes with its own hand crafted gift box or storage box. The most important attribute for a chef’s knife is its ability to be sharpened and stay sharp. The VG-10 stainless steel from Japan is heat treated to a hardness of HRC 60-62.
All Zhen knives have a traditional western double bevel edge.
Available for Back Order! All back orders have the option to choose their species of wood for your handle. Price Point could be different depending on species selected.
Other knives available… No two are the same as each one is hand crafted by Wyoming Artist Tim Jennings. Email us at “SALES@JACKSONHOLETIM.COM” and put “CUSTOM KNIFE” in the subject line.
Check out this bad boy… This 1″ inch bore six hole flute is crafted from clear Texas Juniper. This image really does not do this flute body justice. I have always loved the color ranges in a nice piece of juniper and this one is no exception.
This flute features Maple Totem Rails and scheduled to have my Mustang Fetish. Still time to choose a different species for the Mustang but Maple will look real nice. Also add a hand made cabochon to make this flute completely yours.
Tuned to E @432Hz this flute as a nice deeper voice and sounds great. Final shaping and tuning is complete and I an now in the finishing stages. The finish will be a high gloss finish and accented with our hand cut Bison lace.
This is one of my favorite flutes I have made this year. I have posted information about this flute before offering what I consider to be the best flute of 2020 so far. Crafted from Old Growth Port Orford Cedar this large bore flute feature Sapodilla Totem Rail and my Mustang Fetish also made from Sapodilla.
Highlights of this flute was the addition of a hand cut Wyoming harvested Elk Antler cabochon set in Sterling Silver. The 1″ inch bore of this flute gives it a deeper voice tuned to D @440 Hz. Leather accents is our Wyoming handcut Bison lace. Nothing fancy just a really nice instrument. Simple Elegance achieved!
The new owner of this flute lives in Riverside, California and it is scheduled to ship late this week. I will miss this flute in my shop! As with all of the flutes I make I hope this flute bring them years of personal enjoyment.
If you like this flute as I do please visit the link below as there is a sister flute to this only crafted from Alaskan Yellow Cedar but features the same totem rail design and Mustang fetish. If you think you might like to peak then CLICK HERE for more information on the sister flute available.
As always this flute is available for commission. I still have some really nice Port Orford Cedar blanks. Contact me at “Sales@Jacksonholetim.com for more.
I wanted to update a previous post about this Port Orford Cedar flute that I have been working on. As of this post I have completed the Mustang fetish and it is in the last stages of finishing. Crafted from the same Sappodilla as the totem rails the combination works nice with the natural colors of the Port Orford Cedar.
New to this flute will be the addition of a hand cut Elk antler cabochon. The antler was harvested from our own Wyoming Elk herds here in Star Valley area. This cabochon is being set in Sterling Silver and then it will be inlaid into the body of the flute as shown in the feature image above.
One other small adjustment is that when this flute was first voice I thought it would end up a D tuned to 432Hz. Well it is still a D but 440Hz was better suited.
This flute is available for purchase pre-completion for a significant savings in cost. After completion the price point will be higher as it is only then I can total the man hours. CLICK HERE for more information or CALL (307) 690-0427 or EMAIL me at sales@jacksonholetim.
Earlier this year I was commissioned to craft a new flute from Old Growth Port Orford Cedar. The client requested a flute tuned to the Key of A @ 440 Hz and she wanted it to be “Concert Tuned”. I was excited to build this new flute as Port Orford Cedar is one of my very favorite species to work with.
So I found the stock I was going to craft this flute from and from the very beginning it just all seem to come together. One new addition to this flute was the addition of an inlaid Sapodilla Cutting Edge and two totem rails crafted from the same piece of Sapodilla as the inlaid edge. By spending the extra time on an inlaid edge and using a wood species quite a bit harder than the POC this would insure a cleaner sound and more resistant to future potential damage – not to mention is looks really cool.
Because this flute was being crafted with a 7/8″ Bore and we were shooting for an “A” I knew this flute would tend to be a bit shorter than many that I make. I designed this flute to have a longer Slow Air Chamber and a stop block of around 1 1/4″ along with a 2 3/4″ blowhole to help with the overall aesthetics. One other addition was to tune the fundamental note using the 4 Winds tuning holes which also give additional length to the overall flute.
Because I handcraft and hand shape all of my flutes I have to be careful when it comes to adding Totem Rails which you can see in the image above. At this point you can see the Cutting Edge inlay is complete, the playing holes and 4 Winds tuning holes have been laid out. The Totem Rails have been added and glued to the body of the flute and at this point it was time to start the shaping of this flute.
