Musings on a very old German knife- 1865's Jagdnicker

 One of the oldest and most interesting knives in my collection I only got recently. 

I have been fascinated by the traditional German and Austrian hunting and utility knife, especially the Jagdnicker variety, since I was a kid.  I do have sort of a collection, always with sort of a historical approach. Most quite contemporary pieces, but also several antique pieces.  

This is a really well-preserved piece.  The stag antler is in pristine condition, the handle hasn't come loose and I doubt the blade has ever been sharpened at all.  The patina on the blade is just surface corrosion.  It hints of some kind of refined or crucible steel. 

The handle bolster and buttcap are not cold-pressed, but soldered from sheet metal and decorated with file work. The metal is either low-content silver alloy or nickle silver.  The hand-decorated bolster hints of a pre-1910 origin.

The blade is stamped "Reil". Now that is interesting, for Reil, a small community in the Mosel region in Germany, was producing iron ingots and bars in the local ironforge, from iron ore mined in the vicinity. The bars were then triple refined, amongst other methods, by re-smelting and refining in a neighbouring community, Alf.  The foundries in Reil and Alf produced highly refined steel for the gun manufacturing and weapon industry in the Old Prussian kingdom. Since 1669 there had been a concession for a foundry and mining activities.  Since 1761 the ironforge in Reil was producing raw iron and steel bars for local smithies. The production of highly refined steel took place from about 1816 until the ironforge had to close down in 1871 for economical reasons.  The old smithy in Reil was producing steel goods, gun barrels, and knives and other tools from 1790 until 1871, too.  The house still stands today and was renovated several times and there was a hardware store in it until the late 1970s or later.  Given the knife most definitely is forged from highly refined steel, it probably was made from 1816- 1871.  

The sheath is really well made from half-tanned leather, without a welt, over some kind of model.  It is composed of several layers and feels really sturdy. It is just a cover, though, that is suited for transporting the knife, but little more.  This could be due to a speciality of regional German traditional attire. The trousers of male attire offered a small pouch, especially made for a knife or cutlery set.  This varied regionally, but wasn't limited to the famed "Lederhosen" (leather pants), which actually is not a traditional German attire at all, but an invention of the Bavarian king Max I. Joseph in 1810 for the first Oktoberfest in Munich ("Wies'n"). Bavarian nobility wore those pants when hunting, but common people could never afford them.  As late as 1883 some Bavarian pub mob founded the first "traditional attire club", having extremely short "Lederhosen" tailor-made. As late as 1913, the bishop of Freising condemned them as "work of Satan". Later, maybe exactly for this reason, the new Wandervogel and Bündische Jugend (youth movement) adopted it, maybe as a symbol of rebellion. If you want to get one, it actually is quite a practical piece of garment, made from buckskin, often with a chamois lining. If it molds to your body, it really feels like a second skin. 

The knife pouch on it is really well suited for a knife like this. On a good Lederhosen every single seam and stitch is welted, sometimes double-welted. It keeps the blade in and protects the wearer even if there were no sheath at all (but of course it is much safer with a sheath), and this is one of the reasons (apart from cost-efficiency) those sheaths are often rather simple. 

The butt cap has something to do with the original function of the knife. Originally a hunting knife from a time when hunting was, deriving from Arabian, Syrian, Iraqi and Turkish hunting etiquette, a privilege of nobility, it was used to deliver the "stab of mercy " (coup de grace), accompagnied by a cry of "Halali" (May he rest in peace), deriving from Arabian "Helal/Halal" (lawful, permissive according to Islamic law). The animal, mostly roe deer, red deer and stag, were held by dogs and peasants, the chief hunter or the nobleman himself was putting a hand above the snout, pulling the head towards the chest, therefore exposing the nape of the neck, hence the German name of the knife, "Jagdnicker", deriving from the German term for the neck, "Genick",cognate with German "nicken" (nodding).  You can also find the names "Knicker" or the older "G'nicker" (*Genicker). 

(Picture from:Alfred Fritschi, Kleines Jagdlexikon, J. Neumann-Neudamm Verlag, 1937, pp. 120)

Fun fact, many of these knives share striking similarities with knives like the Persian Kard. Actually, the occasions for such a use were originally relatively rare, and it turned out that this kind of knife was also really practical. Travelling merchants had used a set, together with a fork and awl, since the medieval ages. The knife also has roots in the Messer and Hauswehr variety of knives, so naturally a lot of people had and used them for everyday tasks around the fields and farms, also since the medieval ages.  

One variety of the knife, known as "Drudenmesser" (a knife used against a special kind of witch entities, evil spirits, insomnia, storms and lightning) also served as an apotropaion.  

(Image copyright quoted from sagen.at)

This is a very old and widespread folk custom, with practices maybe transmitted from older beliefs, but in itself rather young.  Iron and iron objects, especially cutting tools like sickles, axes and knives, as apotropaion, are spoken of even as early as by Roman historical sources. We cannot actually know how old the actual folk custom is. Fact is, similar customs in the time period range geographically from Romania, Austria, Germany, Poland, Czechia, Ukraine and Russia to Finland, with different tools.  In Tyrolia and other parts of Austria there were fixed blade as well as folding knives inscribed with apotropaeic inscriptions like "IHS" (Iesus Hominem Salvator), often with nine (half-) moons and nine crosses (crucifixes as well as St. Andrew's crosses), or, more frequently, nine stars and other apotropaeic symbols like the "witch fence" or "witch bar" or even a knot. In Austria there is an incantation:" Nein sterren und nein mo, greifen olla teifen o" (Styria), which translates as "Nine stars and  nine moons attack all devils". 

The use of the knife in the "Halal" Ritual coup de grace might have contributed to the beliefs of the common people, but probably the apotropaeic function of the knife as such is going back to older beliefs. I do want to emphasize, though, that it is a bit difficult to claim a continuity for want of concrete evidence.  It is probable, but it is also very disputeable, since e.g. what little we know of Celtic culture and beliefs is very different from a Christian society of the late medieval ages and early modern times.  

We have a lot of knives with a deduceable apotropaeic function from the 18th and 19th century, but apart from that time period, little to no material evidence of such a custom before that time period.  

On the other hand, well, the knife variety is quite a fascinating topic and a deep cultural heritage.  And in contrast to the beliefs of some altright propaganda, it is not exactly suited for some Blut-und-Boden Nazi mythology. Instead, it is neither. Its cultural influences are complex and hailing from diverse backgrounds. The true story, if we even can call it that way, is even more fascinating for its cultural diversity.  As usual, the cultural aspect of food is one big part of its history.  But most certainly, for a lot of country folk it also was a do-it-all utility tool.  If you browse on Ebay or similar platforms you find a lot of older examples with blades almost used away to small slivers of metal. 

Back to my knife. I am right grateful that it doesn't belong to those examples.  It is a beautiful cutter. In spite of its age, the sharpness and edge retention is amazing.  Out of the box, it shaved right away, even though the former owner said he "had not cleaned it", and most certainly did not sharpen it. Stropping it resulted in hair-splitting properties.  Most probably after 150 years since the last TLC. 

