Why are hand forged knives so popular all of a sudden? Most of the knives in use today are commercially purchased, mass-produced cutting tools. The large-scale manufacture of knives, however, is a relatively new phenomenon. The hand forged knife is a tool with roots dating all the way back to the beginning of human history, and up until the last couple hundred years, the only cutting tools available were hand forged. It wasn’t until the 19th Century that mankind developed industrial scale forging techniques, and these techniques enabled factories around the world to produce vast quantities of serviceable knives for a reasonable price. Today, knives that are forged by hand are enjoying a resurgence in popularity as an alternative to their mostly unremarkable mass-produced counterparts.
So why are these types of knives so popular now? It is no stretch to suggest that the world of hand forging in general is experiencing an upward trend in popularity and visibility. The Industrial Revolution (usually agreed to span from the latter half of the 18th Century through the first half of the 19th Century), introduced mankind to an unprecedented range of convenient and effective mass-produced wares. Where once the day-to-day items of our lives were made by people and in small quantities, this shift brought things within our reach that would have defied the imagination of someone living just a century earlier.
Today, the novelty of that access has worn off, and as large companies seek to consolidate their market share and grow their bottom line, handmade objects are reclaiming their appeal. This trend explains why hand forged knives are so popular right now. Affordable, mass-produced wares have their utility, but their appeal does not extend much beyond that. With an ever-growing range of hand-crafted objects imbued with character through the care and attention a craftsman pays to every detail, people are increasingly taking advantage of the opportunity to surround themselves with objects that are more meaningful.
It is little wonder why these knives are so popular these days. A knife is something you can use every day, multiple times a day; why not make it something exceptional? And it’s even more than that: a hand forged knife is made by a craftsman. That gives you the opportunity to interact with an actual person on the other end of the transaction, and to customize the piece and impart your own ideas and creativity into a magnificent, useful object. What could be better?
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About The Author
Zack Jonas was born and raised in Massachusetts in the 1980’s and is still a New Englander today. With his growing love for art over the years, he took an introductory bladesmithing class at MASSart. It was there that he learned one of his most valuable lessons, which is that everyone has some insight worth learning. Today, he is a full-time bladesmith and feels incredibly fortunate to have found his calling.