Friday Giveaway: Hand-Forged Kitchen Tools
Written by julia // September 10, 2010 // artist stories // 81 Comments
ETA 10:26 AM, Sept. 13: Hope everyone had a great weekend! Congratulations to Jennifer, our latest Friday giveaway winner. Her favorite pizza topping is the garlic dipping sauce– which is a great answer for almost every slice.
Stay tuned for future giveaways by subscribing to The Goods via RSS.
This week’s giveaway comes with a really awesome story.
After 20 years of working in a high-production industry, Al Stephens decided to become a blacksmith. He visited Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site in Illinois, and soon became a volunteer in the 19th century blacksmith shop where they had bellows, a coal forge, anvil, and vise. For the next few years, Al developed his skills by working with other blacksmiths who taught him the trade.
And by 2000, he and his wife Sylvia had started their own blacksmith shop. Today Al makes items like the pizza cutter and cheese slicer by hand, in his shop in rural northern Alabama.
Impressed? We certainly are!
This week we’re giving away two hand-forged kitchen tools available on our site– a cheese slicer and a pizza cutter– to one lucky reader.
Want to win? You know what to do! Leave a comment below telling us about your favorite pizza topping or type of cheese. Then leave a comment on our Facebook wall, and tweet @uncommongoods on Twitter to triple your chances. We’ll announce the random winner on Monday.
Want to learn more about the art of forging metal? Al Stephens suggests you go out there and try it! The Artist Blacksmith’s Association of North America has local affiliates all over the country. Find a group near you and attend the regular meetings. Al says, “One-on-one teaching is an excellent way to learn, hands-on style.”
And it certainly paid off for him! Happy Friday, everybody!
81 Comments on "Friday Giveaway: Hand-Forged Kitchen Tools"
Black olive and pepperoni
I love pizza of all types, but I am most excited about the handmade metal aspect of the tools in this giveaway!
love the pizza slicer
kalamata olives + spinach + prosciutto = heaven!
My favorite pizza topping includes a slightly sweet-basil sauce, a HEAP of pepperjack cheese and countless pineapple slices… yum!
Ham and pineapple. The combination of sweet and salty is just perfect!
I L-O-V-E bacon and cream cheese pizza! The BEST!
canadian bacon and pineapple!!
Sausage, Peppers & Mushrooms & Garlic….Love It!!!
Black olives,fresh mushrooms,and bacon…yummm
Combo supreme
margherita pizza
Double smoked ham and pineapple are my favorite pizza toppings.
Hot copolla…
I’m a veggie pizza lover: roasted cauliflower, broccoli, onions & mushrooms & lots of fresh mozz!
My favorite pizza toppings are Italian sauasage, mushrooms and onions!
I LOVE woodfire shrimp pizza!!
proscuitto with jack cheese
We make our own sauce out of garden tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil. With grilled onions and a little bit of fresh parmesan, grilled over a wood fire these pizzas are out of this world!
Caramelized onions and Gruyere…mmmm
Most of the pizzarias in Rome offer a “pizza contadina”, which is just mozzarella with whatever vegetables are fresh that day. At my fave pizzaria, you may or may not get sauce on it, depending on who is making the pizza and if he’s fighting with anyone in the kitchen! Either way, it’s fantastico!
pineapple!
my absolute favorite pizza is fresh mozzarella, pecorino romano with truffle oil and sea salt. no sauce necessary! possibly the MOST AMAZING pizza I’ve ever had.
Love it!!!
I love pineapple and ham on my pizzas. Easy and lovely!
Oh my! So hard to choose since pizza and cheese are two of my favorite things on the planet. For cheese I’ll go with a favorite standby, aged gouda, and for pizza I’ll go with a new favorite just made last night: thin-sliced potatoes with mozz, cheddar, onions, olive oil, and a piped-on spiced sour cream. YUM.
My usual is a meatlovers with black olives and double cheese.Sinful!
I love anything handforged. The love and sweat that goes into it makes it special.
TLR33960 at hotmail dot com
fresh tomato sauce from my garden, along with fresh mozza, parmesan and romano cheeses, and homemade sausage i buy in town! yummo!
Feta, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, red onions.
Fettucini chicken pizza. And my favorite cheese, well I pretty much like most cheeses!
I love thin pizza with spinach, cheese, garlic, mushrooms, onion and tons of cheese! If this pizza is not an option then I go for candian bacon and pineapple again on thin crust with tons of cheese! Of course of piece or couple of pieces of garlic cheese bread is never turned down!
; )
Darby
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