After spending 15 years designing knives and multi-tools for some of the most well-respected and innovative companies in the industry, Beren McKay decided to take his knowledge, expertise, and creative juices and pour them into his very own start-up tool company called PEPPERWOOL – ultimately solving a problem he had long wrangled with when working for others.
“To understand the root reason why I started PEPPERWOOL you first have to understand what it is like to do creative work,” explains Beren. “I have found that creative work is sometimes draining because it’s not just work – it is a part of you that you are embedding into what you are creating – and as such when you are doing creative work for other people or companies, they may not value it or understand it the same way you do. They may require you to make it less than what you see it has the potential to become.”
“PEPPERWOOL was my answer to this,” says Beren. “I see it as a way to fully realize creative solutions and to share those solutions with others who could benefit from them.”
Based out of the wet evergreen forests of Edmonds, Washington, Beren laboured for nearly three years, creating, designing, testing, and manufacturing various iterations of knives before PEPPERWOOL officially launched in November of 2024 with its flagship product, the MERINO MM, which was designed as an ultra-comfortable, easy-to-carry pocket knife.
“The MERINO MM knife was created to solve the common issue of pocket knives being too bulky, uncomfortable, or obtrusive,” says Beren. “Early reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with users appreciating how thin, lightweight, and solid it feels—like a knife that "disappears in your pocket" until you need it. They also love the joy of single handedly flicking the knife open and closed.”
This ease and enjoyment of use is something that Beren has been striving for – and the encouraging comments from his customers has proved to be one of the most rewarding parts of starting up.
“I love all the feedback I have received,” says Beren. “It is wonderful to know that many years of hard work and struggle have resulted in something that makes others happy and helps them in their daily lives. I am grateful to be allowed to continue to create, innovate, and bring something good into the world.”
With two decades of experience designing various products under his belt, Beren has been able to navigate many of the common stumbling blocks of starting up a new company that other solopreneurs may struggle with. That said, PEPPERWOOL hasn’t been without its challenges.
“The hardest part for me has been letting the world know that PEPPERWOOL exists,” explains Beren. “There is an odd frustration in knowing that you have created something really special and yet no one knows about it, and therefore they can’t benefit from it.” Yet!
PEPPERWOOL’s knives are currently manufactured in southern China, crafted by a select group of knife making artisans that Beren has over a decade of experience working in person with.
“You may be surprised to learn that high quality knives require a skilled and seasoned hand to make,” explains Beren. “Each PEPPERWOOL knife is honed, assembled, finished, and inspected by hand to ensure that it is top notch.”
Quality, reliability, and expert craftsmanship is of the utmost importance to Beren and his team of knife makers, and no detail goes overlooked when it comes to their creations. Even the name – PEPPERWOOL – goes deeper than the surface combination of two commonplace words.
“The name PEPPERWOOL represents a balance of innovation and reliability,” shares Beren. “Pepper symbolizes creativity, excitement, and new ideas, while Wool stands for practicality, durability, and trustworthiness—a perfect reflection of the brand’s philosophy: thoughtful design that enhances everyday experiences.”
“Pepper is a seasoning that drove humankind to daringly traverse the globe to acquire,” explains Beren. “They were willing to undergo this dangerous endeavor because pepper transformed the mundane into the exceptional. Pepper gave them a daily spark of joy when they enhanced their food with it.”
PEPPERWOOL sees innovation as that little spark of happiness that makes your day or your task just a little bit better, and they strive to create products that give the users of their products that spark of joy whenever they use them.
“With creative solutions to problems, we believe we can make the daily mundane tasks that everyone faces just a bit better and help us all be a bit happier,” says Beren.
“Wool was the stalwart material that provided protection and warmth to those early adventurers,” he continues. “It kept them dry as they braved the rough seas of life. With solid and well-designed engineering we strive to provide products that are as reliable and dependable as wool.”
The PEPPERWOOL logo also embodies these two ideas.
“The center of the logo is a cross hatch to remind us of the wool fabric and the diamonds in the vertical and horizontal remind us of flecks of pepper,” explains Beren. “The combination of these two concepts is what makes PEPPERWOOL."
Having just launched the MERINO MM onto the market, Beren says he has many other products waiting in the wings to be released. “The MERINO product family will expand with new variations and refinements,” he says. “PEPPERWOOL is also exploring other thoughtfully designed tools that fit the brand’s philosophy.”
Beyond getting the company's name out into the world, Beren has high hopes for the future of PEPPERWOOL.
“PEPPERWOOL serves the niche of high-quality, thoughtfully designed tools for people who value expert craftsmanship, purposeful design, and long-term usability,” explains Beren. He hopes to soon be saying that customers see the brand as a leader in creating everyday tools that are a pleasure to carry and use – and that PEPPERWOOL has stayed true to its core philosophy of being a good steward—of products, people, and the planet.
Ali Becker is a freelance writer and adventure storyteller who spends half the year backpacking and bikepacking and the other half sleeping in strangers' beds as a professional house sitter. She and her partner, Mathieu, share their ups and downs on their IG channel at @trip.longer and hope to inspire others to get outside, adventure in nature and find their own freedom.