The blade has a distal taper to it. The grind is a high convex bevel to zero. Carving with it takes a bit of practice, because it wants to really dig into the wood. Food prepping is absolutely ace with it.  No wonder that the Jagdnicker variety became the staple knife in German snacking culture (Brotzeit, Vesper). But apart from that, it really does excel at camp work, too. It works different to a Puukko and has some shortcomings compared to that style of knife in a bushcraft setting, or better, needs different technique, but there is no mistaking the fact that it really is a practical style of knife and has been refined since the medieval ages.  

I am really glad to be able to own such fine historical piece. Its story to me is really inspiring, and I love the journey the research on this topic puts me on. 

And let us be clear about one thing, too. Banning knives per se is an attack on the most profound aspects of cultural heritage.  Yes, a knife can be used for really bad things.  But the way to deal with that is education and integration.  The very history of this seemingly very German knife (which it is, only in a way that transcends what propaganda from all sides wants us to believe. It is composed of diverse cultural influences, just like German history is) spells that. Of course it is pointy and deadly sharp. On the other hand, it mostly played and still plays a really prominent role in German hospitality, good food, good products and local goods. Being able to create stuff, repair things, prepare meals. Get the gist? 

The trade of the knifemaker is on the intangible heritage list of the UNESCO for a reason. A ban on knives is an attack on the trade of the knifemakers worldwide. Even to date, the skills that made such a knife, have been lost, maybe for good. So an attack on the cultural heritage might be deduced as to be an attempt not only to breach international law, or at least, international cultural consent and might even go as far as being an attack on the concept of humanity as such. I do not want to state that, of course, because I cannot even investigate, let alone prove such an intent. But you do not need to rely on this here weirdo's opinion alone. 

"In light of the various threats facing living traditions and cultural diversity globally, the first step is to raise awareness of the invaluable significance of such diverse intangible cultural heritage as a guarantee for sustainable development and cultural exchange. " (https://www.unesco.at/en/culture/intangible-cultural-heritage/the-unesco-convention)

This knife in itself is the epitome of sustainability.  Naturally so.  Noone threw it away when its blade got some stains.  It is 150 years old.  This alone is cultural relevance.  

"Intangible cultural heritage is characterised by its recognition as part of a common cultural heritage; it forms identity through shared experiences and memories. Although they are frequently understood as rigidly conserved and passed-on attitudes, living traditions arise through the change which makes them useful for new generations and life situations. All people, in particular the younger generations, should have the opportunity to set the parameters for “sustainable development” themselves. It is precisely this creative and self-determined process of transmitting and adjusting that characterises living traditions."

So, what might be the threats that are imposed upon intangible cultural heritage worldwide? 

"Threats to the transmission of this living heritage come from such factors as social and demographic changes that reduce intergenerational contacts, for instance from migrations and urbanisation that often remove people from their knowledgeable elders, from the imposition of formal education systems that devalue traditional knowledge and skills, or from intrusive mass media. The response to such threats must come from the communities and groups concerned, assisted by local organizations, their governments and the international community as represented in the General Assembly of States Parties to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the ICH.

UNESCO’s efforts are aimed at assisting States wishing to strengthen existing transmission systems within communities, or to complement these with formal or non-formal education programmes teaching skills and knowledge to other, usually younger, community members."

Formal education systems that devalue traditional knowledge and skills and intrusive mass media, urbanization, and a lack of intergenerational transaction sounds like a Miltonesque  capitalist 's wet dream, though it is doubtful whether this is still capitalism. For capitalism is not a bad thing per se, of course.

On the other hand, repairing things, traditional farming or trades of craft are not welcomed in highly capitalistic society, for obvious reasons.  Corruption is another factor, and while it is not as bad as one might suspect, according to studies by Transparency International, the average ranking in Europe is 65 on a scale from 0(highly corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_Germany). In Germany, the index lies at 78, pun intended.  As I said, not as bad as one might suspect, but not as good, either.  Because democracy is at threat when just one politician is bought and gets into a position where (for the most part) he can push through an agenda. 

Knives are increasingly used for really bad things.  But the culprit is, if kids associate a knife with hurting or even killing people, no matter if they are advocating such a use or are afraid of such a use against them.  

Well, the solution to the problem, or at least, part of it, is relatively simple. If you do not talk about knives with your kids, someone else will.  If they exclusively see a knife as a weapon because you told them, they will use it as a weapon. If you do not speak at all about knives, they will talk to their peers, who see it as a weapon. 

Keep in mind that the transmission of cultural heritage is not encouraged in our society. Our society is not centered around sustainability. Means, chance is, there is not that oft-quoted old conker with a pocket knife teaching kids how to whittle a stick or peel an apple instead of using a knife as an artifact of power as in a video game.

The other aspect of the problem is that there is an immense pressure on youth today. They either get rich or have no perspective at all. Without sympathizing with the phenomenon, the mass shooter just thinks this societal  pressure through consequentially. Actually the mass shooter understands the process of competition completely, but fails to understand the necessity for cooperation as completely as he eliminates his competition really efficiently.  Of course, in most cases, this is a mental disorder, but a mental disorder that is endemic to our current understanding of capitalism.  

To be frank, our society is toxic and narcisstic.  About 40% of all brokers in Germany are suffering from a clinical narcisstic or psychopathic mental disorder. This phenomenon can be witnessed with political positions as well as in society in general.  As an example, see 

  https://www.manager-magazin.de/hbm/fuehrung/narzissmus-in-deutschen-fuehrungsetagen-die-jungbullen-kommen-a-0ee3251e-0002-0001-0000-000177064950

Connection is the opposite of overcompetition.  The often quoted old conker might not be the fastest or the most efficient worker, but she or he has things to give.  If you have patience with her or his shortcomings, you can not only learn the merely technical aspects of cultural heritage, but also patience, and therefore, empathy.  Empathy is the epitome of a working society. If you have empathy with another human being, you will not stick her or him with the pointy end.  It really is that simple. 

Again, empathy and solidarity are not encouraged in our society.  

You want cultural heritage passed on? Be a rebel.  

Use your knives for having good food with people, create nice things, love what you have, but also treasure it. First and foremostly, try to understand empathy. 

And don't be as absurd as I am, writing pamphlets on a Google platform. Because these corporations play a huge part in estranging and disconnecting us from each other. Maybe a Blog a little less than Tiktok or other platforms, but still.  

I want to emphasize, though, that this knife is not controversial to me.  It is something good from a time with more empathy and little joys. I will write more about the cultural aspect of German knives from way back then in order to give you some more insight on what I mean, for I fear, it is not that simple a topic.  In the meantime, have fun for yourself, but also for others. If you meet some old conker, ask him as many questions as he will permit. Most will share their knowledge readily. 

All the best, and take care!

German hunting knife on the bench

Currently in the making: My interpretation of an all -time favourite of mine, the famed German Jagdnicker hunting knife. Made from an old lathe chisel fragment I found in the woods, 97x6mm long and thick. Selectively tempered. High convex bevel to zero. The handle is Sambar stag I got from Hubertus corporation, Solingen www.hubertus-solingen.de . The Ritter family is a good acquaintance of mine and also hold up the flag of this traditional knife design. Sambar stag is very rare because the only stuff you can get is from historical Solingen storage contingents. It´s lovely because it has next to no marrow and has a wonderful colour. The tang does not reach all the way through the handle, but it is some hefty 9mm rectangular at the base and fades to 6mm towards the end. Since Sambar stag has next to no marrow and the epoxy is as strong as it is, there should not be any problem even when submitting the knife to abuse.

