Assessment of the Contribution of the Technical Museum in Brno to the Cultivation of Contemporary Knife Making

Petra Mertová

Archeologia technica, vol. 30 (2019)
Pages: 14–19
Language: Czech
Type of article: scientific article
DOI: n/a

Abstract:
Contemporary blacksmithing has many faces, from practical smithing to the production of exclusive objects for personal presentation. Among these are damascus blades made by the technique of welded damascus, also referred to as ‚modern damascus‘. Despite it being a traditional blacksmithing technique, as supported by numerous archaeological finds and museum collections, its long forgotten principles were unknown to the Czech and Slovak blacksmiths at the end of the 20th century. The contemporary spread of the knowledge among knife and weapon smiths was made possible by the educational activities of the Technical Museum in Brno in the scope of a series of presentations and practical workshops about the given subject, during which aspirant blacksmiths meet with true masters skilled in the art. In an agreeable and forthcoming millieu, knowledge and skills are shared and procedures, both traditional and unorthodox, are tested. These workshops take place from the year 2002 till present day. Thanks to these opportunities, the museum’s collections could be enriched by valuable examples of the damascus-making technology, showing the principles and varieties of welded damascus. These exhibits are now the core of the ‚Knifemaking‘ exposition. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the contribution of the workshops to the benefit of blacksmiths during the entire time frame and with regard to the initial knowledge and experience with the technique.