Jonathans Spoons

What products are listed for this advertiser?

Made in the USA Blackened Coffee Scoops, Made in America Blackened Serving Spoons, Made in America Blackened Spaghetti Forks, American Made Blackened Spoons, American Made Butter Board, Made in America Cat Tail Spaghetti Forks, Made in the USA Cat Tail Spatulas, Made in the USA Cheese Boards, Made in the USA Citrus Peelers, Made in the USA Coffee Scoops, Made in America Deli Spreders, Made in America Flutted Pie Servers, Made in America Folding Tongs, American Made Honey Sticks, American Made Large Salad Sets, Made in America Large Spatulas, Made in the USA Lazy Ladles, Made in the USA Maple Scoops, Made in the USA Maple Spatulas, American Made Medium Salad Sets, Made in the USA Medium Spatulas, Made in America Microwave Utensil, Made in the USA Mini Tongs, American Made Oven Rack Pullers, American Made Pie Servers, Made in America Pot Strainers, Made in America Salad Forks, Made in America Salad Sets, American Made Salad Tongs, American Made Slot Spoons, Made in the USA Spaghetti Forks, Made in America Spiral Serving Spoons, American Made Spoon Rests, Made in America Spoon Wax, Made in the USA Spootle Spoons, Made in the USA Spouted Ladles, American Made Stirring Spoons, Made in the USA Toast Tongs, and Made in America Wide Serving Spoons.

It all started the day I forgot to put a spoon in my lunch bag when I was working as an apprentice to a furniture maker. I took a piece of scrap wood and quickly shaped a spoon. I had majored in art and design at the University of Illinois, and wanted to create something both beautiful and functional, which led me to explore working with wood.

In 1978, following my apprenticeship, I worked in a canoe-seat factory in Maine. When I was laid off from my job, I wanted to work for myself. My home workshop was in the garage, and at 20 degrees below zero, it was too cold for glue to set so I could only make single piece products.

Jonathan Simons
Jonathan Simons

That is when I remembered spoons.

After trading spoons for food, and barely surviving, I found a sales representative who helped launch my business with a whopping $6000 of sales in my first year. In 1979 I moved back to my home state, Pennsylvania, which has a milder climate and a good supply of native hardwood, began making spoons and selling them. At my first national craft show, I under priced my spoons and sold out my years' production in the first hour of the show.
My spoons have developed over the years. Originally made of uncommon spoon woods such as lilac, plum, and honeysuckle, I have since chosen to make my spoons of cherry wood. This is a hardwood with handsome color and grain, durable, smooth, and strong. My utensils have a unique sense of balance and warmth because they are designed with the hand and purpose in mind. Spoons have become spatulas, tongs, spaghetti forks, spreaders, and more. Today I offer a natural cherry finish, a flame-blackened surface with a sanded edge to reveal an accent of warm cherry wood, as well as flame-blackened stripes and spots.

My work has been influenced by the world around me as well as a truth held within. I grew up surrounded by magnificent architecture and design in my hometown of Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. The Bryn Athyn Cathedral and several local mansions built near the turn of the 20th century hold fantastic examples of wood, tile, and stained glass work produced during the American Arts & Crafts Movement. This elegant simplicity of design is considered in the evolution of my work. My father encouraged me to establish my own business. He taught me that God's creation operates from a principle of individual freedom, with power from God, given as if it is our own power, from which we freely create our own lives. This philosophy remains a major inspiration for me in creating and growing my work and business. My father also taught me that ideas come from the desire for, and activity of usefulness. In all of my work I strive for a balance of the use in the tactile and esthetic qualities, with the use of utility and purpose.

From the start-up days of producing spoons in a chilly workshop in Maine, Jonathan's Spoons has grown into a successful craft business. I have a shop in rural Kempton, Pennsylvania where two brothers, Shawn and Neil Claypoole have joined me in creating my many designs.

I exhibit my work at select craft shows around the country, to include the annual state show of the Pennsylvania Designer Craftsmen, American Craft Council shows, Paradise City shows, the Philadelphia Buyer's Market, and the New York International Gift Show. A busy show schedule requires a lot of traveling, fortunately I am often accompanied by my lovely wife, Julia. Together, we find it rewarding to share in the offering of quality American made arts and crafts.

Most of my time is spent creating new products in my Kempton, Pennsylvania shop, traveling to craft shows with Julia, and fathering four beautiful daughters and one son.

The following is a reply from Jonathans Spoons to our question – "Are your products Made in the USA?"

How do you know the products you have listed are Made in the USA?
Before including products in our database we review the advertiser’s website and/or contact them to ascertain the origin of their products. Some advertisers sell both Made in USA products and foreign ones. Therefore we highly recommend you review FAQ 2.

We immediately investigate any complaints regarding deceptive Country of Origin claims. If we determine an advertiser's claim is not truthful we will immediately remove the product/s from our database and suspend our relationship with the Company making the claim.

To document your complaint, email us by using our Contact Us page. We can only respond to complaints that have been submitted in writing.

What does Made in USA mean?
There is no law requiring most products to be labeled Made In USA, or have any other disclosure about the amount of U.S. content. However, for job creation purposes (see our Big Secret tab), if you have a choice between an imported product and one with no country of origin on its label, choose the product without a country of origin over the imported one. This is true because the product without the country origin on its label has at least some American labor in its content and the imported one most likely does not.

Note: Imported products are required by law to country of origin on their label and products partially Made In USA do not. To answer this question completely reviewing our Labeling Tips 1, 2 & 3. These tips are accessible from scrolling to the bottom of our home page clicking Browse All Tips button.