I carved this owl wood spirit into the integral bolster.... hope the idea shows... ;-)

Bit of filework on the spine...

and in riverso. The blade takes a polish quite well and seems to be stainless. It´s not taking as good an edge as the Wootz blades, but is still hairsplitting sharp ;-). It´s also very ductile in the edge. I slammed it into an iron rod with but minor dents that could be removed with a strop. Do I like it? ;-)

WAAAAY! ;-)

I am currently contemplating what precious stone or mojo to glue into the butt of the handle, and then it´s off for a sheath.

Thoughts on a knife-German Jagdnicker

 This is part of my not exactly tiny collection of German hunting knives, representatives of a very distinct and ancient style of knife. You can find knives with a very similar outline and concept as early as from the Roman empire, and throughout the medieval ages. It presumeably developed from both utility knives from the medieval ages as well as the "Lange Messer" / "Grosse Messer" and the "Bauernwehr". For the most part, a "Jadnicker" is seen as genuine, if it has the following properties:
-OAL 15-25cm
-Integral bolster, the "Kropf"
-usually single-edged with a somewhat triangular blade shape. Newer versions sometimes also have recurved cutting edges or a more En-nep or Kopis edge line.
-Handle material often is stag antler, although there are also cow, buffalo or ram´s horn, bone and wood around.
-The integral bolster for the most part has a fuller running rectangularily over the fingerpiece to the edge line and incisions or fileworks on the part towards the handle
-The tang can be either a short rat-tail tang or a full tang. Both are historical. If the tang is a rat-tail tang, there is an often richly decorated ferrule from either nickel silver, silver, and sometimes bronze or pewter. Newer versions are often cast, only but recently there are some reconstructions using sheet-metal techniques.

The term "Jagdnicker" refers to a hunting technique, when the knife is used to stab an animal into the neck to sever the nerves running from the brain through the spine, to kill it immediately. The vertebra directly under the skull base in German hunting jargon is called a "Nicker" (from the word nicken-to nod), the process is called "abnicken". The prefix "ab-" refers to a terminating action in this case.
This technique was always employed to ease an animal´s pain and in hunting folklore accompagnied by the word "Halali", which derives from Arabic "Halál": lawful, permissive. See also the term "helal" as anattribute for food. In hunting folklore in Germany, this was connotated into "May he rest in peace", and, psychologically speaking served as a legitimation for the killing of the prey. But this was far more than barely a lame excuse. There seems always to have been a more esoteric kind of folklore surviving in German hunting culture where the hunter was identified with the prey (Miracle and vision of St. Hubertus, St. Eustachius etc., Cernunnos-mythology), and so the call "Halali" also had to do with the wish to legitimate the own death in the death of the prey.

The Jagdnicker was widely in use since the medieaval ages. In early modern times there was the custom of an apotropaic use (use as a talisman against evil spirits). A most excellent essay in German you can find on the site of Peter Pfaffinger: http://www.fuhrmannsmesser.de/html/drudenmesser.html, who also does some of the best modern interpretations. The use of knives and metal objects as "apotropaion" is presumeably as old as metalworking an known throughout every human culture.

Also this style of knife was an integral part of the "Fuhrmannsbesteck", a set of cutlery, including a knife of triangular shape, a fork (up to two forks, to be precise) and a strop that could double as an awl. As such, it was (and is even now) carried in a separate pouch on the leg of the "Lederhosen" (leather pants) in traditional Bavarian attire. The custom of carrying two forks, one smaller one was, by the way, to provide one´s female accompany with an additional fork to partake in a feast, and called "Dirnd´l - Gabel" (Girl´s fork).

The Jagdnicker so has a very broad cultural background. What connects all of the aspects is a sort of ritualistic use. On many "Fuhrmannsbesteck" knives there are inscriptions found such as the Lord´s prayer, with an emphasis on the line "give us this day our daily bread", but also the AGLA - sigil: http://symboldictionary.net/?p=1135, the SATOR-square, INRI or IHS (Iesus Hominem salvator). Here (http://fimbulmyrk.blogspot.de/2014/02/jagd-und-hund-expo-2014-meeting-with.html) I have already written something about an encounter with Peter and some of the symbolic meanings of this style of knife.

Now keeping in mind the hunter´s call "Halali" and its Arabian roots I want to point out as a byline that there is a stunning similarity between the Persian Kard and the German Jagdnicker. See this (http://www.ashokaarts.com/img/product_images/image/detail/ewkardsheath1-45.jpg) as an example. You might also want to visit www.pinterest.com/Fimbulmyrk _ Russian and Persian knife and sword culture, for a load more examples. Now there seems to be a custom in the Achaemenid culture of Iran in the context of the paradise gardens (look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_garden), where hunts were staged. It is therefore relatively safe to state that medieval courts in Europe were influenced by these concepts in their staged hunts, since the oriental influence on high medieval culture in Europe was being very strong. Of course that does not necessarily mean that the Jagdnicker was directly derived from the Persian Kard, and also a similarity by functionality might be possible, but it is highly probable. In a most interesting thread on bladesmith´s forum there is a "Bauernwehr" :
https://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?/topic/21619-bauernwehr/, see the more utilitarian version that also shares the cylindrical tip of Persian Kards.

It is kind of a juicy aspect of all this that some hunters who are very traditional also tend to the right wing of the political spectrum and deny e.g. Syrian immigrants any kind of culture, while the very tradition they so much adore might be derived from a very ancient aspect of Syrian /Iranian/Persian culture, and more so, the tradition they uphold has its very roots in Islamic belief. Now do not get me wrong: I am not saying we all should convert to Islam (if we don´t mean it). But what I am decisively saying is that we have to admit that this world IS F***ING ROUND. Without so - called "foreign influences" any culture will die or be corrupted by incestual processes. And I am decisively saying that we should concentrate on what we have in common in order to sort out the things we must differ on. That does not mean we should adapt to any silly things that do not make sense to us. But we have to get in contact and decide without bias.

Things like these knives help me in the process. 

  

Another juicy thing: The décor on the blade of this knife is called "arabesque" for a reason... ;-)

The etching on the Hartkopf Jagdnicker depicts a stag, black-on-black.

This is a rare Hubertus piece with art nouveau ferrule and cap...

Below you can see one of my own works. Made from Wootz I found in the woods, 95x6mm blade, heat-coloured stag antler, selective temper, high, almost flat convex bevel to zero.

An early (2004) replica of a knife found in the Tyrolean Paseirer valley, originating from 1765. Forged from an old chisel with a full bainite temper.

Below there is the knife of my laid father. Hubertus full tang (tapered), 90x4mm, 1.4109 steel, full temper. He used it for just about everything from snacking to cutting drywall, from whittling to harvesting mushrooms for 30 years and loved it almost to death. When he was already sick, he tried to regrind it and completely messed it up and it was one of his joys when I managed to save it, so much in fact, that he gave it to me.  