After a few weeks of prep work, gluing, clamping, shaping and sanding I had come up with what for me was a new design in that this flute feature a tapered rail that when the fetish or totem was added the back of the fetish would meet the end of the taper. This approach created a bit different shape towards the mouthpiece, meaning not so round, but more of an edgy look and overall I really like it.
Tuning this flute was also a challenge as I live in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of over 6400 feet. Our humidity is higher than Arizona which is where this flute would call home. Finally temperature is another real issue when tuning. So I decided to tune the flute to the flat side of the note with the expectation that when the flute finds its way home to Arizona the lower humidity, lower elevation and higher temperatures the note would play closer to fundamental note of A. We will see… some tweaking down the road may be required.
The final job to complete was to come up with a totem that met the desire of the client by yet allowed me to keep my whimsical tendencies that seems to run a common thread in other totems I have designed. This flute was to have some sort of horse head totem and so this was what I ended up with. The new owner likes to affectionately call it the Crazy Horse totem. Seems fitting…
Spring Break in Jackson Hole is a welcome time of the year as we are emerging from the depths of Old Man Winter here in Western Wyoming. Each Spring our kids get 2 full weeks for Spring Break which is plenty of time to take a road trip. This year a road trip south was needed more than other. Our epic snowfall was one for the record book and it was still falling upon our departure.
“Amazing but that is what God does with music. Most believers want to have their emotions manipulated with music but they don’t realize that to God, music is communication. He communicates to us through the music of creation, twinkling stars, rushing water, winds that whisper and winds that roars through the trees, crashing waves and babies cries. The native flute is so special because when we give it our breath, it give us it’s song and each one has a song all its own. Through it we can release the deep sounds of our being.”
Mary Blakeley
This year our road trip was to take us first to Scottsdale Arizona to visit family and then on to San Diego. One of the highlights planned was to visit a Scottsdale venue where Tony Duncan was to play.
For those who may not know Tony Duncan is one of our true Native American Music treasures and he is an Award Winning Native American Flute Artist and World Champion Hoop Dancer (5 times World Champion). Tony has been blessed to play with the likes of Carlos Nakai, Joanne Shenandoah, Nelly Furtado and other great music artists. He was awarded Artist of the Year at the Native American Music Awards for 2013-2014 and he has played to huge audiences globally. Tony has played the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Smithsonian Museum, The Billboard Music Awards, The Tonight Show, and The White House.
The Native American Flute is one of the most beautiful instruments handed down from Mother Earth and when in the hands of Tony, well lets just say a Spirit comes through and straight to your heart.
CLICK IMAGE to hear the voice of this flute. Tony Duncan in Phoenix ArizonaTimothy Jennings and Tony Duncan
Recently I had the opportunity to deliver a flute I made to Tony. Although this flute took a bit longer than I had wanted I finally was able to have it delivered before our trip to Arizona. The flute pictured above is the actual flute crafted for Tony and above (picture) is a link of a video sent to me by Tony of him playing it in Arizona shortly thereafter.
We arrived in Scottsdale late Friday evening after driving 900 miles. Then Saturday morning we made our way down to the Scottsdale Civic Center just in time to hear Tony play and to our great surprise he was playing his new Raven Themed flute. This man is blessed for sure. We met his family again and chatted a bit about things and after the show we parted ways and our family went on to eat lunch in town. But I must tell you how humbled I was to hear the voice of this flute after spending so many hours crafting it. Tony could not have been more gracious as was his wife Violet. And his children are so full of life and clearly one big happy family.
For those who would like to seek Tony’s music out he is currently signed to Canyon Records, the largest Native American music label and his music is available through iTunes and other music vendors. Follow Tony Duncan on FaceBook. I look forward to the next opportunity to craft another flute for Tony… I hope soon…
Should you be traveling through Jackson Hole this summer please come visit me in my Studio Gallery. We are easy to find as we are just south of the town of Jackson Hole located just off of the Snake River. If you are looking for a pleasant afternoon and you want to explore something outside of Jackson Hole then take the journey south just 12 miles and view our art.
Please come spend a part of your day with Tim. We are located just about on the mighty Snake River. Take a walk along the river right from our property. Enjoy a beverage complimentary on us. In addition to Flutes some of Tim’s jewelry and local photography will be on display. We can also ship any purchase to your home or business so you don’t have to take it with you.
Bison Herd Antelope Flats
Artist In Resident
We are in the process of negotiating for a couple of spots in the town of Jackson Hole where Tim will be the Artist In Resident at one of the local establishments. This is still in the works but if and when we get this in the bag we will be posting days and hours you can find Tim in town.
Tim will also be crafting his art at our home studio gallery that will be open this summer. Come visit with Tim and watch how some of his art is actually crafted by hand. Everything will be available for purchase.
