I built or converted my first knife in 2000. It all started when the handle of a Bowie knife broke. After I put a new handle on the knife, the knife fit better in my hand than before. Since that moment I have decided to build a complete knife according to my ideas. I then read the book “Making Knives” by Ernst G. Siebeneicher and Hellwig in one night. We started immediately, researched on the Internet and ordered the necessary materials. The only tools I had at my disposal were an old hand belt sander for woodworking and a small pillar drill.

 

The topic of “knife making” has never left me and over the years I have gained more and more knowledge and skills. The workshop also continued to expand, with more and more tools and machines that were needed being added bit by bit. When I visited a hammer-in by the well-known art and damask blacksmith Markus Balbach for the first time, I saw completely new possibilities for making a knife. The fascination of forging a blade from two different types of steel captivated me, so I kept meeting other blacksmiths to learn from them and exchange ideas.

 

Shortly afterwards, at one of my first knife exhibitions, I met the knife maker and trained goldsmith Cyrus Haghjoo. We met regularly to brainstorm and work on other projects, which led to a friendship. I also built my first folding knife under his supervision. I was soon able to carry out all the work steps myself, from forging to heat treatment, from processing the handles to making the leather sheaths.

Nowadays I make everything myself, from folding knives to short swords.

 

This is also what fascinates me about this craft to this day. Working with so many different materials, which seem inconspicuous at the beginning, but in the end reveal a wonderful knife. At this point I would like to thank all my customers, friends and acquaintances who have supported me in my work.