This is another treasured knife, and one I found on a flea market in Wuppertal. It is a pre-WWI Solingen Jagdnicker (according to the style of stamping). The handle was rotten through and the tang corroded, so I epoxied a brass tube to it and, using the original ferrule, fitted a new stag handle. It is made from crucible steel (which showed a pattern), has a convex bevel to zero and is "nagelgehend", meaning the edge is ground as thin that it can be elastically deformed when drawn along a metal edge, such as a nail or steel finger ring.



This post can be by its very nature just be a teaser. The topic is vast and incorporates more knife types and regional variants, of course, and I plan to do some more work on it. As a conclusion, I want to say that I obviously love this style of knife. Obviously this is, because I grew up with it, but also for practical and cultural reasons. The knife has a lot of lessons to teach and questions to answer, while it also asks a lot more questions. It is a challenge and a treasure at the same time. And it is an important part of German culture.

This is something I want to emphasize. German culture and tradition is something that is held up either by right wing assholes or put down by superficial left wing madmen. But, if you stick to the mere facts (something that cannot be overrated in times of our everyday factocalypse), it has a lot of things to offer. German culture is rich, and it is rewarding to hold it up and live some of its traditions in a modern way. It has absorbed a lot of cultural influences and integrated them into its own context.

What makes me proud to be a German, if that phrase be allowed, stands out in stark contrast to what those right - wing hate preachers state. To me, German culture is that rich, because it was always open for new things while remaining true to itself.

I am proud that Germany welcomes refugees. That does not mean I am blind towards the fact that it is a difficult situation. There are a lot of fears involved, but the difficulties of the situation are not to be solved by hatemongering. If there is a large enough group of people, there is an ever growing chance that you will find an increasing number of assholes among them. If anyone I had welcomed as a guest in my home does not behave according to manners generally consented upon, the least thing I would do is give him a kicking outta my flat. If anyone acts as an asshole towards me, I will return the same coin. Of course. Anyone would do. But the culprit is: If your personality is strong enough, you can cope with foreign influences and take what they have to offer as your own, while dismissing what you do not want. So, say, you welcome a Syrian in your home, and you took turns cooking, you´d be in for some tasty adventures (I did, and I was), as would be the other way round. You don´t have to wear Syrian clothes or eat Mazza the whole time. But the fact is, interaction and the resulting cultural dynamics is never wrong. You just need firm ground on which to operate. Namely a strong cultural identity, and, yap, another problem, a solid material background. But without a true cultural identity, no solid material background would be possible.  

Enter the Jagdnicker. There are books on Puukos, Kards, Bowie knives, Khukuris, Ulus and whatnot. The only book on German knife culture I could find was a booklet, more of a brochure of some 35 pages and argueably written with a bit of political bias. People simply do not know. And yet I have the opinion that there is a lesson waiting to be learned. And if you do not know yourself, how can you possibly develop strength in your personality? A strong personality is capable of coping with arguments in a non-violent way. A strong personality is able to discuss criticism. But where is a strong and healthy personality in the German psyche? What would we lose, if we accepted our hunting traditions were originally influenced by Persian customs? A book written on German knives would gain quite a lot of pages and become a more interesting read if one would dare to analyse the roots in that.

There are a lot more questions to be asked, of course, and I am not saying I provide answers. But in my opinion, here´s a thread with which to begin. So this will not be the last post on German knife culture.  

On the bench and no philosophy-promise;-)!

These are my current projects for a change. Above there´s a knife project I really like these days. I have done  a lot of research on German knife culture recently. I like studying different bladesmithing cultures but found I knew too little about our own traditions. Plus, I like the German hunting knife, the so - called "Jagdnicker" as an all round companion for the woods- simply out of practical reasons. It has been a design that has been around for centuries and used for bushcraft and hunting chores as long as it has evolved. I plan on writing something about this style of knife soon. In the meantime you can have a look at my pinterest pinboard : German knife culture, where I put together everything I found concerning the topic.

Anyway, the Jagdnicker is made from an old lathe chisel I found in the woods, presumeably HSS or refined steel. Handle will be Sambar stag. The blade is 95mm long, and 6mm at the base with a convex bevel and a selective temper.  

Below is the bushcraft knife that has been around for quite a while. Wootz with elk antler scales fitted with mosaic pins. The quench line shows quite nicely. The blade is 115 mmx5mm and has a balance point on the index finger.

I also made some file work for the tang... I like it and it´s now waiting for a sheath.

More details on the Jagdnicker design.

As is, I look forward to those two knives, and I will keep you posted!

Semi-integral Jagdnicker (German hunting knife)

 Another bar of steel I found in the woods, a piece of roe deer antler I found in the woods... a knife...

 The steel shows a subtle pattern even after initial etching without a polish. The blade  is selectively tempered with a high convex bevel, 120x 3mm.

The integral is forged 100% with no filing just to show I can ;-).

Yap, I like it. It´s mine... ;-)

German backwoods knife

 Hi there and a happy new year to y´all! I had a good time in my holidays, but with no smithing, and had no motivation to shoot any pictures for an article of riding or the hikes I did. What I did, however, is spending some time with the projects on my bench, and this is one I like a lot actually. What I tried to do is incorporate the Jagdnicker design into something more buscrafty and combine it with some thoughts I was inspired to by medieval knives and swords at the Solingen museum. The knife has a wider blade than most making for a high grind line and good slicing capabilities. For the traditional technique "ringeln" (German hunting colloquial for a special technique to remove the intestines via the anus of game, mostly roe deer, with the help of a kind of curling cut) it would be not so ideal, but few hunters do practice this nowadays in the first place, and I am no hunter in the second place. I mostly use knives for whittling, preparing food and harvesting, and for that a wide blade with a good balance does the job well enough.

Speaking of balance-the blade has a very distinct taper from a hefty 10 mm towards the bolster to just a mm at the tip. While it is no prybar, it is surprisingly well suited for prying. I have to add a buttcap (I plan to do it in brass, bronze or silver with some engraving), and hope to get the balance point on the index finger. This is a very delicate process few will appreciate, but in my book it´s well worth the effort. There are a lot of knives on the market with hefty looks and awkward balance, and I want to learn to do it right. Having had the opportunity to handle some good historical pieces it never ceases to amaze me how well-balanced even smaller knives were. I made this one for myself and I like to handle the knives I make while completing them. I have already doen some kitchen work with it. It is an able cutter and chopper at the same time as is and feels nimble and dexterous. The handle is relatively short. With just a tiny shift of grip the pommel will come to sit in the middle of my palm. Sometimes, when hunting (if I were so inclined, that is;-)) you need to apply force with a thrusting motion (Opening the pelvis, for instance), and this would be a good feature to have. But I am still figuring it all out. I write this because the nuances are fascinating me, not because I know it all;-).

The handle is stag antler and might see some carving, blade is 11,5cm x 10-1mm taper, spring steel, selective temper and forged at low temperature and then carburized, the grind is a very high convex bevel.

