HOW IS A KNIFE HANDMADE FOLLOWING THE CENTENARY TRADITION OF TARAMUNDI AND ITS SURROUNDINGS?

The process of handcrafting a pocketknife typically begins in the forge. A bellow with a handle is used to blow air and heat up the steel until it glows red-hot. The blade is then extracted from the fire and forged on an anvil with a hammer, forming the chosen design. Once the desired shape is achieved, the blade is detached from the rest of the steel using a dry hammer.

Next, the craftsman engraves their name or brand onto the blade or customizes it with a desired name. The blade is then cooled and the edges are cut and shaped, followed by the marking of the nail. The blade is now in its definitive shape.

Moving on to the handle, which is typically made of hardwoods such as boxwood, uz, and ebony, the craftsman roughs out the shape with a "coitela" and saws a groove while marking and reducing the space for the ferrule. The ferrule, which can be made of brass or stainless steel, is then shaped with a hammer and filed to polish and decorate its corners as desired.

Once all the pieces are assembled, the pocketknife undergoes final touches with a file before moving on to decoration. The chosen design is carved onto the wood handle, and shellac is applied to fill in the grooves. The pocketknife is then disassembled again, and the blade is heated and tempered in cold water, a delicate process that ensures the steel is neither too hard nor too soft.

After the blade is sharpened and polished, the shaft is inserted into the ferrule using a metal rod and riveted with a hammer. The handle is then colored, polished, and smoothed using different sandpapers to remove any remaining shellac and varnished with a handmade varnish.