Son of a Sailor’s Jessica Knopp talks neighborhood constructing on San Antonio’s Eastside and the artwork of gift-giving 

Self-described “serial entrepreneur” Jessica Knopp began her first jewellery line when she was within the eighth grade. She used provides that she toted round in a Caboodles organizer. 

“My mother lately confirmed me she nonetheless has a pair of these earrings,” Knopp informed the Present from her studio in Dignowity Hill. “So I’m recreating them in sterling silver for her this vacation.”

A lifelong maker and traveler with roots in Austin, she met her husband Billy Knopp whereas dwelling in San Francisco. 

“He came over my roommate and it was simply kismet,” Knopp defined. “The primary day we frolicked, we did a artistic challenge on the ground of my house. From the get, we had been making issues. He confirmed up with presents for everyone. He’s actually the very best gift-giver I’ve ever met.He retains sentimental tchotchkes within the prime drawer of his dresser and each time we go someplace, he spends a minute up there making an attempt to see if he has the right factor for the individual we’re going to see. He presents superbly. And to make an extended story quick: we parlayed that right into a enterprise.”

Launched in 2011 within the East Austin artistic advanced Cover, the couple’s enterprise is Son of a Sailor — an idea that’s been energizing San Antonio’s Dignowity Hill since 2023. An natural hybrid of retail and makerspace, the shop builds on the strengths of its founders, who work collaboratively to design and produce leather-based items, jewellery, presents and residential equipment. 

With a reputation that nods to Billy Knopp’s Navy years, Son of a Sailor is a key part of a historic strip middle that’s additionally dwelling to the breakfast mainstay Panchos & Gringos, the veteran-owned Blue Falcon bar, a satellite tv for pc location of Traveler Barbershop and the native meals vehicles EastSide Provisions and Del Otro Lado. 

“My associate [Michael Castaneda] and I needed a spot that instantly connects and helps the folks in our neighborhood,” constructing co-owner and Dignowity Hill resident Alexander Perez stated. “Jessica and Billy embody that philosophy. … On this world the place all the pieces is affordable and disposable, Son of a Sailor is precisely the alternative. It’s a return to a have to know and respect the place the merchandise and objects [come from that] you work together with day by day and provides as presents to family members.”

We lately sat down with Son of a Sailor co-founder Jessica Knopp to quiz her about what introduced the duo to San Antonio, the workflow of their hybrid area and the artwork of giving a very considerate present.

From Austin to San Antonio

“I moved again to Texas in 2010 and we formally started our enterprise in 2011,” Knopp recalled. “We had been the third tenants at Cover in Austin once they opened — and we principally grew out of our area instantly. … We’ve all the time made all the pieces from our line in studio, however the second we opened, folks needed to buy with us. [So we decided to make it] slightly extra retail-esque. 

“And the second we began doing that, it simply stored rising and rising. So the retail would begin creeping into the manufacturing area, and we’d all the time play push-and-pull with what area was devoted to creating issues and what area was dedicated to promoting issues.”

She added: “We began visiting San Antonio much more … and we fell in love with town. We discovered a home that we liked and [decided that] we have to simply be right here. Six or eight months after transferring into our dwelling, [the retail space at the corner of Nolan and Pine streets] grew to become obtainable. And I used to be like, ‘We’re getting the spot.’ The constructing homeowners dwell a pair blocks away and so they’re actually all for creating this right into a neighborhood hub. … And we jumped on that as a result of we’re actually neighborhood oriented.”

Knopp famous that the enterprise’ present area lastly affords sufficient area to allow them to do all they should do with out being cramped.

“And we’re 5 – 6 blocks away from our dwelling,” she stated. My husband Billy is a graphic designer as effectively and he did the design for the signage and [helped] model the constructing as Nolan and Pine. So now we have this sense of id for the little neighborhood of companies right here.”

Inventive collaboration

“After we began, we each did all the pieces usually,” Knopp stated of Son of a Sailor’s in-house traces. “However as we’ve grown, I’d say — to not snap to gender roles —  that I do the jewellery and Billy does the leather-based items. [But] if he has a design for jewellery, we discover that. And if I’ve a design for leather-based, we discover that. There are not any limitations.”