The German hunting knife as an everyday tool and apotropaion

 

 This is somewhat of an edit of an ancient post from way back then. But as is, the times have changed a lot, and so has my perspective on the topic, albeit not THAT much. Still the German hunting knife, a.k.a "Jagdnicker" is one of my favourite styles of knife. The term Jagdnicker is a composite word out of "Jagd" (German for hunt, hunting, Swedish "Jakt") and "Nicker", a substantive of the verb form "nicken, ab-nicken", which refers to a special technique to kill an animal that is  either kept by the hounds or injured (see the picture courtesy of Alfred Fritschi, Kleines Jagdlexikon, J.Neumann-Neudamm Verlag, 1937, S. 120 via www.hegering.at)

 

The knife, whilst in history actually served as a hunting weapon, always has been far more than that. Even today it is customary to present it as a honourable gift, as a status symbol in traditional attire or even use it as an apotropaion (talisman against evil). Most commonly to date this style of knife is used in the German custom of "Brotzeit", "Jause" or "Vesper". This term needs some explanation, for it is not just, as translated "snack" or "dinner". The Brotzeit is the very definition of "slow food". Ideally speaking, people gather up in a Biergarten, the famed German - Bavarian institution to share a platter of sausage, cheese, mixed pickles, bread, pig stilts, Weissbier and Schnapps and other delicacies. Often the knife of the traditional attire is used, and it sometimes becomes a kind of show - off who´s got the most precious blade. This has, as far as I am informed, always been the case, and it is a kind of ritual showing off the knives and one´s own aptness in sculpting e.g. the white radishes, which are a traditional addition to the "Brotzeit" into accordion shapes and even wood spirits and the like. ;-). It´s also a good occasion to socialize with the lassies ;-), named "Dirnd´ln". Exactly for this occasion, many traditional cutlery sets came with two forks, and the smaller one was named "Dirnd´l - Gabel" (girl´s fork). This is almost a mating ritual, or so ethnologists tend to say ;-), for this indicated that the man wanted to provide for the girl. Many traditional hunting knives were also etched with Christian prayers or sigills. Popular prayers were e.g. The Lord´s Prayer or wishes for prosperity and health. Popular sigills were e.g.
 (picture from www.hermetic.com)
The Agla sigill was used for magical purposes, e.g. to ward off storms or Evil spirits. Other apotropaic inscriptions were IHS (Iesus Hominum Salvator - Jesus, the saviour of men, or Iesus Humilis Societas - The humble society of Jesus) or INRI (Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum - Jesus, from Nazareth, King of Jews). Another crucial mark were nine crosses and nine crescent moons. There was a saying in Bavarian dialect "Neun Kreutz un neun mo´greif´n alle deifen o´" (Nine crosses and nine moons attack all devils). Also in use was a kind of "rune" (of course, not genuinely so), the "Drudengatterl" (nightmare fence) or Drudenfuß (night-mare´s foot, on the left):

(Pictures courtesy from Peter Pfaffinger:
www.fuhrmannsmesser.de, thank you, Peter!)


 The Drud or night - mare was a nocturnal spirit, sometimes a supernatural witch making a lot of mischief, spreading animal diseases and turning the butter stale, up to killing people in their sleep. To ward this spirit off, the knife inscribed with the aforementioned apotropaic words or sigills was stuck into the bed post or the door stock. That way the night - mare would cut itself on the blade and flee. The defensive effect was emphasized by the sigills and inscriptions.

Apart from that, the knives were priced tools, but not necessarily used that much except for festivals and holidays; for farming work there were others, more humbly made. In any case, the knife was handed down in the family as a priced possession.

 In a way, this knife is something like that. It´s the knife that my father used for 25 years, an old Hubertus with a 9 cm blade and stag antler scales. Now it´s mine. I will not have any children, but if I had, they would inherit it ;-). This knife, simple as it is, is also a kind of talisman for me. It reminds me of all the hikes and foraging outings and "Brotzeit" - meetings with friends from Hessia we did together when I was a kid, of working in the reconstruction of many houses, when he cut the plaster boards and his lunch alike with it or scraped out his beloved tobacco pipe with the blade, of good times and bad times.

No wonder I have an affinity to this kind of knife, eh? ;-) A part of my collection: Top to bottom:

-Otter knives, 10cm, 1.4110 steel, stag antler with a multi - carry sheath for traditional attire and belt carrying
-Hubertus, 11 cm, rattail tang, 1.4109 steel, with art deco fittings and a lovely sheath for traditional attire.
-Hubertus, 12 cm, full tang, C45 cryo - hardened steel with a surprising edge-holding capability for that steel., Sambar stag antler
-Widder knives, 10 cm, full tang, 1.4116 steel, stag antler, with a beautiful etching of a fisherman on the blade
-ancient Solingen Nicker, 11,6 cm, rattail tang, crucible steel, pre - 1920.
-Rudolph Broch blade with Weberknives fittings, C60, 10 cm, cowhorn handle
-Hartkopf Nicker with a beautiful stag etching on the blued 1.4110 10 cm full -tang blade, stag antler

 This is a knife I made long ago in the garden of my old home by the lake, after a historical piece from the Southern Tyrolean region of the Paseirer valley. 12 cm, chisel steel with a full bainite temper, ca. 59 HRC.

 ...in riverso. I fitted the Edelweiss badge in, which is a bit controversial. Many people would look at it as trumpery, but as is, I have actually SEEN Edelweiss "in person". I am thoroughly fascinated with this flower and it conveys a meaning to me: While it clings to the sheer rock and prospers in the most hostile conditions, it will die in a cultivated garden. And even in the most hostile environment, there´s still a flower growing, a strange flower, white and pale and ghostly even, but still-only strange and strong flowers will survive in hostile environments. So my trusty readers might see why it appeals to me ;-).

 This is a bad example of a "Drudenmesser". It is made in Pakistan. Oh, so it cuts well, but...
 It´s made from stainless industrial damascus, and it´s even tempered. It was dead cheap, to be true, yeah, and the blade is well made. The mountings are sloppy, but they even have some kind of tribal knifemaking charme to them. So why is it a bad knife?

Now, imagine there´s a very accomplished craftsman. He makes knives like these, with love and meticulous precision and fierce passion. He just so can make a living from it for himself and his family. But he strives to get better, as any dedicated craftsman does.

Now, imagine there´s another guy in the neighbourhood. He looks at the knives the first guy makes and is like "Yeah, I can make a profit from that." And copies the knives to an extent that his master´s mark has the same pixel mistakes as the Drudengatterl from the homepage I just quoted. And makes them in Pakistan at a fraction of the price.

This would not be half as bad if he had talked to the first guy in the first place and would say the truth about his knives. For a knife made in Pakistan, this is good enough, and not everyone wants to or is able to afford a knife for almost half a grand. As I said, the knife cuts well, the Damascus is relatively carefree, it´s a light carry and it´s dead cheap and offers quite a bargain. For a user, this would be fine. But that´s not the point in it all. I personally would suggest to save for the real thing, if you want something for a good traditional attire. But a lie is never good and eventually will fall back upon you.

 This is another knife I made. It´s apotropaic "power" lies in the fact that I have made it from ancient crucible steel I found on the St. Jakes pilgrimage trail near my home. It is selectively tempered.

