What's new? Bowls, spoons and trenchers carved with traditional adzes and crooked knives. Actually, there is nothing new in that. So what's new is the focus of Old Bedford Mercers on selling its own production, not retailing the handcraft of other fine crafts people.

When Old Bedford Mercers initially opened in the Shaffer House in Bedford, Pennsylvania, our intent was to supply all sorts of period-correct wares to reenactors and living historians. But the back corner of the 200-year-old Shaffer House had deteriorate sufficiently that by mid-summer 2004, the building could no longer be safely occupied. An opportunity presented itself to relocate to Michigan and we have a difficult time getting him out of the shop. Our production though small-it always will be small-has increased to where we need to focus our efforts on selling what we produce.