The Largest Selection of Flutes in Wyoming
Come see my collection of hand crafted award-winning Native American Styled Flutes here at our Studio Gallery on your next visit to Jackson Hole. The entire selection of Native American Styled flutes are crafted by local award-winning artist Timothy Jennings. We have fully completed flutes, flutes ready for final production (Available to customize), Flute Making Supplies and we will be taking commissions for the winter of 2017 – 2018.
How do you get here?
We will be posting complete instructions on how to get to our property as we get closer to May 1st. We will post a video that will give you a taste of what you can expect to see on your journey.
If you are interested please contact me via phone @ (307) 690-0427 or email me @ timjen333@gmail.com. Feel free to leave a comment to this post if this interests you… I would love to see you…
I have been commissioned to build a new flute from the above pre-glued Black Willow flute blank. Although this blank is currently sitting at a C# @ 440Hz we will be changing this and tuning this flute to the requested 444Hz range. Not sure of the key but I should know pretty quick.
I am building this flute for one of my favorite customers, Mary. She always likes to challenge me with something new and different. This will be the first flute I tune at the “new” 444Hz as she tells me. I am excited to see how this flute turns out. More to follow…
I have started a new project which again is a very high honor for me to have been chosen as their pipemaker. I have received a new commission to build 7 pipes for 7 women who have been studying under Sequoyah-Blue Deer Eagle and Sandra Moon Dancer (Canadian First Nations People) for 4 years to as long as 9 years getting ready to become the pipe carriers for their respective clans.
“We are honoured to receive pipes from a master pipemaker, whose hands are guided by Spirit. It is with deep gratitude that we send this message.
Sequoyah-Blue Deer Eagle”
These woman have been studying the Mother Earth teachings that have been handed down for hundreds if not thousands of years by their ancestors. These seven woman will be honored in ceremony in 2017 with these pipes and take a very important role with their people.
I cannot emphasize enough how humbled and honoured I am to have been selected to complete this project. I am not Native but yet I have been selected for this sacred task and once again I will honor my commitment to the First Nations People of Canada to bring to them 7 pipes that will in turn bring honor to these woman and help them on their very important new journey that they will undertake early next year!
The “Nakota” Souix (pronounced nah-KO-tah ) is the tribe’s name for themselves and may mean“friends” or “allies.” It comes from the Yankton word, Nakhota, sometimes translated as “alliance of friends.” another meaning for the name is “those who consider themselves kindred.”
Once I had accepted this commission which was and is a great honor, I knew I had an important task set before me. As I pondered the path I would take to craft the sacred pipe that was to be an Eagle pipe I for some reason decided to start two pipes at the same time, one of which is the pipe you see before you here and the other at the top of this post. It was made very clear to me the importance of the commission I was about to undertake and the very next day I started on the journey with great passion – a journey that would end with two pipes.
Tree of Peace Unity Walk Sacred Eagle Ceremonial Pipe Completed July 2016
The most important task was to complete the Tree of Unity Peace Walk pipe then I could focus on the second pipe to follow which I am calling “Anukasa and the Range – Nakhota, Alliance of Friends”. This eagle pipe will be seen by thousands of people at the upcoming Western Design Conference to be held this weekend here in Jackson Hole Wyoming. I am hoping to share a small glimpse into the world of the Sacred Pipe by way of display.
As many of you know I live in Jackson Hole Wyoming, home of the Teton Mountain Range, known worldwide. This powerful mountain range rises above the Teton Valley and it is the Southern Gateway into the Yellowstone Basin. Les Trois Tetons it is believed was the name given to the mountain range by the Iroquois or French Canadian trappers in the very early 1800’s. Since then these majestic peaks have been called by many names.
It is a very rare event that I trek north of Jackson Hole when I do not see one or more Bald Eagles soaring around the valley and into the base of these mountains. When you see the majesty of these magnificent birds and how they interact with Mother Earth and her ranges it is clear there is an Alliance of Friends or another way of saying it is Nakota or Nakhota which are names used to describe today’s Assiniboine First Nations People.
So why use this translation and not something else? Well truth be told all of the Sacred Pipestone I receive comes from a single family who are Assiniboine descendants and they live on the Assiniboine Reservations located in Northeastern Montana. Donovan Archambault is my Assiniboine Elder Mentor, a Master Pipe Maker in his own right. Each summer Donovan and younger parts of his family travel back to their ancestral region in Minnesota to hand quarry the sacred stone from Mother Earth. It is then hauled back from Minnesota to Montana where I gather stone that was hand quarried and allotted for me.
So it is in this spirit that I use the Name of the Nakota people and their indigenous language translation for the name “Eagle”. When you see these powerful and very sacred birds interact with the nature that surrounds us here in the Yellowstone Basin you can certainly grasp the Alliance that must take place between their very nature and Mother Earth in order for them to survive.