 Here you can see it shows a kind of pattern in the blade. The steel was presumeably processed by one of the ironworks in the vicinity, ca. 1890-1920. The blade has a hardness of ca. 61 in the edge and 45 in the spine. Typologically, the knife is inspired by the traditional style of Jagdnicker with a semi- integral layout and a somewhat triangular shape, but differs a bit. The bolster I filed out octagonally, and the blade shape is also a bit different. The sheath is made for belt carry, not for a knife pouch in the traditional attire leather trousers.

 ...but as you can see, there are deviant shapes along the traditional design produced, too.

All of them made by Hubertus, my favourite traditional knifemaking corporation in Solingen, but available from other corporations like Linder, too. The topmost knives are made from 1.4034 (420HC), the two below are made from 1.4109 (which is similar, but not identical to 440A). It is most interesting how well even the 1.4034 blades hold an edge. This is due to cryogenic hardening employed by Hubertus and a very sensible forging process with a lot of experience. The topmost knife is one of the first knives I ever got-my father bought it for me in Austria when I was 11 years old. I only once had to reprofile it.

The German hunting knife is a knife that has a strong connection to our cultural identity. Of course it could be used as a weapon, as anything could, even a pillow. But it has strong roots in our history, our religion of state and our social culture. It has contributed a lot to what we are and thusly shaped our future. And while Germans are reluctant to say that they are proud of their culture, because of some aspects of contemporary history (the Third Reich), this culture is very rich, not because of its enclosedness, but in the contrary, due to the plurality of its people. Now this plurality is enriched, or could be, by the many refugees and immigrants. But in order to empower a sane and sensible way of integration and cultural exchange, we must keep in mind who we are and where we come from. The German term "Gemütlichkeit" was exported as far as the USA. If you use a very literal translation, this means "being like one´s mind", referring to a sort of well-being along the requirements of one´s soul. The Jagdnicker and Drudenmesser are but one, but a crucial part no less of at least the oft - quoted Bavarian Gemütlichkeit and find their equivalents in other styles of knife throughout Germany. Being well along the requirements of one´s soul is a thing of personal dignity, and this is something that the German "Grundgesetz" (which, unfortunately is not a constitution of state, since we are no state, but ruled by a trust corporation) assures every citizen, provided he acts according to the law.

This knife can show us who we are, if we ask the right questions. If we know who we are, we can put up to our challenges better. It is an experiment of the mind I can recommend to anyone not sure about the refugee problem; just ask the question what knives do they use and why. Just ask one question at a time-and don´t get me wrong, that´s quite difficult to do, and chance is, you will find many things that differ - but also many things that are similar. We have no choice but to look at the things similar if we want to build the society of our mutual future without compromising who we are and the well-being of our collective soul.

To those who try to offend us, we could answer with a meme I once read in an Austrian inn:

"Buama, wann´s raufen wollts,
Dann lasst´s eich raden,
Die Messa san g´schliffan
 Und d´Pratz´n san g´laden!"

(Boys, if you want to fight, please take council, the knives are honed, and the fists are loaded!" ;-) )

Noone in their right mind wants to quarrel with a Bavarian who´s drunk! ;-)

Kidding aside, I hope to have made clear that this style of knife has deep cultural roots in tradition, and it is those roots that in my opinion could prepare us for the future. If we fear the bad things that could happen, we are wrong. We have to look at the chances of our culture. In fact we have no choice. The knife could give us the "Gemütlichkeit", and this is something we should strive for also for the new citizens of our country; gathering around the table and sharing good talk, and the food we all like respectively. No harm done if one prefers the beef to the pig stilts on the platter-if he doesn´t make a fuss out of it and ruins it for the whole lot.

Message...;-)

Jagd und Hund-report from bushcrafter´s and knifemaker´s paradise

 So, on Saturday it was that time of year again, and I visited the Jagd und Hund Expo, I have looked forward to the entire year. Courtesy of Ms. Heinrigs, I got there as a press representant, and I immediately made for the media centre to have a chat with the responsible staff members. Turns out Ms. heinrigs had a lot to do, but still had some time to give me very valuable input and much appreciated information. The Jagd und Hund exposition has once again affirmed a leading position on a marketplace of many quality expositions all over Europe. There were thousands of visitors over the week, totalling over 72.000 visitors all in all. Booths were occupied by ehibitors from 34 nations, and this time ecological projects were a definitive issue with the expo. So the topic of geocaching, a  currently booming sport, which unfortunately sometimes takes place in the thicket of the underbrush and after dark, therefore irritating wildstock, was addressed as well as renaturization and educational programmes by regional and national hunting and fishing associations. There were booths informing hunting and fishing newbies as well as educational booths for kids.I was especially fond of the educational programme taking place in hall 3B, where kids, both whole and handicapped, were able to experience several different wild animals (biologics, of course;-)), stroking animal skins and build insect hotels. There were experienced tutors, and it was great to see that the booth was crammed full with kids actually having fun learning.

The aisles were crammed full with visitors, according to Ms. Heinrigs generating a netto sales volume p.c. of 40.000.000 €. Loads of visitors came from farther away than 100 km, visitors from Belgium, France, Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Ireland, Poland, Russia, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Switzerland, Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic, some even from Australia, Africa, New Zealand and the United States. This generates a great cosmopolitical  atmosphere on the expo, one thing that I like best about the whole event.

 In hall 3B there was the booth of Hans and Steffi Schild doing a great job on tutoring children about the basics of wildlife. He said that it´s a sorry fact many kids do not know the most basic facts about wildlife in our native forest lands. I have made this experience myself, that some kids really think even cows are lilac and milk is made in factories. Mind, you, this is not a joke, but a quote from an eleven-year-old I tutored myself some years ago. Even better that people like Hans Schild do this job, and from what I can tell, a great one. Go to his website here.

 Having fun stroking a wild pig might not be as great an idea when it´s still alive, but in this context offered a great possibility to discover what it is all about, and learn you should not try this in the woods!

 This mole is presumably dead... or does it just play at being so?;-)

 I ventured on to the Bogenzeit booth, where there were longbows for leisure and sport as well as a professional tutoring. The Bogenzeit corporation uses the longbow techniques as a means of therapy and meditation and teaches, amongst other things, intuitive shooting in very desireable environment. Plus, there are a load of associated topics, like roving holidays in the wilderness and the like. Go to their website here.

They also offered a load of quality leatherware. I had to really hold onto my breeches not to spend all my money there!









Then I ventured on to the booth of this friendly gentleman her. Mr. Szábò was delighted to meet me in person, and we had a nice little chat together. He had a load of quality knives on display. I had little time so I went on, but I daresay I will place an order with him soon.... Go to his website here. (take note it´s not ready yet... I will inform you. Watch this space!)





I have come to really like those simple but beautiful traditional Hungarian hunting and shepherd´s knives, especially those you can see to the right. Those were executed with meticulous craftsmanship, and spell reliability. Typically they are slipjoint folders with a stiff spring, but, as I hinted in another post already, the geometry of the pivot-to-handle-relation prevents them from snapping close so easily. Of course, they are still slipjoints, and if you need a prybar, get yourself a prybar, not a knife. But for cutting and whittling and carving they have done for hundreds of years and certainly will do for another hundred...

