Knotheads Custom Engraving started as a fun project for Jaime Ford and her husband Robert. It has grown into a business, and the couple’s work can be found when they set up at the Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market.

Both Jaime and Robert have previous experience of running a business, as they used to own inflatables that were used for parties.

When the pandemic hit, Jaime felt that she needed to do something else. Much of her inflatable business was impacted because she worked with many school events that were canceled. Robert, who is a retired city firefighter, was looking for something to do that is less physically taxing.

Robert enjoys building things, and Jaime initially planned to just assist him. She soon found out she had an artistic side, and they began to look into wood engraving.

“He just likes to putter around and build things, and initially I was just going to help with that.” Jaime said. “Turns out I had a talent for the more technical side of things.”

The Fords run their business out of their garage. Jaime works on the majority of the designs, while Robert cuts the wood. Both of them do engraving, although Jaime does the majority of it.

When in the garage, they usually hit “go” and get to work. The process includes working the engraving laser, too.
Knotheads offers intricate custom pieces, but they take a good amount of time to finish.

“It’s very labor-intensive,” Jaime said. “It takes a long time to build up stock. “It takes days to weeks to make a single item, as we do it in phases.

Because of the effort required, Knotheads is only at the Farmers’ Market once or twice a month. They are in their second year as a vendor at the market, enjoying the exposure and the people.

For those interested in getting a piece created, Knotheads allows you to place an order at the Farmers’ Market or other events. They bring all finished products when they set up so that other potential customers can see the work and place their own customized orders.

Originally published in Owensboro Times
presented by Independence Bank
Layne Boarman
July 22, 2023