Paulo Tuna

Knife maker

Forging his own path to knife making

Paulo left the art world to create functional work with the same passion
His grandfather gave him his first knife
He considers each handmade knife to be an artwork

Paulo Tuna’s favourite place is at the forge preparing his next blade. A trained sculptor, he spent 15 years creating artworks in metal and wood while working as a sculptor and metal technician at ESAD Fine Art School in Caldas da Rainha. His love for blades goes back to his childhood when he won a knife in a raffle and his grandfather let him keep it. “That moment marked me,” he explains. Years later Paulo bought a knife for his grandfather but when he was not happy with its quality, he went to the factory to complain and ended up being shown around. When Paulo walked out it was a point of no return. With the help of his family he left his stable job at the university to turn to knife making.

Interview

How does your background as a sculptor impact your work?: As a sculptor I look to embellish every piece. Even though my knives have a use, they are all created individually by hand as artworks. They are functional sculptures and I feel just as passionate about them as I did when I was creating big metal sculptures.
Do you turn to history for inspiration?: Yes, I study all types of knives used in the last 2,000 years. I also look forward. Each knife must serve the present and be passed to future generations as an object with a history. To mark the opening of my workshop I created a damascus knife for my daughter, who is seven – it is waiting for her.
What makes an excellent knife?: I always use the best steel to create the best working blade. I take special care over the balance, ergonomics and shape of the blade, continuously pushing my skills in forging, hammering, heat treating, grinding, welding wood and stone carving.
What would you advise a young person interested in knife making?: Most knowledge comes from research and experimentation. You must be passionate, don’t quit after your first mistakes, since you will make mistakes. Do a lot of research, ask people with years of experience, question, observe, experiment and work, work, work.

Paulo Tuna is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2014