 
There also were more modern concepts on display, each of them finished really great, with no play and little tolerances.

Those knives are all made from 1.4034 steel, and some of you might find that a strange choice for a high quality custom knife. But given a correct temper 1.4034 can achieve a Rockwell hardness of about 54-56 when tempered evenly and up to 58-60 when tempered differentially. If a blade is harder than 54 Rockwell you can cut steel nails with it. How many steel nails do you cut in your leisure time?;-) So I have no problem whatsoever with the choice of the steel, for it is one that is relatively close to my favourite spring steel, C55CrSi, with the exception of 13 % Chromium.

Kitchen knives, handcrafted like the rest of the lot.

My favourite from last year´s expo, a set of steak knives with stag antler handles and cutting boards that also serve as a knife block. Have to do something like that myself soon!

On I ventured deep into the lurking dangers of the expo halls, and skulking in the darkness of Hall 5, I met this little fellow. It is a Wolpertinger, an increasingly rare species in Bavaria. This is no biologic, mind you. If they get surprised, they fall in a kind of rigor. This one was surprised in a beer garden where he was about to steal a pretzel and a mug of Weissbier. The rigor is enduring for quite a long time, but cannot quite be calculated, and since those creatures are known for making quite a lot of mischief, households in Bavaria more and more obstain from displaying them openly, keeping them in boxes with a lock outside!;-)

There were a lot of thsoe fellows around. I do not quite care about them being sold without further notation on their more annoying habits...;-)

Then I went on to the Otter booth, and whom did I meet? You might know this guy as Meinhart, the scytheman I met on the "Schmiedefest" at the Krenzer Hammer last year. We had quite a nice chat, and he told me he was currently working as a shear-grinding apprentice. Look here for an article in the Kölner Stadtanzeiger. 
Meinhard is also acquainted with Mr. Morsbach, former head of Otter knives and now selling the Mercator / Katze 55 K knife.

At the booth I found this interesting gutting knife, a folding knife with no tip and a slipjoint mechanism, a novel idea now produced by Otter, and courtesy of Mr. Morsbach.

Lots of weekend projects, most of them out of 440C, but also some damascus blades.

Mr. Remscheid, a funny and competent colleage to Mr. Morsbach, presenting his favourite neck and pocket knife, a giant bowie.;-)

This is the master himself. I have a deep respect for this man who knows how to walk his way, has an overflowing creativity and a load of knowledge. I keep learning from him every time we meet, and he has given me valuable input on my knifemaking already.

I walked on to a more pressing topic. This is the booth of the Landesfischereiverband NRW e.V...

They currently work hard for the renaturization of lakes and rivers in North-Rhine-Westfalia, my home region. Power plants, accumulation lakes, industrialization and urbanization all have contributed to a lot of barriers for the breeding of fish and river cancer and other aquatic wildlife. Now the Europen Union is funding the renaturalization of rivers and lakes to promote the reestablishment of wildlife into our regional water bodies with some 80.000.000€. The project is scheduled until 2027, and the association is involved as a counselling member of staff, and is not involved into financial processes.

One little known topic is the fact that native cancer are currently being surpressed by non-native kinds, therefore generating an imbalance in the ecosystem that can even lead to pollution with alga and thusly rout entire local ecosystems. But that´s not the only project promoted by hard work by both staff and executives. Another topic is the building of devices to help salmon overcome artificial barriers to promote their breeding. All this is hard work, I guess, and the activists deserve my deepest respect.

My thanks go to Dr. Niepagenkämper who took the time to answer my questions and point out the finer relations of the ecosystems involved, but also the funding aspects of the project, and I hope to promote their work if only a tiny bit with my article. They certainly do not get the attention they deserve for their engagement. Too many simpletons still think hunters and fishers are "just killing animals". That they also take the responsibility for entire ecosystems and most of them doing a great job, is a little known thing. As is the case with most any group, there are black sheep for sure, but that can never be the majority.

They also had a fishing demo with a big basin on display demonstrating new and basic fishing techniques. There were lots of interested spectators and a competent audience making for a cool but enlightening atmosphere.

Then it was time for my visit in Hall 6, where I had some people to meet;-). First, I met Mr. Weber from Weberknives. Go to their website here.
They have loads of goodies for the accomplished weekend-project knifemaker as well as the professional. To the right you can see supplies for making traditional German hunting swords, decorative bolsters, handles, all from brass.

They sell Pakistan damascus blades and have a thorough quality management policy. Those blades are not made from tin cans and other junk, but from 15N20 and 1095 steel qualities with a guaranteed Rockwell hardness of 60HRC.

Blades from 1.4109, 1.4034 and 440C qualities.

Traditional and modern blade shapes from different steel qualities.

The company also specializes in making traditional German "Jagdnicker" knives and blades, most in 440C steel. I really like this style of knife. It is simple, easy to carry and cuts well, and makes for a great allround cutter.

Also on display were a load of colourfully etched blades for knives to go with a traditional Bavarian attire. These are a part of German culture and serve as a snack knife to be carried in the "Lederhose" (leather pants). In that, they can be compared to the Scottish Sgian Dubh. The term "Jagdnicker" comes from the German hunting jargon term "abnicken", which means, to stick the neck of a wounded deer to kill it by severing the spinal nerve system fibres. In that, it is a hunting knife per definitionem. Another cultural aspect is the "Brotzeit", a traditional platter of snack items, which is served mainly on a wooden board in the "Biergarten", where traditionally no table cutlery would be provided (nowadays it is, of course!), and one had to use one´s own knife (and sometimes fork) to skew bacon, radishes, cheese, pickled cucumber, and spread mustard and "Kren" (a paste of hot horse radish, cream and sometimes apple) on the meat and cheese. A competition in `em days;-) as well as nowadays is who can carve the finest accordeon decor from the "Radi", a white radish, which is sprinkled with salt and sometimes pepper. The "Brotzeit", in that, is more of a ritual, and involves a good deal of drinking, too, "Weissbier" and schnapps alike, and a good deal of showing off the knife, which is often decorated far beyond practicability. The knife is the pride of any true Bavarian, and older versions are to be found decorated with scales of ebony, intarsia in mother-of-pearl, silver, and even gold, but those are rare. I hope I can do a post on the kind of knife sometime soon, for it is a very interesting topic for sure.  

Also on display was a wide array of different scale materials, hardwood, micarta, G-10, everything one could wish for.

Stag and reindeer antler galore...

This friendly guy is Mr. Weber jun. proudly displaying one of the company´s premium and most recent projects, a cooperation with Walther knives for their anniversary. The blade is from the Weber lineup, made from 440C, 11,5 cm long, with bead-blasted Micarta scales, and will only see a limited production run of 500 pieces.




I went on  my way to visit the Hubertus booth (Get to their website here)just some aisles away, and had the privilege to meet with Dr. Henning Ritter, a real insider and bristling with competence on any traditional German knife design one can think of. He even works as a consultant for the German magazine "Messermagazin" for his competence as a conoisseur of cultural history and history of art, and he has contributed a lot to what few facts I know about the topic.

