For a long time I've been collecting dull, rusty knives and restoring them, and the other day I read a guide that summed up the tricks of the trade really well. First you need to look at the knife's condition and decide which part needs repair: is it rust, dullness, or the handle?
For rust removal, vinegar, lemon juice or baking soda do the job on light rust. Deep rust calls for a wire brush, sandpaper or a chemical rust remover, but when using chemicals you must be careful not to damage the steel. At the end you always need to oil it so the rust doesn't come back.
For sharpening I use a whetstone or a ceramic rod; keeping the angle consistent is the most critical point. You can also replace a broken or cracked handle with wood, leather or micarta; gloves are a must for safety.
I think the most important thing is patience. Rushing leads to mistakes; with regular care and the right equipment, an old knife really can return to the way it was on day one.
Source: Taktik Çakı
I came across a piece on how to bring a kitchen knife back to life without leaving the house. According to food content creator Alejandro Gutiérrez, known on Instagram as Yo soy chef en casa, all you need is an inexpensive two-sided whetstone of the kind sold in any hardware store.
The method is simple. First, soak the stone in water for about 20 minutes so the steel does not overheat, and put a damp cloth underneath so it stays still. Then hold the knife at roughly 20 degrees. He explains it this way: 90 degrees, half of that is 45, half of that is 22.5. Draw the blade from base to tip across the coarse side with steady pressure, repeating the same number of strokes on both sides. To finish, work the smooth, dampened side for half the time.
How often to sharpen depends on wear. For a badly worn blade he recommends ten minutes twice a week for a month; once the edge is back, one session every two months is enough. Afterwards, wash the blade with water and soap to remove the metal dust.
He also points out what ruins an edge: putting knives in the dishwasher, cutting on glass or marble boards, and tossing them loose into drawers where they bang against each other. It is a good reminder that sharpening is a matter of consistency more than expensive tools.
Source: adn Noticias
A report in Anka Haber caught my attention: in Sinop, the 80-year-old knife master Cengiz Özekes keeps alive a knife-making tradition of about 130 years, passing it on to his son Kazım Özekes.
The family trade began in the 1890s with his grandfather, Hüseyin Usta. According to Özekes, during the Ottoman era Hüseyin Usta made knives and also took on jobs such as gun repair. Later his father, Kazım Usta, and his uncle, Ali Usta, carried on the work. After Americans arrived in Sinop in 1955, the trade entered a new stage, and Cengiz Usta and his elder brother modernized production. Today Cengiz Usta is the third generation and his son Kazım the fourth.
The master says interest in handcraft has declined, the apprenticeship period has ended, and sales have fallen because of products coming from the Far East. Still, he says, “We have given our hearts to this profession,” and people who care about handcraft still find him.
This is a story that reminds us that behind every blade lies labor accumulated over generations. I hope there will be more stories like this about masters of this kind.
Source: Anka Haber
The 3rd Faca Fest was held at the Usina do Queimado in Campos dos Goytacazes (RJ) and, according to J3News, has established itself as the main knife fair in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Exhibitors, professionals and collectors from several regions of the country came together.
The format was reminiscent of the big national fairs: technical evaluations and knife competitions judged by specialists, along with live forging demonstrations. The organizers, Olympio Guimarães and Ricardo Lobo, said the venue exceeded their expectations, welcoming families, older visitors and anyone who admires the art of shaping steel.
Entry was free. On Saturday the event ran until midnight, and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Besides the exclusive pieces, there was charcoal barbecue, musical acts and leisure options in the outdoor area.
I love seeing cutlery move beyond its niche: watching the forge in action and talking with the person who makes the blade is a great way to understand the value of handcraft.
Source: J3News
Báo Cao Bằng has published a story about Lương Văn Khiêm (born 1989), who was born and raised in the Phúc Sen blacksmithing village, now part of Pác Rằng hamlet in Quảng Uyên commune. He has been working in traditional blacksmithing for more than 25 years.
Phúc Sen is known for its forges that glow red all year round and for its handmade knives and scissors, which are part of the cultural life of the Nùng An community there. Raised in a family of blacksmiths, he knew the sound of the hammer, the anvil and the heat of the fire from childhood. His first lessons were how to hold a hammer, how to build a fire and how to temper steel, but above all he learned patience and precision.
