FOOD • DRINK • SPORT & OUTDOORS • DESIGN

16 standout products created with passion, integrity and above all, quality craftsmanship.
These are Virginia makers at their best.

B Y E R I N P A R K H U R S T, T A Y L O R P I L K I N G T O N , E D E N S T U A R T & P H A E D R A H I S E
 TINKHAM DECOYS & FOLK ART
NORFOLK

Spencer Tinkham traces his passion for wildlife carving to when he was 8 years
old and his grandfather gave him his first pocketknife. Starting with walking sticks
and bars of soap, he practiced until he could recreate the migrating ducks he saw
off the pier of his Norfolk home. Even after his grandfather passed away, he says, “I
kept carving to feel close to him.” Now, having taken up woodcarving full time after
graduating from Baylor in 2015, 24-year-old Tinkham creates 100-150 traditional
wooden decoys and pieces of wildlife folk art each year for sale to museums and
private collectors. Owls, gulls, mallards, even flounder and trout—Tinkham’s
creations are elegant yet weathered, full of rich colors and natural patterns. Each
is made entirely from materials found on the small, uninhabited islands of the

MARK EDWARD ATKINSON

Chesapeake Bay; he has turned a circa 1880 water tower into a black-backed gull,
and an old telephone pole into a set of owls. “I want to make not just piece of art
but a message and reminder about conservation,” says Tinkham, “each piece has
a provenance, a history and a story before I even start carving it.” Pieces start at
$300. TinkhamDecoysAndFolkArt.com

JOIN OR DIE KNIVESRICHMOND

In Brent Stubblefield’s hands, a bit of charred barrel oak from a brewery or

even a baseball bat can be transformed into the handle of one of his custom
knives. “I like to do that, because it’s something like an heirloom item right
away,” says the 35-year-old Alabama native. Recent commissions have included
a pair of knives with handles crafted from deer antlers for a newlywed couple
and a set with handles made from brandy barrels for a party of groomsmen. And
though the length, size, steel and the geometry of the blades are all different, all
of the self-taught knifemaker’s pieces begin with a conversation, and a sketch.
“Just like you’d talk about a renovation project or any sort of custom build,” he
explains. Which fits, considering Stubblefield describes his approach as more
akin to creating sculpture than straight up milling and machining. Stubblefield
makes all-purpose knives with longer blades for the outdoorsman as well as
kitchen cutlery, pocketknives and even a small knife that can be worn around the
neck as a pendant. $100-$500. JoinOrDieKnives.com

APOTHEC
NATURAL BUG SPRAY, RICHMOND

“My bug spray came from a desire to create something that was as effective as it was
lovely,” says master aesthetician and certified massage therapist Tricia Boor, founder
of APOTHEC, a line of all natural bath, body and home products. Boor’s natural bug
repellant—which smells more like perfume than serious insect killer—combines essential
oils like eucalyptus-lemon, lemongrass, red thyme, geranium and basil with healing and
inflammation reducing ingredients like lavender, chamomile, witch hazel, coconut oil,
aloe vera and castor oil. First developed for a loyal following of clients traveling abroad to
mosquito-prone locales, Boor’s bug spray—like all of her products, which include lotions,
body soufflés, herbal infused oils and mists—has multiple uses. It can be safely sprayed on
plants and on countertops to repel bugs and used to cool and relieve bee stings and other
rash-inducing insect bites. This spring, the line of bug spray will expand to include a lotion,
LIZ BROWER

salve and a kitchen counter cleaner. Says Boor, “You smell good, it feels good, it hydrates
your body and it’s a healer.” $22 for an 8-ounce bottle. ShopApothec.com