Mr. Ritter also had this take on a tactical design on display, one of the company´s current novelties. The blade is 150 mm long, with a 440 C bowie blade, a Kraton handle and a leather sheath. Apart from that, the company really excells in making traditional designs. Their automatic knives are famed world wide, and they make traditional German hunting folders and Jagdnicker designs in a multitude of forms. If you ever have the chance to visit the city of Solingen, pay them a visit, it´s well worth it!



I was all fluffy already from all that talking and walking and taking photos, so I had a break with some delicious food and drink, and had quite a share of coffee, before I ventured on to my personal highlight of the show, the Karesuando booth.

I met with Ulf, Per and Martin, who were quite busy. As usual, they compensated with their great mood and enthusiasm even when the going got tough, and their enthusiasm for their products is honest and simply motivates to work on your skills, too. Take a look at their website here.







I really, really like those Saami knives, and will make some myself, soon, again. I simply love the warm colour of the birchwood burr and the cool contrast to the reindeer antler´s white colour. The fine ornaments add to the atmosphere of a beautiful knife that even works in the bargain.

You might wonder whether I get paid to say so.;-) But I only write about the booths I can really relate to, and that enthuse and inspire me. Needless to say, there were quite a lot of booths inspiring me, the one downside of the expo, that there simply is not enough time for all of them.

This is the common man´s lineup;-), none too shabby either...

Ulf had a lot of historical finds on display, too, amongst which was this very interesting broadaxe. It presumably dates back (originally) to the year 919 and began its life a s a viking "dane-axe", a war axe maybe, and, according to Ulf, was modified later to be used as a woodworking tool. I cannot say if this is actually the case, but it was found in the joisting of an old Swedish cloister. The handle is a preserved original. Later, a layer of higher carbon steel was welded onto the edge part, and one on the back to serve as a hammer "poll", and the blade was slightly offset. I am a bit sceptical as to the "viking" origin of the tool and its age, for it screams "tool" on top of its lungs, and where would be the harm? It is older than 200 years at least, that much I can agree with Ulf.

What hints towards a weapon origin, however, is the fact, that the blade is rather thin all over its width, just some 6-8mm thick, and there are several welding layers presumeably applied later. Plus, the blade is not a two-layer, asymmetrical bevel one, but a symmetrical one with three layers. I do not think it might be a typical daneox, for the socket towards the handle is not typical of axes of that period. But then there is a welded layer in the area that might as well hint of  a later modification. In the picture to the right you can see the edge part that was shoed on.

The offset of the blade. Note the thin blade!

The welds at the socket.

Those are knives Ulf made himself with blades from Karesuando and Poul Strande. Reindeer antler and birchwood burr all.

Another historical piece, a butcher knife he found in the dumpster.

And this is his EDC knife (on top) he made to be carried in the society of the future.;-) Just kidding, he made it to make midget filets.;-)

Real big one, eh? Why is it everyone is making miniatures at the moment?

This is a sheath for that knife, glued onto the foot of his midget hotel.... great time at the Karesuando booth I had. We had a chat and a laugh, and interesting discussions. Ulf is now moving over to Sweden, has given up completely on being a German, which is only fair and righteous if you want to migrate to another country. He is sick of German mentality and the travesty show that once was called government, and I can fairly understand his reasons...

On I went to the booth of Mr. Belenczak, another fine Hungarian knifemaker. He makes extremely rustic knives, all handforged with little to no power tools. I daresay his knifemaking is genuinely "tribal", even if he would not call it that name. He just does what he does, and is righteously proud of his achievements. Those are knives from carbon steel, fire, anvil, hammer and a tiny little filing.

More traditional Hungarian shepherd and hunting knives. Could have bought the entire booth, but didn´t.

Still more of them, and some weekenders, too.

The expo was crammed full of expositors of name and fame, amongst which the Leatherman booth was but one.

I also had a nice talk with Mr. Janas Madaras, another Hungarian craftsman from the folkart division, who was there with his colleague, Mr. Vergil Culda, who was presenting very high quality woodcarving items.

Note the details on those trophy boards! This is Mr. Vergil Culda, proud crafter of the chair to the right. Awesome, for sure!

...

Delicate carvings in antler and wood. I really like those knives, they simply have a kind of spirit to them.

This was a chandelier they had on display, a novel item finished only but recently. Antler and wood.

... without words...

...table cutlery...

More traditional Hungarian folding knives...

Note the billhook pruning knives to the left!

I must say that I own several of his works, and they are really great, with an awesome finish, but preserving an air of the handcrafted still. The steel is excellently tempered. The 440C-blades stand the Solingen nail test, and that´s a feat to achieve with that steel! The hollow grinds are always so sharp you can use them as an actual razor, the only limitation being the handle!

But he can also do differently. Tribal designs from 55CrMoV carbon steel, as excellent as the rest!

Last but in no way least, his woodworking tools that do another great job. Mr. Madaras certainly is a very accomplished craftsman. I am currently thinking of learning the language, if only a bit, to better communicate with those craftsmen. They have a culture of craftsmanship that is actually alive and well, and there might be much to learn.

This is a wardrobe hanger. Wood and chamois horn. I simply like the playful abstraction achieved by the mixing of those materials.
And I am amazed that you cannot quite tell where the animal part subsides and the wood part begins. You have to look closely to make out the difference. I love that very much.

This is the knife that won the Brno exposition custom knife award. 440C, handfiled corkscrew, engravings, awl, saw, gutting blade, main blade, stag antler scales, and entirely made by hand.




More fine art on display.








I said goodbye and went back to the Otter booth to take some more photos and to discuss some matters with Mr. Morsbach. I had seen a lot of custom knives and fine art, but being as is, the Otter lineup is none too shabby either, for production items, that is. They specialize in pruning tools and knives for the industry, but are currently expanding their lineup of hunting and bushcraft knives, too. They had a lot of them on display, and some novelties, too. Having torture tested their knives to an extent noone in their right mind would ever throw at their blades, I can say, they came out still begging for more. I am talking real quality here. Most of their blades are made from 1.4125 steel, which is nearly identical to 440C, the folding knives often being made from 1.2003 (C75) steel.

Pruning and working folders...

Hunting knives...

This is a novelty, a short but sturdy hunter with a folding saw and a gutting blade. 440C steel with olive wood scales.

They also have a quality damascus lineup, traditional as well as modern design blades.

















As a conclusion I want to say it was a very intensive day. It was an interesting experience to visit the expo, and many impressions were there to be taken home. The exposition is a must-go for every nature enthusiast, knife afficionado, hunters and fishers, bushcrafters, families even, now also geocachers and other sports enthusiasts who want to inform themselves about the ecosystems that make their own habitat, too. There were too many shows, expositions, tutorials to mention them all. as an example there was that famed birds of prey show, the show of offroad trucks and SUVs,  bowshooting tutorials, kids tutorials, fishing and hunting tutorials, lectures on hunting, shooting, guns and ammunition as well as geocaching and the learning place that is made by nature. I missed the national deer bell competition on the day before, which was highly recognized throughout Europe, and a load of other events, leading to the resolve that next year will see me visiting that giant show at least three days again.