MASTERS OF THEIR CRAFT
There’s a sense of creativity and workmanship in the Irish that many travel far and wide to witness and take a piece of home. From knife makers to weavers, willow sculptors and blacksmiths, we talked to six individuals who are keeping ancient trades alive and who have built successful businesses by tailor-making pieces for today’s market KNIFE MAKING: FINGAL FERGUSON, CO CORK
‘I’m part of the fifth generation at Gubbeen Farm on my dad’s side. Gubbeen was always a dairy farm. There’s 20 to 25 of us that run it now — there’s the farm, the cheese and dairy, smoke house, a garden, the farmers’ market and knives. “I love food, it has always been a big part of my life, and the knife is the tool of the trade. People think of bushcraft knives and consider them cheap. They’re never regarded as a fancy, luxury item.
“I was inspired by spending time with Rory Conner, who is a knife maker in Ballylickey and the origin story — the one-man show — the artisan knife maker for the culinary world. Then, when I was on a work placement in New Zealand, I made knives there as part of a workshop. I travelled around afterwards and did some knife making and blade smithing courses in the UK. The first few knives I made weren’t terrible, I kind of got lucky. I knew enough about them that I knew what I liked, and I got good, constructive feedback from friends.
“One thing I homed in on about knives was that unlike food — which you make, eat and it’s gone — a knife that you make is here to stay. It’s a tool that is part of a daily routine that helps you to feed yourself, your family, your loved ones.
“I love that there are two sides to knives — metallurgy and sculpture. Metallurgy has this complexity. There is skill in making a good knife, playing around with key temperature, tempering, edge, geometry, all those scientific elements that are fun.
“Then sculpture is what makes a knife work. You can have a diamond-encrusted, beautiful knife and never want to use it. Beauty is never enough. It has to feel good in your hand, and story can play a huge role — having a memory or receiving it from a loved one can create a bond.
“With knife making, I was making a connection with people that I love and look up to from the food world. It didn’t take a group effort, like other parts of Gubbeen, such as the smoke house and the cheese. This was me in my cave, or workshop, working at something that I can always walk away from. It wasn’t perishable, it didn’t go off. It was a new and exciting world for me.
“What I aim to make is a practical, functional product that is also beautiful to the eye. Form and function is primary and beauty secondary. I can make over-the-top, stunning, big knives that are high-end, and I also make very simple, honest ones. There’s a personalised, handmade touch to each one.
“When I started making knives, I felt guilty because it felt almost like a hobby compared to the rest of the work at Gubbeen. But then they started getting international attention and now we’re using the money raised through the knives as a nest egg for future environmental and ecological projects, so we’re ethically modernising.” fingalfergusonknives.com