He has also been active in passing the craft on to young people, both locally and from elsewhere, and many of his students have gone on to open their own forges.
In 2019, the Phúc Sen Hà Khiêm Knife Cooperative was founded with seven members, creating jobs for around 20 local workers. In 2024 its products received OCOP three-star certification; in 2025 the cooperative was selected by the Ministry of Industry and Trade as an exemplary cooperative in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; and in 2026 Khiêm received a certificate of merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.
What I like most is his view: keeping the blacksmithing trade alive is not only about making a living, but about keeping a piece of the soul of his homeland. As long as the forge keeps burning, he says, he will keep teaching so that the sound of the Phúc Sen hammer never falls silent.
Source: Báo Cao Bằng
The story of Daniele Novelli, 33, a knife grinder from Camucia, told by the Corriere di Arezzo, made me smile and think at the same time. He practises a trade that is disappearing: for ten years he has sharpened knives in his workshop and at customers' homes, after starting at 23, by chance.
As well as knives he sharpens old billhooks, band-saw blades and slicer discs, because, he says, at home nothing that can be recovered gets thrown away. He bought a fitted-out van and uses modern machines that let him grind any kind of blade, with an edge profile he designed himself. He taught himself, working alongside his father, who repairs industrial machinery, learning by making mistakes and by "stealing with his eyes".
His customers range from young people to elderly people, some over ninety, who bring him a billhook because they can no longer cut the grass. His advice is simple: four or five really good knives are better than ten poor ones, and it almost always makes more sense to re-sharpen than to buy new.
These days, hearing the knife grinder coming is news, because there are almost none left. Daniele enjoys the contact with people and bringing back into use things someone else would have thrown away. It is a nice reminder that a well-sharpened blade can last a lifetime.
Source: Corriere di Arezzo
The 59th Seki Cutlery Festival in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, runs for two days, on the 10th and 11th. It is organized by the Seki Cutlery Festival Executive Committee. For anyone interested in caring for and restoring knives, I found it a festival with a lot to see.
The centerpiece is the “Cutlery Bargain Sale” on Honmachi Street, open 10:00 to 17:00 on both days. Thirty-four vendors are exhibiting, including Inoguchi Cutlery Works, Kai, Magoroku Cutlery and Minoseki Cutlery, a lineup of Seki's knife makers.
For care and maintenance, the “Kitchen Knife Sharpening Corner” is the one to watch. At the Seki Terrace Cutlery Workshop / Gifu Seki Cutlery Hall (4-12-1 Heiwadori, Seki), sharpening services run from 9:00 to 14:30 on both days. It is worth remembering as a chance to bring in kitchen knives that have lost their edge.
There are also sword-related events. At the Seki Blacksmith Heritage Hall, traditional Japanese sword forging and sword polishing and mounting techniques are open to the public. Forging demonstrations start at 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00, and polishing and mounting at 11:00, 13:30 and 15:30. A contemporary new-sword exhibition and a “sword consultation” are also held.
A stage event is planned on Honmachi 2-chōme as well. The official website has touring routes and viewing notes, so it is wise to check the latest announcements before you go.
Source: Seki Cutlery Festival Executive Committee
In Kedungkandang, Malang City, a traditional blacksmith workshop with a burning furnace still operates. According to TIMES Indonesia, Sunar and his nephew Yono keep forging iron by hand at a workshop beside the office of the Polsek Kedungkandang police station. About ten people once worked there; now only two remain.
No written record shows when the workshop was founded; its history has been passed down through stories from one generation to the next. An electric blower now helps keep the coals glowing, but shaping the tools is still largely done by hand. Iron comes from scrap collectors, and some of the steel from the leaf springs of used vehicles such as buses.
The material is heated and hammered repeatedly into sickles (arit) and machetes (parang). Handles are made from lamtoro wood and shaped on a manual lathe so they sit comfortably in the hand. Prices run from about Rp150,000 to Rp250,000, and production follows orders rather than a daily target.