The couple additionally does everlasting jewellery within the store. 

“So as a substitute of getting a clasp [on a bracelet], you set it on with a soar ring [and we] weld the soar ring closed whereas it’s on somebody,” she defined. “I’d say bracelets and anklets are the preferred. We even have all these totally different chains and charms and issues. So we’re constructing out a appeal bar proper now.”

She continued: “We do quite a lot of customized work and we’re making an attempt to arrange that in a method the place we will supply customized jewellery experiences — like are available and design your individual [piece] and we’ll make it with you. And with the leather-based we do customized monogramming. We now have a classic Kingsley machine that does hot-foil stamping for leather-based. That’s one of many issues we’re engaged on getting organized and arrange proper now. The entrance half of the shop is our store and the opposite facet is our manufacturing space — so we’re engaged on stuff when you’re right here.”

Downside fixing

“Billy and I each have a love for objects, tchotchkes, trinkets, memorabilia and collectibles,” Knopp confessed. “We actually need to fend off being hoarders. In order that prime drawer of my husband’s dresser is like the start line. I really feel like quite a lot of the issues that now we have in our area [are] particular little treasures — whether or not it’s slightly gnome figurine or a gems or a pocket knife. However as soon as we began wanting round in any respect the people who we knew, and had been like, ‘Gosh, these folks make cool issues too. We should always carry them within the store.’

Knopp additionally factors out that Son of a Sailor has a residency with the hand-poked tattoo artist Anika Case of Pin & Pencil by way of the tip of the yr. 

“We [work with] a number of makers, associate with a number of totally different companies and likewise do aura images in our area,” she added. “So our neighborhood and the people who we encompass ourselves with informs what we stock. In case you watch Shark Tank, folks all the time ask, ‘What downside are you fixing?’ And I’ve all the time struggled with that. As a result of I’m like, ‘I make jewellery — I’m not fixing an issue.’” 

Nevertheless, she finally got here to understand what downside the enterprise addresses. 

“I feel when attention-grabbing, creative, artistic, distinctive persons are searching for presents for his or her associates they need to give them one thing that displays themselves and their model and their persona,” she stated. “You need to give anyone one thing that they’re going to love — however that may also remind them of you. And I feel that’s an issue that we resolve. [Instead of], ‘Right here’s a present card to Goal.’ It’s one thing that I feel will pique your curiosity — and  it displays me and my values. And that may be difficult. In case you are available right here, you’ll in all probability discover one thing that’s quirky and artistic and distinctive which you can’t simply discover some other place. That’s my hope. That’s the issue I’m making an attempt to resolve.”

Son of a Sailor giftables

“My favourite present merchandise that we make proper now could be a bottle opener within the form of a fortunate horseshoe,” Knopp stated. “I simply like it. We now have a complete line of the Southwest-inspired bottle openers — now we have a roadrunner, a cactus, a thunderbird. We truly get the uncooked steel water-jet lower outdoors of our area as a result of it’s an enormous industrial machine. Our Año Cuff in sterling silver is one other favourite. I’ve been carrying it virtually every single day. It’s a part of a group that I labored on for therefore lengthy that was impressed by jewellery my mom purchased within the Eighties in Mexico.”

Past jewellery, Son of a Sailor additionally provides glasswork. 

“We additionally simply introduced in these stained glass stemmed flowers made by Samara Design Studio, she’s an artist out of Greenville, North Carolina,” Knopp stated. “I simply took a stained glass workshop so now I’ve an excellent broader appreciation for the way delicate they’re. We need to arrange a complete stem bar — as should you walked right into a florist. I can’t get sufficient of our Neuve Leones candle, which is available in an exquisite hand-painted jar that may be reused as a cocktail tumbler.”

In terms of leather-based items, the store’s slimline Quebec pockets is Knopp’s favourite.

“It’s a quite simple two-compartment pockets that Billy designed,” she stated. “We use American leather-based from a tannery known as Wickett & Craig. It will get so buttery and smooth and [develops] an exquisite patina with put on. We’ve had it in our assortment for some time, but it surely simply stays a relentless. We additionally do an embossed one with a diamondback snake hand-painted in aqua and orange.”

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