Preserving Tradition: Turkish Knifesmith Continues to Use Ancient Techniques in Knife Making

A knifesmith in Turkey's central province of Konya is preserving the traditional way of making knives.

Hailing from a family of knifesmiths in the Taşkent district, 47-year-old Ali Camtaş still forges steel through traditional methods.

He customizes each knife according to the buyer's preferences and makes them using deer antlers, rosewood or olive tree wood for the handles. The sheathes are made of leather.

In his small workshop, Camtaş carries out every stage of production, including lighting the furnace and forging the steel on his own. He said “he started learning the profession from his father when he was 6 or 7 years old.” He discontinued his education after junior high school to follow this profession, he said. Camtaş remarked that the traditional way of forging steel ensures the durability of the knife.

"Knives with wooden handles can wear out quickly when they come in contact with water. Recently, with the advent of dishwashers, demand for wooden-handled knives has decreased. Even though the sector has shifted toward the production of plastic knives, we do not go beyond our traditional standards. We try to keep this profession alive," he added.