Sunar's attitude struck me. He stays in this trade not for wealth or status, but to meet what buyers need. As the number of successors dwindles, I hope skills like forging and fitting handles this way are not lost.
Source: TIMES Indonesia
On MDR I came across a knife smith from the Vogtland: Alexander Zegula, 61, from Hammerbrücke. His forge is behind the house. There the fire burns, and again and again he puts the blank into the glow.
The blank is heated to 1,200 degrees and then worked blow by blow. Forging takes place at around 800 to 900 degrees, which he says applies to all knives. In between he stands the blank on edge to check whether the blade is straight. As for how exact it has to be, he puts it this way: two wrong blows and the blank is ruined.
He has a clear opinion about steel. Stainless steel is easy to care for, but rusting steels get far sharper and are the ultimate for enthusiasts. A knife that rusts, however, has to be wiped with a cloth and oiled after every use.
The piece also takes up the old question of whether to harvest mushrooms by hand or with a knife. Zegula says it is a matter of belief. Whoever uses a knife cuts below the ground and covers the cut again with soil so that it does not start to mould. I like how matter-of-factly he talks about temperature, steel and care: at the end of the day, a good knife is craftsmanship and regular maintenance.
Source: MDR Sachsen
Knifeinformer published a knife care and maintenance guide in mid-September 2026, and what I liked most is how plainly it frames the whole subject: the routine should match the knife, and most of the work is simple. Clean before grime hardens, dry the blade completely, protect the surfaces that need it, and sharpen only when the knife actually asks for it.
The order of operations is the part worth remembering. On a pocket knife, brush or swab debris out of the pivot, lock area, liners and clip first. Only if the action still feels dry do you add one small drop of pivot oil, cycle the knife open and closed, and wipe off the excess. Oiling before cleaning just traps grit in the mechanism. For kitchen knives the advice is equally basic: hand wash with warm water and mild soap, dry them fully, and keep quality blades out of the sink and the dishwasher.
On sharpening, the guide separates three jobs that people often blur together. Honing is for a tired kitchen edge that still has an apex. Sharpening is for when the knife slips, crushes food or no longer responds to honing. Stropping comes first for intact pocket and outdoor edges. It also notes that high-vanadium powder steels respond better to diamond or CBN abrasives, and it warns against casual use of cheap carbide pull-through sharpeners.
For rust, the guide is about prevention rather than a removal recipe: dry blades after sweat, rain, salt or food acids, and let hidden moisture evaporate before storage. Patina on carbon steel is normal, while active red rust is not, and it says harsh abrasives do not belong on coated, etched or Damascus finishes or on a patina you want to keep. If you see deep pitting, it recommends stopping use of the knife. For food-contact carbon steel, a light film of food-grade mineral oil is suggested, and fixed blades should not sit long-term in damp leather sheaths.
Personally I found the safety note at the top the most useful for restorers: a knife with unreliable lockup, vertical blade play, a cracked handle or a broken blade should be taken out of service, and cleaning will not fix that. It is a good reminder to check the mechanics before polishing the cosmetics of any old knife you pick up.
Source: Knife Informer
Midi Libre announced the first knife fair in Monteils, near Alès, set for Sunday 27 September from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Temple on the Place du Puits. Twelve cutlers from the Gard, the Hérault and the Vaucluse were taking part, all professionals for whom this is an official trade.
The idea came from Cédric Cousin, a professional firefighter, who organised it with the Monteils hunting society. For him the knife is a useful tool in his job and, since he loves cooking, the basic kitchen utensil too. According to the article, apart from the fair held every year in Marguerittes, near Nîmes, there had been no gathering of this kind in the Alès region.
What stood out to me was the way Vincent Salel, a cutler based in Monteils, describes his trade. He talks about real craftsmanship: wood, horn or carbon fibre for handles, and for the steel, finishes such as damascus, bead-blasting or polishing. He compares the precision of the work to goldsmithing and regrets that it tends to be fading away.
The fair was devoted to showing and selling pieces made entirely by hand, often one of a kind. For anyone interested in handmade blades and handles, it is a chance to talk directly with the people who make them.
Source: Midi Libre
