Michele Massaro

L'Antica Forgia Lenarduzzi

Knife maker

©Christian Bazzo

©Michele Massaro

For the blacksmiths of yore

Michele makes knives and has a waiting list of three years
His clients are renowned chefs
Blacksmithing was originally his hobby

Michele Massaro's hometown, Maniago, has a long tradition of blacksmithing that dates back to 1400. L'Antica Forgia Lenarduzzi, Michele's workshop, is a world from another era. The stone walls of the small building by the river are covered with forged tools from previous centuries. Agricultural tools sit with other manual instruments like knives and scissors. Michele took over this small forge in 2015. He powers several of his machines on the water wheel, including the forging machine that gives his knives their distinctive brut de forge. "There used to be up to 50 people working here, but now I am mostly alone." Traditionally, each task at the forge was carried out by a different person and Michele learned his craft by observing each one.

Interview

©Michele Massaro

©Michele Massaro

What have you done to perfect your chef knives over the years?: I focus on the machines in my Maniago forge and Swedish monosteel. I am not a big fan of damasks. Being in dialogue with chefs gave me the chance to refine my knives further. I now make knives the way I do thanks to their feedback and the exchanges we have.
What inspires you?: In this regard, too, star chefs are a great source of inspiration for me. I once ate a fantastic meal at Mauro Colagreco's Mirazur restaurant that contained just one ingredient: an amanita caesarea mushroom. There was no corruption in the flavours of the mushroom at all. So when I designed his knives, I made them out of pure monosteel from the handle to the blade.
What are the requirements of chef knives?: Chefs rely on their knives being extensions of their hands. It is important for a knife to be easy to handle, balanced, sharp, and, most importantly, personal to each individual. My knives allow a chef to tailor every detail to their wish. The blade, its thickness, its weight, its handle and its colours.
How do you express tradition in your work?: When I took over the forge in 2015, it was the last one in Maniago. The preservation of this traditional craft is my way of paying homage to the generations of hardworking blacksmiths in this area. My knives are characterised by linear blows of the mallet which are a trademark of this town, the blacksmiths, and our traditions.

Michele Massaro is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2015